Andy, only two weeks ago I bought my third Speedia off ebay. An auction for a wide, de-luxe (ratchet tensioner + drag) in bare metal stripped finish. The reel seat was slightly shortened, and with a very slight wobble on the drum (nothing to worry about but try to avoid a wobble on the spindle as this uaully means excess wear and tear). The auction ended at silly o'clock in the morning (why do people do that?) and I was buying on the premise of using it for a spare spool only so I took a punt, and won. What turned up was a very usable, freely spining, if slightly wobbly c'pin all the for the princely sum of £14.00 So there are still bargains on ebay if you are prepared to rummage.
If you want a servicable user then look for the slightly battered but still functional ones — They seem to get a lot less — then strip it down and you will have a cheap pin that, in my opinion at least, look nicer than the black anyhow. The de-luxes are nicer, especially with the ratchet tensioner.
