Tomorrows classics today

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Hi guys, i like to get some of your opinions on which of todays cruiser bikes are tomorrows classics, i think this is a nice guide on what to buy nowadays.Let's see your votes!
 
I think a lot of the old bike repops like the new phantoms and black friday stingrays and such will be good.
 
If history gives you any clue , it will probably be some really obscure expensive low production bikes. I think all the high dollar bikes you see now were too expensive to afford back when they were made. Now it will probably be that aluminum frame Trek thing....maybe a high end low production carbon fibre road bike. Maybe a Surly pugsley for a cruiser/ mountain bike. :lol:
 
Maybe Mosh bikes will go way up in value, after all they were only made for 7 years. and the 24" Mosh Method hanging in my room is probably one of the more rare ones. :mrgreen: At least one can hope. :lol:
 
I wish they still made these.
100_0277_61ar.jpg

http://www.cruizerbikes.com
 
Collectibles usually have some, or all of the following characteristics:
Expensive when new.
High quality
Low production numbers.
Short market life. (fad)
Unique styling, and/or engineering.
And the one that trumps all of the above:
Obsolete.

I kick myself every time I think about having given my Dyno Moto-bike to a relative who promptly let it become a rusted out beach junker, but yeah, the Dynos are definitely there.
The Schwinn Spoilers, and XL's will be sought after some day. Maybe even the OCC bikes. The Harley Davidson bicycles that were out about ten years ago are another.

JWM
 
Do you ever watch antiques road show ? I see a pattern in the reproduction stuff where they seem to hold their value but rarely do they seem to go up in value.Like the Phantoms that were once priced at $3000. I'd hate to be the guys that bought those at full price. Im not just judging based on what Ive seen on a TV show though, the same seems to hold true trying to buy those type bikes right now it seems.

As far as cruisers go, I think the collectible stuff will end up being the stuff that crosses interests like the Rat Finks, the Rockabilly Boogies, the Hot Wheels bikes, the Fat Tire bikes obviously. Maybe even the Paul Frank, Batt Cruiser and John Deere Nirves. Stuff like that. Just my opinion.
 
If you could really guess on these , you would have a shop with a gt500 mustang, a cobra , several new 55 chevy's and a double handfull of microsoft stock you paid $25 a share for. :shock: :shock: :shock:
 
Uncle Stretch said:
If you could really guess on these , you would have a shop with a gt500 mustang, a cobra , several new 55 chevy's and a double handfull of microsoft stock you paid $25 a share for. :shock: :shock: :shock:

This isn't about bikes, but toys. Back in the mid '70's stores here in So Cal were selling a lot of Japanese die-cast robots in their Japanese boxes. Some of you older guys may remember the English boxed Shogun Warriors. I went nuts, and bought every one I could afford, and many that I couldn't. All in all I had a little over fifty pieces. My friends laughed. I bought the robots because I thought they were the coolest things I had ever seen, but I figured they would some day be highly collectible as well. Last year I sold off the collection, and bought an '05 Toyota Tacoma for me, and an '08 Yaris for my wife. Plus, I added $5k to our nearly depleted savings account. About the same time- late 70's/early 80's, I got into classic bikes. That investment didn't do as well. The prices I paid back then for my old bikes (1950 Schwinn B6, and '61 Jaguar MKIV) were about what they sell for now, but who cares? The bikes mean more to me than the money. Collectibles seem to run in a thirty year cycle. Every generation has one opportunity to pick well, wait patiently, and cash in.

JWM
 
I've been thinking about this a lot recently. I tend to buy, fix, and flip 10-20 bikes a year and I've been beginning to wonder if I should hold on to some of these bikes as an investment rather than trying to make a quick buck.

We have a big cruiser cult following here in Denver and the newer bikes tend to at least hold their value. The limited edition or unique Felt's, Electra's, Dyno's, and Phats will all hold or gain value in 15-30 years. I have a feeling I'll regret selling the Felt Speedway (in for sale currently) as it was only made for 1 year, and will be collectible to both bike nuts, and Nascar/car racing fans. Items that appeals to more than 1 type of collector are always worth more from what I've seen. But whether that gain is greater than other investments is something different. A collectible bike today that was $550 new will likely be worth $2000+ plus in 30 years. But if you'd taken that $550 and was able to invest in in other things with an average 7% interest rate (assuming more gains than losses), that'd be $3912 in 30 years guaranteed.

But will I stop collecting or hoarding bikes... not likely. They're just too .... fun.
 
You need to put gears on that bad boy, "on your left"ing the occasional roadie on that would be awesome. :mrgreen:



this posting is not intended to disparage road bikes or persons using or having occasion to use them, and does not necessarily reflect the views of the board or membership. :wink:
 
I'm with Markm on this one... :D
DSC06096.jpg


This isn't the first time this subject has come up. I think that some of your electra, felts, and nicer schwinns might be somewhat collectible in the future. However I think tomorrows classics will be the same as today's classics. It's just that they'll keep becoming rarer and harder to find. There's probably a good chance that a lot of the ladies bikes we source for parts could become more valuable as they stop becoming available.
 
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