1.000 euro is a great price

Sometimes you think that in the classic world everything is already arranged and organized. That everything is on the Internet. That classics are all priceless. Fortunately we found another exception that confirmed the rule. We met a friendly classic seller. One without a site. Because that's such a hassle. He's on FB. But then under their own name. Not under his company name. It could get too busy. Come along on a time trip.

A unique hidden find? Something unique abroad?

No. It's just an Arnhems company. The owner sells, repairs. And he enjoys collecting. That is why he also has old audio, old lamps, old bicycles, old books, old LPs, old tools. Some toys. Furniture. Stickers. Containers with irregular lines that still have to be sorted out. An old Seagull outboard engine. I know those things from my childhood. They were lubricated 1 on 16. A neat, smooth-running Honda VFR 750 for 800 euros. Two Hercules. A Sachs 800 that has been there for years but that can now leave. Quite a few MZs. A Suzuki Intruder. Quite a few Moto Guzzis. Not all of them are for sale. Customers' machines are also included. Thursday evening is after all key evening. Only the owner of an Ural fails too often. The project has been around for too long and is starting to get in the way. Not really in the way, but emotionally in the way.

You will hear about the existence of such a company through the old tamtam, smoke signals or a comment during a conversation

With further questions, such a company appears to be open if it is not closed. Or by appointment. You go there and usually end up in a small permanent core of people who are often there, helping or doing things. Like drinking coffee. Catch up. You cannot pin.

Among all the things that are there is often exactly the thing that you are looking for. Or not. But then you usually find something else. And where the lighting between the shelves is insufficient? For that kind of situation there are a few firm flashlights at hand. It is appreciated that you put things right again if a pile of things falls over.

We now know a few of those types of companies well

These are Gekra in Dieren and Loods 8 in Arnhem. But there must still be more? Utrecht still has an almost recluse with two sheds of old stuff. But where? There must also be a Vincent - a man, not the motorcycle - who has a lot of old stuff. It would be somewhere in South Holland? It would be nice if we could share those addresses. Because where can you find another entrepreneur who believes that classics should actually cost under the 1.000 euro? An entrepreneur who apologizes because he has some kind of accidentally two engines that are seriously above that?

But there is an explanation for those higher prices. The one is very rare. The other ZGAN and would go with his owner to Scotland. The engine has been cleared, but apparently the whole story has not been continued. The engine has slept for a few years. But is kissed lovingly awake again. Those present at the start-up were happy to report the dry, hard blows from the two-in-one. There are now Scottish papers with the orange-black, ex-883 cc, 1200 cc Sportster. Scottish papers? It will. But the engine can simply be on Dutch license plate again. Then you probably only need to do something about the loud Screaming Eagle exhaust system. At the ZGAN Harley, the owner apologetically points to a missing bolt from the rear light slide. Apparently Harley used a weird size bolt for Sportsers. An apparently accidental passer-by reports that Rubberrol has all sizes of bolts, nuts, bearings and seals. Rubber roll is just a few blocks away. Problem solved. And immediately picked up a handy address.

It became later. Some people came and went

A nice lady had heard that real Papuan art was also sold in Arnhem. Is right! The coffee was turned down in mild horror. The payment was made via the smartphone. Those present were all very happy about what you can do with a telephone these days. Someone gladly brought out his still coal-fired Nokia.

The brake lever that I was looking for was not found for a while, because the crate with brake levers was just missing. Small boxes for a small classic were no problem. It makes no difference to the speakers of what kind of thing they hang. Two very flat boxes that once gave their voice to a computer were lovingly adopted.

And that brake lever? Well, it just comes from Richard Busweiler!

And the addresses you know? Please send them to redactie@amklassiek.nl