Barn find myth

[TM BILL]

i had listed the bikes that i could see under the stuff TM bill but removed my original post thinking alittle more about it and describing the guys circumstances. Butto put you in th picture there are a few Mike hailwoods, goldstars and SS900/750 still in original frazer crates and grease paper, and im talking multiples of the same model...............

Freaky i was only fishing for a bite  in all seriousness if they have been stashed away for years it will be great if they are brought out into circulation for the world to see 

[Simo63]

i had listed the bikes that i could see under the stuff TM bill but removed my original post thinking alittle more about it and describing the guys circumstances. Butto put you in th picture there are a few Mike hailwoods, goldstars and SS900/750 still in original frazer crates and grease paper, and im talking multiples of the same model...............

Wow, what an awesome list  .  With those bikes still in crates you're talking global market there Freaky, not small local stuff. 

You (or the sellers) might want to consider involving one of the big auction places to maximise exposure and potential price.

I have a friend that has been tasked with a similar thing (when the time is right) to do however we are talking sheds full of museum quality classic bikes.  My response to him upon learning that it was to all fall on his shoulders is the same I've given you .... get professional help.

Good luck with it all.

[Nathan S]

Freaky, it will probably pay to keep your mouth shut about what there's two of...

[shortshifter]

I reckon Simmo might be right.Most heavy hitter collectors are in Japan Europe and the US where these things could be gold.They may take a hefty fee but there's a reason most of the high end stuff goes through specialist auction houses.Anyway good luck with it,looking forward to the pictures.

[paul]

I recently became aware of a pretty serious barn find of a pair of holy grail Maicos. This pair had literally been sitting in a horse barn since the seventies and needed total restoration. I made what I considered a fair market value offer for both of them through a third party but the seller knocked back the offer, believing that they were worth quite a lot more. I suspect that this was one of those situations where people had been pissing in the guys pocket, telling him that he was sitting on a gold mine and that they were worth serious money. They might indeed be worth the big dollars in restored or even running condition but as they were they were 2.5k bikes tops (each). Sadly, the bikes will probably sit for as long as it takes for their owner to realise that the prices on pre '75 bikes have flattened and won't be rising to his expectations any time soon.

Sorry for being so cryptic about the bikes details but I was put onto them them by another forum member and I don't want to spill the beans without his permission.

if this is the 2x 501,s .one being fitted with a 350 engine and one 501 engine sitting on the barn floor i offered him good money as well .he scoff at it

[Freakshow]

 

[Simo63]

Now you're talking 

[firko]

if this is the 2x 501,s .one being fitted with a 350 engine and one 501 engine sitting on the barn floor i offered him good money as well .he scoff at it

Yeah that's them Paul, I believe the seller's cbeen fishing for a while. I reckon they're worth $5000 for the lot but he seems to think they're worth twice that. What he doesn't seem to understand is that the glory days of getting big money for 501's was 10 years ago. Sure I'd like one but to be frank 501's have never been one of my priorities. I'm happier with my oval stuff.

[Nathan S]

if this is the 2x 501,s .one being fitted with a 350 engine and one 501 engine sitting on the barn floor i offered him good money as well .he scoff at it

Yeah that's them Paul, I believe the seller's cbeen fishing for a while. I reckon they're worth $5000 for the lot but he seems to think they're worth twice that. What he doesn't seem to understand is that the glory days of getting big money for 501's was 10 years ago. Sure I'd like one but to be frank 501's have never been one of my priorities. I'm happier with my oval stuff.

The most annoying bit about these situations is knowing how it will end:
1. Bikes stay ther forever (current owner gets no money, people who want the bikes don't get them)
OR
2. Current owner relents and sells them at a sensible price to someone else (wastes everyone's time).

I've probably mentioned this before, but here's a story of three mates to illustrate how people's brains don't work properly:
Jem had a rally car project that had stalled, but he hadn't quite given up on.
Tim offers him $3k, cash in hand, gone the next day.
Jem says No.
After a while, watching Jem's enthusiasm wane, Tim offers the same money again and adds "If/when you want to get rid of it, give me a call.
Jem says No again.
Mark offers Jem $2k. Half up front, the other half at some vague, undetermined time in the future. Will pick it all up at some vague, undetermined time in the future.
Jem says Yes.
Mark gives him the first $1k a week later, and three months after, the car is still sitting in Jem's rented shed, and he still doesn't have the rest of the money.
Tim has the shits.

Contrary to what you might think, Jem isn't brain damaged and is/was better mates with Tim than Mark.
For as long as I live, I don't think I'll ever understand WTF Jem was thinking.
Best I can come up with, is that Mark got him at the right time.

[Slakewell]

Hoarders are not sellers ( most of the time ) Lots of people think just because some guys has a bunch of old bikes that he has no real attachment to he would be keen to sell them.
Yeah there always sort of for sale but normally they want far to much.
I had a few great barn finds over the years I purchased 2 x YZ A 250 for $300.00 and another time yet another YZ A 250 that was under a house for $600.00. I did one time find this guys out in the back blocks who had sheds full of good gear and with some idea of its worth back in 90's In the end I purchase an almost new condition CR 125 plus a ute full of parts that was enough to build another 3, I also bought 2 x Montesa 125 from him. To this day I'm still pissed that I didnt buy the 75 RH he had, sadly at the time there was no real reason to buy it as I only wanted race bikes pre 75. I think he wanted $3.5k for it. I rang again 5 years later and he sold everything by then.

[paul]

if this is the 2x 501,s .one being fitted with a 350 engine and one 501 engine sitting on the barn floor i offered him good money as well .he scoff at it

Yeah that's them Paul, I believe the seller's cbeen fishing for a while. I reckon they're worth $5000 for the lot but he seems to think they're worth twice that. What he doesn't seem to understand is that the glory days of getting big money for 501's was 10 years ago. Sure I'd like one but to be frank 501's have never been one of my priorities. I'm happier with my oval stuff.

did you look at them in person ,i believe the crank case on 1 501 had started to carode from sitting on the concrete

got his phone number here somewere ,ya never know lol

[firko]

did you look at them in person ,i believe the crank case on 1 501 had started to carode from sitting on the concrete
got his phone number here somewere ,ya never know lol
   

No it didn't get that far. It's funny, I've been told of this 501 stash by a couple of different forum members over the last couple of years and have made offers on both occasions, yet the bloke is still sticking to his guns. Quite frankly I don't care what he does with them but it would be nice to see them restored by someone who appreciates them. He really needs a reality check as to their true 2013 value.

 I'm not such a good example of someone willing to sell up myself but since I've been sick I've realised that I've got some seriously good race bikes that I'll unfortunately never be able to race myself. With that in mind, I'll be seriously thinning the herd throughout next year to-1: raise some cash flow, 2: clear up some much needed shed space and 3: see the bikes I built used for what they were built for. I don't want to see them rot away from lack of use in my back shed like these 501 Maicos. My TM/TS 250 Suzuki VMX project bike is fully restored but looks like shit from sitting in storage for 10 years and some of the other bikes are in danger of going the same way if I don't get them onto the market within the next year or so. I love building the bikes and won't stop doing that but the bikes that aren't being used need to see action under new bums.

[Tim754]

" I'll unfortunately never be able to race myself. With that in mind, I'll be seriously thinning the herd throughout next year to-1: raise some cash flow, 2: clear up some much needed shed space and 3: see the bikes I built used for what they were built for. I don't want to see them rot away from lack of use in my back shed like these 501 Maicos. My TM/TS 250 Suzuki VMX project bike is fully restored but looks like shit from sitting in storage for 10 years and some of the other bikes are in danger of going the same way if I don't get them onto the market within the next year or so. I love building the bikes and won't stop doing that but the bikes that aren't being used need to see action under new bums. "

 Been going down that road for awhile now Mark. The part about increased cash flow is a bit hmmm Still some of my collection of bikes and parts appear regularly at VMX and Speedway meetings and that is so pleasing. Cheers Tim754

[VMX247]

Bikes stay ther forever (current owner gets no money, people who want the bikes don't get them)

1:Our RH story the same as this,I believe some unknowledgable hoarders just want to get the most info about the bike/s and then do nothing at all.Farmers are the worse for this 
2:Keeping your last will and testament upto date also hopefully guarantees they end up in the right place.
cheers

[Nathan S]

That is more logical than your previous comments on the topic, Wasp.
Although, I still see a contradiction - a real enthusiast wouldn't want to see them crushed, while a businessman would not want to see them crushed while their value exceeds the scrap value.