You make a good point, and it is frustrating. This applies to those rare parts under glass that will never be used as well.
I can understand someone's emotional need to keep something from the past. Certainly, a guy could sell a "treasure" to someone who would do something with it. But the "treasure" is gone, and the original owner knows the new owner wont have the same attachment for the same nostalgic reasons.
Gerry has posted several times on nostalgic pieces he's pried from reluctant owners. In all cases, he pledges to restore it to it's former glory and condition. A lot of us can't make that promise, cant keep it, and aren't interested in nostalgia beyond what parts bring on Ebay, or at the very least, lame attempts at garnering greed from fellow mini bike enthusiasts. Just saying...