Achieving the Delicate Balance between Pricing & Value

Italian Iron Classics, LLC has been a hobby business for the last 20 plus years. However, now that I am retired from the corporate world, I am enjoying my time getting my little company up and running. I have had fun rediscovering tubs of bits from my original purchase from Jan and Toine Biggelaar in Holland and have found some very nice treasures. Hopefully, I can talk Jan and Toine into building another "DucSKE" Mono Cylinder Engine!

When I got back into motorcycle builds and motorcycle racing back in the early 1990's, Ducati vintage projects and spare parts were at a much different price point. There was a time when "Das Partsinator" could offer the most rusty, dirty and extremely used spare part and sell for crazy money as "Unobtanium". Those were the days of crazy pricing. However, I did find a collector who purchased our customer's 73 Ducati 750 Sport that we restored for mid-$50k. Willing Buyer Meets Willing Seller.

Yes, Ducati "Round Case" 750 Bevel bits are becoming very scarce, so first time Ducati owners and collectors have had to focus on the Ducati Square Case 900 ss and 860's which I am happy to see. I love the torque of these Square Case "Beasts" and it is satisfying to see them get the respect that they deserve as they, too, are the creations of the great, Ing. Taglioni.

My point of this Blog post is to communicate that I acknowledge that there has been an evolution in pricing and in what Ducatisti and enthusiasts are looking for, over the decades. A good definition of Value is the importance, worth or usefulness of something or items that are of a Benefit. In other words, I strive for a Win:Win in my pricing of important items that I have in inventory. Arguably, as much as I try my best, I do not always "hit that mark".

Now that i can focus full time on Italian Iron Classics, LLC, I will be able to continue to list more and more items in addition to the bike builds and continue to research pricing. As this is one of my 2 wheel racks, for example, please feel free to contact me if you are looking for something even if it s not listed. Unfortunately, I have sold out all of my Round Case 750 bits, other than what is currently listed. My Spaggiari 750 Desmo Bevel Racer is the only 750 Bevel that I own now.

Lastly, I make available on my Italianiron.com site as well as my listings on Ebay, the "Make An Offer" feature. In this way, you, the "Willing Buyer & I, the Willing Seller" can come to a consensus as to the most appropriate price for an item. As I have restored over 19 Ducati motorcycles, I do understand the "Value" of finding that elusive spare part to complete a restoration or project build. To that customer, I am happy to help like others have helped me.

As it has taken capital to make these numerous purchases of Inventory, I am not in a position to "cheap sell" these items. Nor do I wish to offer bits at exorbitant prices like "Das Partsinator". As I strive to hit that middle ground, I love communication and embrace insights and opinions from many valuable experts in the Ducati and restoration world. As always, your insights, suggestions and critiques are always welcome!