If you wait long enough, everything will be worth money. But anyone who has ever done anything in logistics or sales knows that there is a limit to that waiting time. At least if you want to earn arithmetic from it. It is not without reason that entire batches of new old stock are scrapped: The warehouse space per m2 is too expensive compared to the turnover rate of the 'slow moving parts'. “Go! Clean up that bite! ” I've seen it happen. And got tears in my eyes. The parts were not allowed to be sold. Everything had to be put in the container. Heartless. I never wanted to own a motorcycle of that brand again.
A well-known acquaintance once bought the warehouse stocks from the over-sold Maico
He sold something of 1000 aluminum crankcase halves and was out of control. The rest went into storage. “I didn't sell much for the first 25 years. But things are going well now, "the entrepreneur said with satisfaction. He is happy about the fact that keeping the Maico stuff for a quarter of a century has not cost him anything. And is not interested in the explanation of someone who has done Nijenrode and who can calculate that saving a worthless item for a quarter of a century has cost him money anyway. "It's great that we spent that vacation that I apparently lost on vacation to America." Nijenrode is overrated anyway. But what is what worth? And what will it be worth?
Sixty years ago the father of a friend of mine bought a Harley-Davidson 750 side valve for 100 guilders
That copy has been preserved and is now valued at € 14.500. Calculation wonders can calculate the return of those 100 guilders over sixty years and see if it represents something. In those sixty years, the Harley has been technically put in order around four times. By the way, the last time it cost a lot of money.
From Russia with love
About 25 years ago I bought two Russian M72s with a story in the far end of North Holland - approximately. I paid 250 guilders for those two old Russian tricycles. They were still quite good and had what we now call patina and which we pay a lot for. I built my first Russian motorcycle. And sold the rest for 125 guilders. Now, only a quarter of a century later, a neat, good M72 is worth 3.500 euros. More than € 5.000 is already asked for a top match. And that price is rising rapidly. Only once did I part with mine. I've been driving a Russian OHV for about ten years now. And you don't get those things for nothing anymore. Oh yes: for nostalgic reasons I still have a 750 cc side valve block. Because side valves are still very sweet. Such a well-tuned 23 hp boxer sounds like a soul-satisfied bumblebee.
Of course we are enthusiasts and not investors
But it is funny to watch how prices develop. Comrades Ernie and Hans bought 2 CVs during their studies - which are comfortable automobiles and not motorcycles - for amounts between 100-200 guilders. Those were terminal specimens, of course, but they took the brave students far into Europe. Currently, you pay almost a quarter of a euro ton for a top Duck. In 1988, a new 2CV6 cost 11.550 guilders.
What is currently worth almost nothing?
Those are the Yamaha Diversios and the 'small' Moto Guzzis. Plus a lot of other motorcycles that you don't read in every publication are absolute classic milestones and dream bikes. But there are also fat spot bikes or tour giants among them. Dream bikes are usually things you can keep dreaming about. When you think back to the street scene from your early or younger years, you get a completely different frame of reference. This is how my motorcycle love arose because of the Honda C77 Dream from the stepfather of a little boy from my street. Simon and I pretended to ride Hondas on our bikes. Those sheet steel rocking horses were of historical importance to Honda. They were the first 'heavy' Japanese machines to come to Europe. But even now she hasn't sought out that idea and made it expensive. So such a Münch Mammut is a winner. But I'm just looking for some stuff for my C77 first. And whether it will ever be worth money? Booie….
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