Originally Posted by
paulb_in_bkln
Exactly. If they were easier and less expensive to ship, the bikes could get where there's a demand for them. We have bike jumbles here where many older bikes change hands. I don't know if, through this link, it's possible to contact any of the vendors if you have bikes you'd like to move. Some of them may have the ability or a network to collect used bikes.
New York Bike Jumble
There's a guy that drives around with an old jitney here that buys and fixes up bikes and take them to bike swap meets. His top price on any bike is $10-$12.
I got a call about 5 weeks ago from a guy who replied to an ad for a pair of brand new road bike wheels from the late 70's. (Pair of new old stock Rigida rims with Campy hubs with two new 27x1" tires off a vintage Trek), he tells me how long he's been searching for those very wheels but he's in Springfield, MA. He asks if I'd ship them and I told him I didn't intend to ship anything, if I did they'd be on fleabay. He goes on and says he'll come get them the following weekend if we could agree on a price. I had $250 on the set of wheels, which were mint and in new condition. He tells me if I'd do $25 he'll make the drive. I told him these weren't Huffy wheels. Try again. He goes on about how old bike parts aren't worth anything and @$$#*^%s like me are why bikes and parts have gotten so expensive. If he had made a reasonable offer I'd have let them go but he called back at least 5 times asking if I changed my mind.
A woman two doors down has her husbands 1978 Raleigh Sports for sale, its been in the newspaper, on CL, and some of the phone apps for $150, but no takers. The bike is clean, one owner, not rusty, with original tires that are holding air. I rode it around the block after pumping up the tires for her. She hasn't gotten a serious offer yet. She's had a few goof balls who want it for $20, but no one serious. She offered it to me for $100, but I don't need another bike and if it won't sell here for her, its not going to sell for me either. I've already got four 1978 Raleigh Sports here waiting for me to get the time to go through them. All in just as nice a shape. I gave between $20 and $100 each for the one's I have from various sources last year and the year before. What I don't see here is the off brand English bikes, like Robin Hood, Hercules, or Dunelt, those are harder to find, and really hard to find in good shape.If she drops the price to $50, I may have to make it 5 in the basement waiting for me to get to them.