Stormy Archer

I'm looking for advice on how to go about selling this. Initially my plan with this bike was to clean up all the parts, get replacements as needed, don't touch the paint and resell it as is.
Now I'm unsure if I want to do that, or if it would be worth it, because of the following notes:
- No original saddle
- Wheels seem to be probably original but do NOT have the high flange Campagnolo hubs, have low flange instead. Freewheel I'm guessing is also not what is common on these.
- Hoods need replacing
- Tubular tires are not very worn, but somewhat cracked. They certainly weren't made in 73 and seem pretty rideable but I'm doubtful about selling it as restored with cracked tires.
- I know how to do basic cleaning on the parts, however some things that could use more polishing and bearings that need to be repacked I question whether I'd do more harm than good.

Overall condition is good, a few minor scratches, not a spot of rust. I do have the original pedals and the original Campagnolo NR is all there in good shape.
Any advice appreciated. Thanks.

Stormy Archer

Rims are something or other (wolber?) "Arc En Ciel" "Super Competition Champion" (2 decals) not sure where my pic went.

3alarmer 

...any work youi put into it will not be realized at time of sale. I would advise selling it as is, which will net you just as much money at time of sale.

Stormy Archer

Ok, thanks! Do you have a price in mind for SF bay area?

CroMo Mike 

I agree that it appears to be in great condition and nearly complete. Just needs cleaning and new tires, bar tape and hoods, all of which are expected anyway. I'd leave the bearings undisturbed (the next owner will be happy with that decision if you are not an expert mechanic). I'd think $800-$900 would be a fair price to the right buyer. The small size might mean waiting a little longer.

3alarmer 

...they used to sell pretty quickly here for a thousand bucks. They might be down a hundred or two from that currently.
I think the last one I saw was listed for 800, but I did not look at it carefully for condition, because I already have a couple.

Yours is in excellent shape (from the photos), and the original stuff on it only increases its marketability. That particular color is considered a plus.

Craigslist is an odd marketplace. There are lesser bicycles listed in the Bay Area right now for higher asking prices, and a couple of sleepers for less.
But Raleigh Pro's are well enough known as quality frames that it ought to attract interest in the Bay Area.

As always, you will get strange requests and lowball offers in response to any CL ad. It's an unfortunate aspect of the process.

lostarchitect 

$800-$900 sounds really high to me. Am I crazy? I've bought a lot of vintage Raleighs here in NYC, including a Professional or two and I've never paid close to that. I was thinking more like $500-$600.

zukahn1 

No your not crazy considering condition issues like none working brakes missing parts slightly rough tires and wheels and some grubby looking parts $800-900 is just way to high. As presented I would say about half that in the $400-500 range if it has no issues other than neglect to a buyer that really like wants this size and paint.

Stormy Archer

Non working brakes? Brakes work fine?

This is the bay area. A local shop said he'd probably give me half FMV and 600 would be easy. Only missing part is actually the saddle...

zukahn1 

No rear brake cable and front whole way to lever dead set equals none working.to me. All the parts may be there in good shape but as presented there none working ie if riding you couldn't use them as presented. From selling and buying lot of bikes nicely set up good working front and rear brakes can be the difference between a $150 and $500 bike. The 1st thing most people check on a used bike is the brakes if there not right it is likely a no sale.

repechage

If I read that correctly- the shop would offer half of $600. so you are at $300.
Needs work, a rebuild for sure, reglue the tires probably, true the wheels?, any nipples frozen? repack everything else. New cables, ends and cable housing. All containable- but value factors.
Buying out the work will be expensive.
the market is for an enthusiast who discounts the above factors.
That probably gets you back to $400-600 to go beyond that one would need to see it in person and evaluate it closely and really want a Raleigh Pro.
Hard to throw a value dart with greater precision by just looking at a few images.

3alarmer 

..the prices I quoted were for bikes in good mechanical condition. As always, there's considerable variation on what different people find acceptable in terms of needed work, and prices vary accordingly. In truth, I hate to paint probably more than anything, and that is a particularly difficult paint color to match. It's kind of famous for that. there's a 400 buck Raleigh pro in my size in that same color on the Napa CL right now. It too needs a complete overhaul, but the paint looks rougher in the pictures. Which means it will look even rougher in person. So I don't know what to say, exactly. Stuff tends to show up a little high on the bay Area CL, but that gives me no real feel for what it actually sells for.

IME here, it's difficult to find that particular color paint on a Raleigh Pro in excellent shape around here. Is that worth a premium to someone ? Don't know...I can only offer my opinion, sir.

And we all seem to be aware that market prices for older bicycles are down from a few years ago.

Stormy Archer

Thanks for all the input.

Should I reglue tires that have some cracking?

I will go ahead and finish cleaning the parts, have already replaced the cables, will probably get new bar tape and some kind of not terrible looking saddle and list it.

3alarmer 

...you can make it look better by dropping the saddle height and the bars a little. That stem is either really long or overextended.
Regluing cracked tyres does nobody much good. Anyone knowledgeable enough to be buying something with tubulars will plan on replacement.

@repechage said that your market demographic "is for an enthusiast who discounts the above factors." I tend to agree. There is a spike in prices asked for stuff like this in the Bay Area in the months preceding the Eroica ride in Paso Robles. But that's not scheduled until April of next year. It's kind of entertaining watching all the "suitable for Eroica" ads that pop up in the months leading up to it. I hope I did not mislead you into pricing it too high, but CL will tell you if that's the case pretty quickly. You'll get very few responses.

I'm in no way "expert" on this subject. My opinions are simply based on having bought and sold a lot of stuff like this for myself, and having sold some of the better donations we got at the bike co-op here where I live for a few years using ads on CL that sometimes went down to the Bay Area on something very nice. Also, because I hate to paint, I might set a higher premium on a bike with pristine paint and decals as opposed to something needing mechanical work, which I can knock out pretty quickly. YMMV, as always. Good luck.

lostarchitect 

No worries, just my opinion as well, meant no offense.

3alarmer 

...none taken. Really. I find the evaluations forum to be very educational sometimes.
And I am absolutely certain I have probably paid more for some bicycles than market would command.

OTOH, I ended up with some swell bikes that only came around in my size once.