bikemig 

+ 1 on this. You just have to be willing to take the loss to move inventory. I'm a catch and release kind of person when it comes to bikes.

tricky 

I went through a downsize period when I moved in with my girlfriend now fiancee. I went from 8 down to 4 bikes (one of them is hers) and 2 frames. At the same time I decided to invest that money into one of the bikes that I kept (a 2007 Lemond Poprad). I now own the nicest bike I've ever owned. It fits me great, rides amazing and I enjoy it so much. It's purified my cycling hobby down to a single primary bicycle that I enjoy a lot instead of a cluttered collection and mind that was going in 5 different directions at all times. Now I just invest in, maintain, and ride the crap out of my primary bike and I feel the best I have ever felt about my stable. I don't begrudge folks with a large collection at all and I still have that tendency but definitely give the other side a try. There is lightness to be found there and other interests to pursue. Worst case there are always more fun bikes out there if you decide to rebuild the collection once you are able.

Plus you'll get a buncha cash when you sell stuff. That's ALWAYS fun.

pnwgopher

If you ever do change your mind and get in the mood to sell that 720 frameset, you know who to call!

bark_eater 

A start.

The Golden Boy 

Wow- Jimmy Taylor sold weight sets! I know all those guys had side hustles because pro football didn't pay that great- you always read they sold cars and stuff- Dick Affils, a lineman with the Packers was "Dick the Bruiser" in the offseason and then when he retired from the NFL.

Deal4Fuji

^^^ And the human zipper Jerry Kramer wrote books. You remember Gimbel's ?

Aside from Jim Taylor selling weights the only other athlete I found from my time collecting old weights was baseball player Ted Kluszewski who was known for his muscles and homers...



Cincinnati Redlegs ??? Interesting ....better dead than red in 1953. Also a lot of background on Kluszewski

https://www.espn.com/blog/sweetspot/...became-redlegs



Oh lookie there, I just happen to have a photo of both their brands together

mstateglfr 

Cycling is a hobby- it isnt meant to bring you financial profit. If it does bring you profit every now and then, thats just a side benefit.
If you sell a bike for less than you have in it, is that really a loss?...you should count the time/use/experiences created while using the bike too.

Total hypothetical- if I sell a bike for $200 less than I have in it, but I rode it for 1000 miles over 2 years, that seems quite OK to me.

mstateglfr 

Curious- why do you have sheets/blankets on so many bikes, but not all?

nlerner

Those are the ones still asleep?

RustyJames 

The red frame in the back looks like something I would drag home.

bark_eater 

The equipment operator at the scrap yard takes an unholy pleasure in crushing bikes. I still bring donuts on major holidays....

RiddleOfSteel

That has been my attitude. It's a hobby, and thankfully one I've been able to externalize via helping others or volunteering at bike shops. If I make $20 on my monetary expenditure of a build that I sell, that's great. But all the experience, knowledge, time, and therapeutic value that bikes bring makes even a loss palatable. If I break even, I "rented" the bike for free and learned a ton. Big win.

bwilli88 

Those that are covered are mine and I keep them covered when I am not riding them. Cambodia is soooo dusty.

sdn40

Collecting touches a part of us that I have yet to put into words. What I have come to acknowledge for myself is that it's internal crapola. With all due respect to those that put a higher value on items, they are just that ...... items with a random value based on ...... whatever a group of random people decide. Remember beer cans ? Beanie babies ? Terry Redlin ? Franklin Mint ? Stamps ? The list is endless of items that were once considered gold and are now worthless. Most bikes with downtube shifters will go the way of cars with manual transmissions. Some may scream at that notion, but it's already happening.
I recently told my daughter to ask yourself if something is important enough to worry about on your deathbead. If not, the stress over it isn't worth the effort. If the items make you happy, by all means keep them and stare at them. If they are somehow causing you angst via space or money, sell them and don't look back. I can pretty much guarantee that selling a Dura-Ace derailleur today, won't haunt you in 20 years.

curbtender

I think having always sold and traded cycling items that it would be much easier to downsize. I have a harder time moving on projects that I haven't finished.