GWR
31-01-08, 11:18 AM
Funnily enough, I had noted recently that it has become slightly fashionable with a few dudes to be seen riding around on well-polished bicycles of a more traditional design. One up on the classic scooter collectors perhaps! MCOT video report with text:
http://enews.mcot.net/clip.php?nid=5373
Bangkok’s old style bicycle shop
Chirawat Tancharoen loves collecting old bicycles and their parts. He has several hundred bicycles and opened his own business -- buying, repairing and selling old bicycles. His bicycle shop in an alley on Ratchada road is a centre of the bicycle collector’s community.
From an individual collector, his passion for old bicycles saw him become a guru in the field. Most of the bicycles in his collection came from England. They are rare, beautiful, and classic. Some are well known brands like Raleigh and Humber which are no longer produced.
Made of iron, they are durable. Bicycles produced nowadays are made of recycled iron.
“This bicycle is not functional. I bought it for 3,500 baht. I will modify it and make it useable. Then I can sell it at more than 7,000 baht.”, said Chirawat.
Chirawat get rid of rust from iron bicycle parts and coats them with chemical liquid before reassembling them. The renew bicycle cost several thousands. Some rare model can fetch up to 40,000 baht.
Bicycle collectors normally have handbooks to identify a particular model and the year it was made. Some assembly parts are copies, which are cheaper while authentic parts can also not be found.
This business is not a competitive one. In Bangkok, this is the only shop at which old bicycles are available and the number of antique collectors is increasing. Some people buy them for house decoration while others buy them to use.
“Many people are interested in old bicycles. University students buy them for riding to university not far from their place. There are a few competitors. Buying spare parts to start the business is costly and they are hard to find.”, said Chirawat.
The shop has around one thousand bicycles in stock but they could soon run out. Chirawat meanwhile keeps on the lookout for goods to sell, which he said he could find in neighboring countries, as they were once British colonies. He does need to invest a large sum of money though and can then sell them at antique festivals.
Last Update : 2008-01-31, 2008-01-31 (GMT+7:00)
http://enews.mcot.net/clip.php?nid=5373
Bangkok’s old style bicycle shop
Chirawat Tancharoen loves collecting old bicycles and their parts. He has several hundred bicycles and opened his own business -- buying, repairing and selling old bicycles. His bicycle shop in an alley on Ratchada road is a centre of the bicycle collector’s community.
From an individual collector, his passion for old bicycles saw him become a guru in the field. Most of the bicycles in his collection came from England. They are rare, beautiful, and classic. Some are well known brands like Raleigh and Humber which are no longer produced.
Made of iron, they are durable. Bicycles produced nowadays are made of recycled iron.
“This bicycle is not functional. I bought it for 3,500 baht. I will modify it and make it useable. Then I can sell it at more than 7,000 baht.”, said Chirawat.
Chirawat get rid of rust from iron bicycle parts and coats them with chemical liquid before reassembling them. The renew bicycle cost several thousands. Some rare model can fetch up to 40,000 baht.
Bicycle collectors normally have handbooks to identify a particular model and the year it was made. Some assembly parts are copies, which are cheaper while authentic parts can also not be found.
This business is not a competitive one. In Bangkok, this is the only shop at which old bicycles are available and the number of antique collectors is increasing. Some people buy them for house decoration while others buy them to use.
“Many people are interested in old bicycles. University students buy them for riding to university not far from their place. There are a few competitors. Buying spare parts to start the business is costly and they are hard to find.”, said Chirawat.
The shop has around one thousand bicycles in stock but they could soon run out. Chirawat meanwhile keeps on the lookout for goods to sell, which he said he could find in neighboring countries, as they were once British colonies. He does need to invest a large sum of money though and can then sell them at antique festivals.
Last Update : 2008-01-31, 2008-01-31 (GMT+7:00)