Yeah, I don't get the prices these go for. They are nice basses, and i've bid on a few to play out when i'm feeling nervous about my older gear. The two pickup is the one i'm after and the UK price seems to approach £600 or even £700 every time I see one on the bay.
Having said this, i've never seen a beater - the people who bought these when they came out generally seem to have looked after them.