Joseph giebe

Its in very good shape I also have a schwinn colgaite

1. NO rust.
2. Complete bikes are a must.
3. Know your product.
4. Know your market.
5. Be prepared to lose money on some bikes.

I have drasticly different prices I'm willing to pay based on the quality level of the bike. Certain bikes I avoid like the plaque. Those would be all mountain bike and all non-bike store bikes. I also avoid anything from the last 10-15 years as they're a dime a dozen and not very collectible.

One of the most important things I consider is parting out value. If my 'flip' turns into a 'flop' can I part it out and recoup my money? Some bikes I buy with the sole intention of parting out.[/QUOTE]

Inakie

Hmm

kross57

Boy, was I wrong. I thought the pandemic would push local prices down. Nope! Take whatever the reasonable selling price was last year, and double it. At least for the NJ/NY area.

wrk101

"I have drasticly different prices I'm willing to pay based on the quality level of the bike. Certain bikes I avoid like the plaque. Those would be all mountain bike and all non-bike store bikes."

Many others apparently feel this way too as the price of vintage MTBs is very depressed. But many make outstanding part outs, certainly better than similar era/quality road bikes. I have acquired many vintage MTBs in the last couple of years, most for parts, a couple to keep. Thumb shifters, triple cranksets, Araya dimpled rim wheels, long cage RDs, set back seat posts, slingshot stems, vintage MTB pedals (desired by the BMX crowd), etc. I picked up a MTB recently at a thrift store for $35. It had been there a long time as it had been marked down a couple of times. Full Deore XT by the way. So far, proceeds on that bike are up to $400, I have about $150 left to sell. Many times, the sale of the pedals will exceed the price paid for the MTB. And in this case, the pedals brought 2X the price paid.

Even some undesirable brands can have desirable parts on them.

I know when I have sold complete vintage MTBs, I have left a lot of $$ on the table. Its OK, but I can't afford to always do it that way.

I have learned over the years, sometimes painfully, that if you are going to buy and sell long term, you have to continually change up your game. Stuff I avoided in the past I now buy. Stuff I bought in the past I now avoid. Sources in the past have completely dried up, replaced by other sources. Its a hobby, not a business, for me.

noglider 

Bikes are in high demand in the city. The subway has a high risk of infection, making more people willing to cycle. I made a long term loan to a nurse who came to the city to help with the pandemic. I don't even know the person so I look at it as a charitable act. I hope to get the bike back but I also know that I took a risk and may not see it again.

oddjob2

Maybe I should part out a cherry condition 1992ish PDG 50?

Despite a lot of cold and wet weather in April, I have sold 9 bikes since early April, more than the last 2-3 years combined. My goal has been to free up garage space for a new vehicle and am well on my way. Hope to sell another 10-12 bikes this month. This will get me under 50 in my for sale inventory Mountain bikes are in strong demand here. Only sold 2 bikes with drop bars, both Schwinns.

curbtender

Ahhh, to be under 50 again...

akablue

If you are buying and flipping: Right now is the time. Due to COVID 19 the bicycle market is hot right now and bikes are selling off the shelf. I brought a really cheap bike from Walmart a few months ago and was able to double my profit. If you are lucky to get bikes from Walmart especially during this time when bikes are a scarcity, then you can make a serious profit right now!

cb400bill

I’ve not seen any Classic and Vintage bikes available at my local Wal-Mart.

cromagnum

I just started cleaning out my garage and a guy from Brooklyn grabbed 3 bikes he said everything sells quick in NYC because nobody wants to get on a subway or bus. He's flipping the stuff I sell him.

Dayz23

Trying to get to 10. To post some pics!

CaptainPlanet

It's better to buy bikes with mainly black color schemes. Any paint chip can be hidden quickly with black permanent markers. The marker parts are visible, but blend in very well with the old paint job so that people won't catch it unless they are picky. You can't do that with any other permanent markers due to different color intensities.
You obviously can just do a full on repaint of the bike, but if your goal is to get 100 bucks profit, paint job is not cost efficient.

curbtender

Copied from another thread...



Say your used bike is reasonably worth $1,000. Here's how you post on Craiglist to lower your final bike sale price, and by how much:

• Only pictures of the non-drive side of the bike: subtract $400
• Limited number of blurry pictures: subtract $400
• Vague description that does not include list of major components: subtract $300
• No listing of size: subtract $300
• Use of all CAPS or all lower case run-on text. This indicates that posting was made by a 14 year old on a smart phone: Subtract $200
• Seller indicates illiteracy through the inclusion of words such as: 'breaks', 'peddles' or 'helmut': Subtract $50 per use.
• Highlighting how the bike comes with an irrelevant and likely worthless accessory such as a lock or helmut. This indicates that the seller is unclear as to what constitutes relative value. Plus we don't want your head lice, or have to spend an hour hacksawing off of your old lock: Subtract $50.
• Indicating that the bike was made by Shimano: Subtract $500.
• Use of exclamation marks or irrelevant juvenile expletives such as: "Awesome!!!": Subtract $50 per use.

kross57

Sorry, but I would never do this. The fix is not permanent, and I consider it to be pretty shady.

It is really a simple matter to touch up these chips with a paint brush and a small can of rustoleum gloss black. I believe you should fix a bike properly or leave it alone. Hiding problems is unethical.

natloz

Just leave the chips and rust and call Patina when on the frame, it adds to the natural beauty of an older frame!

Pedal303

Unethical

seaweedsam

How does one determine it was made after 1997?

mtb rider

Me too!

2cam16

Usually the serial number can be deciphered for that. Or even the components if they're still original.

Guyatwork37

So I've gotten in to bike flipping recently, mostly as a hobby at night after the kids go to bed and primarily to fun purchasing my own bike tools so I don't have to use my brother-in-laws. I've read this entire thread and it's been great, so thanks to all the posters of the past. I had a couple of quick questions for right now:

1) What's the current sales market like?
2) Is it better to wait until spring to list bikes?
3) Where are folks going nowadays for cheap consumables (e.g. tires, chains, tubes, bar tape, seats, etc.)?

Thanks!

noglider 

@Guyatwork37, recently, the market was very favorable for sellers because, thanks to the pandemic, demand is way up and supply is down. Now that the weather is colder, it might be less so, but I don't know. Since the supply chain has probably not caught up, the sellers' market might still be good.

Normally it's better to wait until spring but maybe not now.

For bike supplies, I use my local bike shops, Amazon, jensonusa, and biketiresdirect.

kross57

As far as photographing bikes for sale, what are the rules you folks use? I typically post 6 photos - drive side full bike, drive side front half, drive side rear, left side full bike, left side front, and left side rear. I do this against a wood fence and not in direct sunlight. This is for local sales - I do not ship. So far this seems to work fine, but I am curious about other approaches.

curbtender

I try to include pictures of stickers/decals of frame material and model.

Senior Ryder 00 

I flip 6-8 bikes a year. Most are $250 to $400 & are sold on Craig’s List locally. Once or twice a year I get a better one, $500-600 & those go on EBay. I’m currently working on one that is worth ~$1K & would like to avoid the EBay hassle. The Portland metro area market is good, would like feedback on how to handle this level sale. Yes, I’m ready for the barrage on scammers.
Thanks & regard,
Van

kross57

Have you ever used FB marketplace? That works well for me.