Originally Posted by
wrk101
If you want to flip long term, you need to make sure you ADD VALUE to every bike you touch. As your reputation builds, you will sell more bikes word of mouth. Fix the stuff that doesn't show along with stuff that shows.
Opportunitistic buy/sell guys that do not touch a thing, don't adjust anything, try to pawn off steel wheels as something good, juvenile bikes as adult bikes, yadda, yadda, will not build a reputation and will flame out.
It's interesting to hear people here talk about bike flipping, and completely overhauling entire bikes and replacing tires and brake/derailler lines. It's definitely sounds more of a hobby, than a business. Factoring in labor costs on that much work easily drives profits below minimum wage.
A man in business to flip bikes--well, a smart business man would never get into the field because the product is dependant on an unreliable after-market. Many people have mentioned the amount of time it takes to find the right "flipper". Unless you know someone at the local dump or thriftstore with a steady stream of flips it would be hard to find, and all that time would cut into profits. The logical model would be to open a used bike shop with buy-back/trades and custom builds. That way the product never runs out, because you would buy back old customers bikes, overhaul them and sell them an upgrade. Thus, fueling the business cycle.