Originally Posted by
auchencrow
Anyone who has scoured their local Craigslist and garage sales lately has to have noticed that there are far fewer
good C&V bikes to be had than there was just a few years ago.
2012 was my best year for finding bikes by far.
Some notable finds in 2012 (all at attractive prices) include a Masi, an Eddy Merckx, a Tommasini, a Pinarello, a Paramount Series 7, a 1986 Schwinn Peloton, a Batavus Professional, Schwinn Cimmaron LE, Bianchi Limited, a pair of 1984 Trek 620s, a nice Burley tandem, and many more. I really don't recall a year half this good.
My favorite C/L pickup ad this year was four words long (OK, five if you include the price): "race bike bad paint $50." It lasted two days (I was out of town, or I would have grabbed it immediately).
Fortunately, buyers still have no imagination. If the brand name and size is not listed, or its a more obscure brand, they tend to last.
+1 There really aren't many vintage bikes for sale around here. There never have been, so that's not something new.
+1 Thrift store finds have pretty much dried up. I did find three this year, but that's in a LOT of visits to thrift stores.
One thing I have learned is you have to keep changing up where and how you look. So if I was still using the methods I used five years ago, I would not be finding anything.
In the years to come, I probably will be looking back at 2012 wishing for another year that good.