Gentlemen are we our own worst enemy?

[Horsley-Anarak]

For the same reason, I have a 1960 series 1 Lotus 7 in the garage, that I haven't started in over 12 years, but it's still mine!

7.gif (27.07 KiB) Viewed 1765 times

" I am not a number, I am a free man. "

H-A

[charlesp]

I didn't go on about the boat itself, which is a 1975 vintage. It's solid, heavy, built like a brick dunny. Nowadays the bits that are bolted on to my Westerly are held on by self tappers, the inclusion of any timber is seen as 'extra', and if you press the hull it moves.

Current Primary Woman wanted us to buy a new boat, thankfully we didn't.

Mind you, the other Charles will tell you of the temptations I have experienced around the possible installation of a new diesel...

[fortyplus]

Seagulls certainly have their place still, that's why I have mine and the reasons you quote combined with their ability to seemingly sit forever and fire up when needed still makes them fairly unique - I just don't see them having lasting appeal to the generations who've grown up with things that start at the push of a button and run with seemingly no maintenance, those who think it's beneath them to turn a wrench and have no interest in the tinkering aspect of vehicle or outboard ownership. I think we have to face the fact that folks like us are a dying breed.

[Keith.P]

I think you will find that a lot of the younger generation are still interested in tinkering with old motors, not just outboards.
The same can be true of the older generation, that would rather have a button start mower rather than a pull start one.
Old or young 90% of the time you will get a blank look if you mention vintage outboards, its not all that common a past time, but vintage engines are still going strong with the younger generation.

[osiris]

Greetings, I am new to the forum and to the British Seagull. I am from Cincinnati Ohio and currently living in Bermuda where I first laid my eye's on a Seagull. My cousin let me use one of his Seagulls for the Round the Island Seagull race this year, it was love at first sight. I now have six Seagulls in my collection of which one is a 40 Featherweight that has never been out of the box. I am not one who collects things just to look at, but like to use as well, the one in the box will always remain new in the box. I do agree that whenever you have a well built engine such as the British Seagull, you are going to have a good following and people desiring them will only drive prices up. If you think prices are high in the UK on these, try buying one in Bermuda. I even had a hard time getting someone from the UK to even consider shipping to the US because they thought it was too much trouble, in reality, it was really simple to do and the price is at $200.00 US. In most cases I can purchase a Seagull in the UK and have it shipped to the States for less than what I can buy it for in my own Country. This is because people polish them up real shinny and ask around $500.00 not counting shipping. They never came all polished up. but people see this bling and think they are getting something close to new, this could not be farther from the truth. This tends to drive up prices as long as people are willing to buy them at those prices. I like to find the Seagull that needs work and at a low price, because I love to work on small engines and bring them back to life. Another thing that raises prices is demand, the more people that want them, the more demand there are for the Seagull. Scarcity plays a role as well, such as hard to find written documents, books, and anything that is early Seagull will most definitely drive the price up. I had recently seen a British Seagull clock on eBay, I thought I had found the Holy Grail of Seagull items. The seller listed the clock as a vintage British Seagull Dealers clock as new, never used still in box. I put a maximum bid on the Item of $135.00 US, I was outbid on the Item by $2.50 US with 12 minutes left on the auction. I emailed the seller and asked if this might be a reproduction verses what he had listed as Vintage new in the Box, he replied back within 5 minutes stating that it was a reproduction, and that if he were buying it, he would not pay any more than $40.00 US. Needless to say I was relieved by the fact that some poor bastard outbid me, but felt sorry for the person who won the Item thinking it was the real deal. I emailed the seller back and expressed my thoughts on the subject, explaining that when the person receives this clock in the mail, they probably would be a bit miffed to find out the real deal was now a Reproduction. I guess I am guilty as well of driving the prices up trying to purchase hard to find Items such as the Marston Twin, But I just have to have one, I'm Hooked In Bermuda.

[Horsley-Anarak]

vintage engines are still going strong with the younger generation.

I think that is very true Keith.

The young kids of today are very aware what there pound can buy them, Honda 2.3 £600.00, that makes Seagulls very atractive.

If you look at what they need to pay for car insurance.

H-A

[fortyplus]

I guess I don't know the right youngsters, most I know would take an X box or more time on World of Warcraft over anything.

[Grumpy]

Having spent some time over the last 20 years dealing in, selling , buying , collecting 2nd hand and collectible goods and have also come to my own conclusions as to why we collect.
To me "fortyplus" has the best answers.
We humans have such a wide divergance on anything , any matter, that when it comes to collecting or buying sometimes money is of no importance, sometimes its everything.
As a seller I sometimes, with a superior moral all knowing attitude have actually told customers NOT to buy my goods telling them its only something you think you want, or there is money burning in your pocket, or your only creating more junk for your children to toss out when the chief accountant in the sky calls to balance your books.
Grow up I say, ignoring the gut wrenching pains I'm starting to feel, that this stranger may actually take away one of my beloved possessions.
And do you lot out there realise that while some of you or many of you may donate to organisations who fight world poverty and starvation, that as soon as the immediate problems are cured the next step any human takes is to become a collector.
Maybe not, undoubtedly not seagulls . but a collector of what tickles their fancy or what is available or fancied in their local.
Or perhaps raise our image up in the eyes of our peers , hopefully.
So beware all you followers of fashion.
Freethinkers are fewer in number than we thought.
I'm just jealous of all those beautiful seagulls out there that I do not possess or can create .

[Daxk]

For the same reason, I have a 1960 series 1 Lotus 7 in the garage, that I haven't started in over 12 years, but it's still mine!

Would you like the correct spelling of my Surname when you do your last will and testament?

I love making things work again,especially things that have fond memories from my youth, I'm currently busy with two Triumph spitfires and a 1973 Series Landrover and always wanted a Seagull, now I have two in the garage and one to collect in the UK....its the satisfaction I get from hearing something do what it was designed to do.
Its also a nice feeling knowing that although I am unlikely to ever sell my "toys" I would still be grateful if my wife is able to sell them for more than I spent on them when I am dust one day.