dweenk

I have decided that 3 or 4 of my Raleighs must go - greatly encouraged by my wife. Problem #1 is that these would be difficult and pricey to box and ship properly. Problem # 2 is that I live on the Delmarva Peninsula, which is fine for beach goers, but off the track for others. Problem #3 is that CL sales are dead around here for bikes.

The bikes I am considering are:
1980 Tourist (DL-1) 24" mens Dynohub
1979 Sports 23" mens
1969 - 70 Sprite (IGH) 21" step thru
1972 Sports Camelback 19"

I know that Ebay would be the way to go to maximize the return, but that would mean shipping (Problem #1 ). Any better ideas out there?

randyjawa 

Explore as many options as you can. Ebay, for sure. Craigslist or Kijiji for sure. Bike Forums market place and anything similar that you know of. Take really good clear pictures. Create a good write-up and go for it. Flyers at local bike shops. Flyers at local super markets. Stuff like that has always worked for me - eventually. Bonne chance a vous, mon amie.

bargainguy

You could try ebay without shipping - the "local pickup only" option. Tell people you will work with them if they arrange their own shipping via uship.com or similar services, but you won't box and ship on your own.

Of course, you're not going to get the same response and interest if you had offered shipping yourself, but it's a viable option. Many people don't know about uship or that when ebay sellers don't offer shipping, buyers use them as a substitute. This gets especially important for large / heavy / bulky items where it's not economical for the seller to offer shipping.

SurferRosa

Give them away for the good karma and possible write-off.

CliffordK

@gugie?

Many bike shops (or TV shops?) will give away bike boxes and some packing materials if you ask.

Whole bike packing can be a pain. Perhaps that is one advantage of stripping and selling components. But, it can be done safely with recycled bike boxes, and either pool noodles or pipe insulation from a hardware store, and some bubble wrap, and a lot of care.

Shipping via Bike Flights, or I think there is another new competitor on the market should bring shipping across the USA down to about $50 + any packing materials you will need.

dweenk

I don't care about a write off, but I would like to know that they were not scrapped, but the give them away thing is something to think about. Only to someone who would cares.

cudak888 

C&V Sales thread, Craigslist, eBay local pickup only, OfferUp. In that order.

-Kurt

dweenk

Packed one once and never again and I did use Bike Flights. They did the job well and cheaply. I have access to bike boxes and packing for free.

Have you ever disassembled a DL-1? It is a royal PITA. You may have convinced me to part them out though.

cudak888 

Have you ever re-assembled a DL-1? Makes disassembly look like a piece of cake.

-Kurt

dweenk

Why do you think it's at the top of the list? Nice rider though.

CliffordK

Oh, that era of Raleigh.

Harder to get top dollar for. I wonder how much things like chain cases and hubs go for.

I have seen bike boxes designed to only remove the front wheel, and handlebars. Rear wheel stays on the bike.

cudak888 

They tend to be the ones to "go first," even though few sellers will admit that.

The lack of a chaincase on US bikes, the rough build quality as the '70s wore on, and the direct relation between wheel trueness to braking quality usually make it an easy decision.

-Kurt

BFisher

I had a similar situation a while back.

Sitting on a couple old bikes that weren't worth much, and would have been more effort than I cared to give to sell for anything.

I had my fun with them, so loaded them up and donated. They're gone. I have more space. All good.

bargainguy

https://www.shipbikes.com/aircaddy/

I have three Air Caddys, and they're just like you said - rear wheel stays on, so it's easier to ship. Drawbacks: The box is big, triangular and an odd size. It won't fit in the trunk of most cars. If you ship it, I highly recommend having the shipper pick it up from you if you don't have an appropriate vehicle to get it to the shipper.

noglider 

The 23" Sports would sell for a lot here in NYC, but as you said, shipping makes that tough.

bwilli88 

I wish I were in the States, I would be happy to help you unload these. Both the DL-1 and the 79 sports would be fun. That Camelback would be fun but small.

BigChief 

I'm in the same boat. I have a bunch of old bikes that need to go, but I live in a rural area where it's tough to get rid of anything. I keep putting it off.

AeroGut

Depending on where you are on the peninsula, a couple of options:

1) if you don't want to deal with shipping, post ads (craiglist, etc) in the DC and Philly area and tell people they need to pick up from you. Those markets are going to be much stronger than your local, and enough people from those areas regularly hit the beaches over the summer that I think there would be someone who would be willing to come to you to get them if you're patient. A lot of cyclists will also come to the area for events like the Seagull century, so you could maybe advertise around those.

2) If you are okay with going the donation route and you have a way to transport the bikes, the Urban Bike Project in Wilmington, DE is a great nonprofit shop that is always looking for donations. They just finished a big renovation of their space and are probably looking to rebuild inventory.

jethin

It’s quite obvious that the best option would be for you to hypnotize your wife and keep them.

EddyR

You are not all that far from Washington or Baltimore why not put them in there CL and note where you are. I have had people drive 300 miles to get bike s from me.
Ed

Hudson308 

Another local selling option that's exploding in popularity is Facebook Marketplace. There's also a Facebook group called Steel Is Real, but it's wordwide so you're still likely stuck shipping it.
I'm not a Facebook member, but it seems like everyone else in the world is.

dedhed

I'd be interested in a front dynohub for my Sprite

SirMike1983 

If you are close enough to the DC area, try the DC Area Used Bicycle sales group on Facebook. Ebay with local pick up only is an option, but hold off until you've tried the Facebook group, BikeForums, and the CABE. Ebay is a last resort, but sometimes you have to. Ebay with local pick up only really tends to depress the price, but you'll find a buyer eventually if you're in the DC area.

dweenk

@Bark eater
Here is a photo of the 23" Sports

bark_eater 

Yea buddy....