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Totally on board with this thinking.
It's not so strict in bicycles but in guitars its certainly true and with some automotive scenarios also, the original paint adds value, even if it's fucked... it suggest that the frame hasn't been fucked with... but in the case of bikes, it can suggest that it hasn't been looked after.
If you're spending thousands on a custom build or some carbon frame with a wireless satnav Tesla groupset that wins races without being pedalled, then £1,500 on a custom finish isn't ridiculous.
If you've scored a bargain steel frame on eBay for £300 and you've got a NOS groupset in your shed, then you're likely not going to be in the market for a full custom wet-paint finish. You'll want to be looking at Vaz, powder options, aftermarket replica vinyl transfers, even a decent DIY job if you're handy with tools and got a garden to make a mess in.
It's also worth pondering this thought...
If you spend £1,500 on a wet paint finish, it won't add £1,500 to the resale value of your bike... when you wanna sell a house, you tend to want to anonymise it and paint it neutral colours and clear out all the space so that potential buyers can envision how they might use it. If you put mad wallpaper up and paint your bathroom pink or slap carpets over hardwood floors, the new owner will ask for a reduction simply because they're going to fix your fashion faux pas!
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general_greyharbour
@Skülly
Really enjoyed reading @privatepatterson 's thoughts on custom paint. I really like having bikes painted, but I've never done anything flash really apart from a silly bit of chrome and flam on a vintagey track bike. The stuff about lining lugs and box-lining and other vintagey whatnot is really interesting. I'm never gonna have one of these schmancy new build bikes with kerazy artistry where the paint costs a grand, but even more now makes me think I'll never have anything but a single colour powder ever again, as I only really ever want second hand bikes. And probably best to just leave the old paint in whatever state it's in. Basically, just don't bother with anything too nice. The fact that all the people mentioned are really booked up means it's like pimping a car or something, it's not very individual really and you look a bit of a div. <<<< I fully appreciate i am a proper div.
In the words of the uberdiv Luke Una:
Stop showing off no-one cares.