Hold on to your hats boys ...................

[T. Cotten]

...The Knuck craze had to do with choice original paint bikes bringing huge dollars drove up the prics of Knucks....

So Duffey!

How and why did OP machines become so rare and precious?

Thanks in advance as always,

....Cotten

[duffeycycles]

About 15 years ago at Wauseon, I told Todd Bertrang that he needed to upgrade his popularity if he wanted to sell his bikes at top dollar vs bottom dollar.
He was asking 40K for an 80K Knuck & it wasn't getting much attention. [the white 1940]
He started doing videos of his bikes telling about the unique features of each machine etc.
People started watching them.
They started respecting his knowlege about them.
He promoted them quite a bit before testing waters at auctions with high reserves.
It is possible to manipulate prices at auctions by using high reserves & having people bid them up to just below a reserve a few times.
That drives the prices up across the board.
He did have really nice OP Knucks that began selling at record prices instead of selling below market value.

[T. Cotten]

About 15 years ago at Wauseon, I told Todd Bertrang that he needed to upgrade his popularity if he wanted to sell his bikes at top dollar vs bottom dollar.
He was asking 40K for an 80K Knuck & it wasn't getting much attention. [the white 1940]
He started doing videos of his bikes telling about the unique features of each machine etc.
People started watching them.
They started respecting his knowlege about them.
He promoted them quite a bit before testing waters at auctions with high reserves.
It is possible to manipulate prices at auctions by using high reserves & having people bid them up to just below a reserve a few times.
That drives the prices up across the board.
He did have really nice OP Knucks that began selling at record prices instead of selling below market value.

Good grief, Duffey!

You are blaming one eccentric for the whole market?

The OP machines were decimated decades before he came along.

If you were part of the judging system, you were part of the problem, as everyone was told to restore, restore, restore!

....Cotten

[duffeycycles]

I raised the price of motorcycle postcards worldwide by selling my top end cards on ebay in a short time period with buy it now at top prices.
It can be done.

[joe fxs fxr]

I remember my brother in the mid '70s saying '32 Fords would drop in value when the old boys passed.
That never happened.

That's because 5 out of every 4 Deuce coupes made are still on the road.

[T. Cotten]

I raised the price of motorcycle postcards worldwide by selling my top end cards on ebay in a short time period with buy it now at top prices.
It can be done.

Wow Duffey!

Please pimp off all my hoard!

You aren't that far away, and my time is short.

...Cotten

[duffeycycles]

Todd thought his white Knuck it was worth 75K but asking 40 because he paid 30 a few days before. I told him he should bring his white '40 to Davenport & I would sell it for him at 80K & I'd give him the 75. When he 1st tested the auctions with Greenie it wasn't liked very much with non stock color, '39 trans & shift gate. All it took was 2 collectors of OP Knucks working with him, bidding up near his reserve to drive prices up. He sold Greenie for 140k & the Red one got 205k & the white one got 135k. Todd would have paid auctioneers if reserve not met, losing bucks while driving prices up. It actually takes buyers to get those prices not sellers alone. Playing in prices; out of country sales taxes, shipping, value of the dollar vs buyers money. I wish I still had my rig to help you Cotton, I would "Pimp" it all for you at Davenport !