American Pickers-Mike Wolfe collection auction

[Fire-medic]

Some interesting bikes in here, actually, that could be all of them!

https://www.mecum.com/auctions/las-...s/motorcycles-from-the-mike-wolfe-collection/
My favorites are the 1929 Excelsior Super X racer and the 1915 Indian.

Preserving the 'as-found' patina is important in the collecting world, bikes with their original paint often sell for much-more than fully-restored bikes of the same type. "It's only original once," as the saying goes.

 

[02GF74]

Hmmm patina or a heap of rust?

I don't think my pockets are deep enough for these type of machines, nor do I have to any particular inkling to own them.

Its always a dilemma on how far and how much is to be restored.

My approach is to have something that looks decent and is usable - I have no space for unrideable museum pieces. Also it depends on whether the bike is bought purely to make money so how much rest is too much?

My Vmax is not as pristine as I would like, I would like it to be as good as it left the showroom but I'm not going to to bother. My Z1000 will eventually be restored to as new.

As you say patina is collectable.

 

[Fire-medic]

Mike is a savvy collector, he buys with an eye on the re-sale. Patina sells, and sells-well.

I hear you on the space available. I like bikes because for will easily fit in the space of one full-size car. I have a couple of projects ongoing now and will be happy to get to the end of each.

Looking for more of that type? There may be a few in-here which meet the patina criterion:



Brit-bikes galore!
https://silodrome.com/barn-find-180-motorcycles/
Ever dream of locating a 1 car garage with a classic bike or two? Next two paragraphs are from the link.

That is exactly what happened to Hitchcock’s Motorcycles, a British bike specialist located in Solihull, between Birmingham and Coventry in the British Midlands. The firm has just finished unloading five, 40 foot containers that have been shipped over from the U.S. and the resulting warehouse-full of classic British metal is all-but overwhelming.

Some of the bikes are complete but rough, others are missing seats, tanks or other components, some look as if they would run with just a change of oil and a bit of fresh gas while others are full restoration jobs. So many different marques are represented: BSA, Triumph, AJS, Norton, AJS, Coventry Eagle, Velocette and a large number of Royal Enfields, again, some running, some not.

I suspect the collection may be from the guy in Garden City MI who owns British Only, Ken Grzesiak.

British Only
32451 Parklane Street, Garden City, MI 48135-1528.
(734) 421-0303