Happy Christmas all this should make you laugh, I'll have 20 grams of what he's smoking!!!

Scott

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-Lucas-L-WD-MCT1A-BSA-WD-M20-Ariel-WNG-Norton-16H-Matchless-Enfield/283310763254?hash=item41f6a32cf6:g:QdIAAOSwiE1cG1pg:rk:38:pf:0]

email (option): larkesrATgmaildotcom

I'm not really surprised at the starting price, bearing in mind they are asking for offers and presumably would take less, people are paying a lot of money for the nice original finishing touch's these days.

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

I’m stunned Rob,
I paid leas than half that a year ago for a BNIB one!!
The world has gone mad!!

Scott

email (option): larkesrATgmail.com

That's true.

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

That's true.

Rob[/quote]No just a case of too many old fools with too much money and not enough common sense .

email (option): bsansw1@tpg.com.au

Trevor, I agreed with Scott that "the world has gone mad", are you disagreeing or are you calling me an old fool, bearing in mind that I bought enough rear lights for all my projects years ago when they were much much cheaper?

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Trevor, I agreed with Scott that "the world has gone mad", are you disagreeing or are you calling me an old fool, bearing in mind that I bought enough rear lights for all my projects years ago when they were much much cheaper?

Rob[/quote]Just as assesment on the perception of the current value of money.
I have a fleet of ex-hire car Silver Shadows RR made about 175,000 of them
Current value, on the road running approx $ 10,000
Volkswaggon made about 5,000,000 beetles but a 1974 ( same year model ) beetle currently sells for around $ 30,000 .
So why is this so ?
Because despite claiming they are all "struggling" most Australians have far too much money to spend that they came across far too easily and thus do not value.
Down here it was superannuation that set the ball in motion, PAYE employees retiring with lump sums in excess of $ 1,000,000.

Then property inflation, similar to Ireland in the 90's has made 40% of the population millionairs on paper.


Add to that short attention spans & the desire for instant gratification means that over cashed nobodies will pay stupid amounts for minor items to make their restoration authentic RIGHT NOW so they can bask in it's glory and either win the respect of others or feel in a superiour position to others to inflate their already oversized egos.

And finally there is bone ignorance.
I give opinions of the market value of BSA's all the time.
The sellers then call me an idiot, liar, or thief because a Norton of the same year just sold for 3 times the price.
The fact that the Norton was nearly twice the price when new and the number of surviving Nortons is lucky to be 5% of the number of surviving BSA's and that this might just be reflected in the current market price seems well beyond their mental capacity.

People down here are paying up to $ 5000 for Bantams, then suddenly remember why they only owned one for 6 months just after they got their riders license then moved on to a larger bike.

email (option): bsansw1@tpg.com.au

These bikes and the parts they need don't have a fixed value that can be definitively stated...That situation came to an end when the manufacturers stopped making them and ceased to issue price lists...

On an auction site like e bay they will fetch different prices on different days...
Why?...Because different people are present on any given day and they have varying views on value, desirability and their prospects of finding an alternative at some other time.

Different levels of resource are just one factor in making those buying decisions...You may well fail to share someones view of perceived value or take a stance on how wealthy they are (or should be) but no one is mad or stupid...They merely have a different view on the subject.

Any connection to actual value in terms of materials and manufacturing costs ended years ago...Check out the price of having something remanufactured to prove that...Using todays actual cost to determine a value might (or might not) make a back light expensive at £175...The same criteria applied to a gearbox or set of crank cases would make them a gift at a similar price yet they can be bought for that...

Supply and demand, inflation, desirability, the availability of money, rarity, the individuals general outlook on life etc. etc. all come into play and lead to these variations...More generally, if supply and demand continue to move in opposite directions prices will continue to rise, it's the way markets work...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Ian is right,it is supply and demand...I would love to get one at an affordable price but I haven't found one yet!

email (option): andy1reynolds20@yahoo.com

They way I look at it is after spending thousands of dollars restoring a bike to as close as is physically possible to original condition, and all you need to finish it off is a genuine small part, even if it is over priced but will complete the restoration, then go for it.

years later that part will be cheap compared to what it will bring in the future. After all genuine original parts are getting scarce and will eventually runout.

email (option): tknalder@iinet.net.au

I agree, it's nice to get the details right on a full 'standard' type restoration....and if you can afford it, why not?...

Having built many standard machines over the years I must admit I tend more towards 'specials' these days as not only does it give more scope to express your own ideas but it 'lets you off the hook' sometimes when it comes to those pesky original parts!...:laughing: Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

The price for the light has been reduced by £25.

That means i have to put locking bolts on my rear light as well as my speedo.