Originally Posted by
3alarmer
...it's almost a year later, and no, I don't think it's just you.
More and more, flipping is all about PARTS, and not complete bikes. If the bike has good components, I can get as much for just the crankset and rear derailleur as I can for a complete bike. And complete bikes in ready to ride condition cost me $50 to $100 in consumables and 4 to 6 hours in time. Dismantling can be done in an hour or less. Add one hour for cleaning parts, writing ads, taking pictures. So in half the time, and zero spending on consumables, I can get 2X to 5X out of parts.
Every market is different.
Picked up a bike yesterday, $30, no wheels, no tires, no tubes, torn seat. So I could spend $150 on consumables and wheels (more if I didn't have a lot of parts), and have a bike I could sell for $125. So lets see, 4 to 6 hours of work, and I could lose $55. And I would waste time with no shows/tire kickers/low ballers.
Or I can part it out. Pedals, derailleurs, crankset, frameset, all have value. I estimate $350 total, less fees of around $75. So in less time, no consumable spending, I can make about $275. Or I can put a lot more time into it, and lose $55. I may have been born at night, but I wasn't born last night.
The market has spoken. I will still refurbish bikes for family and friends. I also know a handful of collectors that appreciate the really rare or high end stuff. The rest go as parts.