To sell your bike
#1
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To sell your bike
I often find myself scrolling through different market places for bikes. I’ve realized that a lot of people have a very hard time to both write an ad, take pictures and so on.
To help out I made a guide that I hope will help many people to get their bikes sold. What’s your best trick?
To help out I made a guide that I hope will help many people to get their bikes sold. What’s your best trick?
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Be Patience and Just Wait for the right Person to arrive and buy it.
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Drive-side full-bike photos, a few close-up detail shots, complete and accurate build specs, geometry chart, and a fair price. I've never listed a bike that didn't sell in a week or so.
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Wash it, good pictures, realistic price, frame measurements
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#6
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gounds great, bufmt did you sell them to cheap? Hypothetical question of course, but selling fast van also mean to cheap?! 👍
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It amazes me that an ad with minimal listing information with poorly written grammar can flip a vehicle faster than someone being fully descriptive & proper elsewise with a item just sit for months collecting dust (NOS parts or great conditioned wheels with tires for vehicles usually)
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A lot depends on where you live. If you live in a city with lots of potential buyers, that's one thing. If you live in the "sticks" it's nearly impossible to sell anything that's not basically a give away. I took my perfectly good 1981 Raleigh to the local transfer station this Summer and gave it to whomever claimed it first. I list things I no longer need on Craig's list, but it's rare to get a buyer who wants to drive an hour just to check out a used item.
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It is easy to sell old stuff. Just wait til you can hand a vintage moniker on it and get twice as much with even less life left on it.
John
Edit added: Actually it is all about timing. You just need to hit it when a generation wants to re-live their past or buy something they always wanted.
If you miss that generation, it can become tougher.
John
Edit added: Actually it is all about timing. You just need to hit it when a generation wants to re-live their past or buy something they always wanted.
If you miss that generation, it can become tougher.
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I guess I should add, you should have been here during the pandemic. Selling a used bike took little effort beyond “For Sale”.
In a few years though, the market might be flooded with barely used pandemic bikes and then it will be tougher.
John
In a few years though, the market might be flooded with barely used pandemic bikes and then it will be tougher.
John
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#14
DIY:er
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Some ads can be very vague, yet still allow for something to sell rather fast at a premium price IF demand/trends are high. Example: Used car market.
It amazes me that an ad with minimal listing information with poorly written grammar can flip a vehicle faster than someone being fully descriptive & proper elsewise with a item just sit for months collecting dust (NOS parts or great conditioned wheels with tires for vehicles usually)
It amazes me that an ad with minimal listing information with poorly written grammar can flip a vehicle faster than someone being fully descriptive & proper elsewise with a item just sit for months collecting dust (NOS parts or great conditioned wheels with tires for vehicles usually)
#15
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A lot depends on where you live. If you live in a city with lots of potential buyers, that's one thing. If you live in the "sticks" it's nearly impossible to sell anything that's not basically a give away. I took my perfectly good 1981 Raleigh to the local transfer station this Summer and gave it to whomever claimed it first. I list things I no longer need on Craig's list, but it's rare to get a buyer who wants to drive an hour just to check out a used item.
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Since the original poster is located in Stockholm Sweden, he may not be familiar with rogue American criminals who use FOR SALE ads on Craiglist and other for sale ads to lure folks with cash to a specific location, where they rob the person who is coming to buy the "bike" that is pictured in detail and fully described. The criminals have become smarter and yes they are using detailed photos and descriptions captured from other sites/and or other old craiglist listings from a normal seller. They know that some folks feel that pictures of every angle and complete details gets the "MARK" to drop his guard, and most folks today under 40 years old, are comfortable in only TEXT MESSAGE communication, but such rogue criminals are using anonymously activated Burner Phones where there is no registered link to that person. Craigslist is not particularly safe UNLESS YOU TAKE CERTAIN PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT YOURSELF, SUCH AS THE PARTICULAR MEETING PLACE ETC IN BROAD DAYLIGHT IN A SAFE PUBLIC PLACE, WITH SECURITY CAMERAS, OR INSIDE YOUR LOCAL SHERIFF's SUBSTATION, OR POLICE/HIGHWAY PATROL PRECINCT.
Most people selling on Craigs are probably good people but there is so much " earnings potential" is for criminals with the lure and rob scheme. Folks will be carrying cash and likely only one person or maybe two people (buyer & friend) show up to see & buy the "bike". If the criminal is able to determine the secluded location where no one else is around and without video surveilance cameras, the criminal or criminals can rob you of your cash and your car too, and leave stranded there, in the best case scenario, otherwise unharmed, but this isn't always the case as COURT TV has had coverage of trials of some of these craigslist killers from various parts of the USA.
Minimize your risk both as a buyer and as a seller also. As a seller, remember that if you are listing your home address or GOOGLE MAP to your residence, you might get more than just prospective buyers searching through the for sale ads. Be careful as to what photos and wording and information that probably is helpful to a legitimate prospective buyer, but otherwise if professional burglars, thieves or porch pirates are just trolling such ads, they may be able to determine based on supplementary information that you otherwise innocently provide.................. FOR EXAMPLE: saying something like I work at Grady Memorial Hospital in the Radiology Department and my husband is an Electrical Engineering professor at GA TECH , so we are never home between 6AM and 7PM, here is my contact info & number at Grady and here is Willie's contact at Tech....... So yes in this case, a prospective buyer likely can feel somewhat better that they have a name and contact but for a trolling burglar, Kathy and Willie's home is likely vacant during the day..............................SO DO BE CAREFUL AS TO WHAT YOU DO POST WHEN YOU ARE THE SELLER. BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL IF YOU ARE A BUYER responding to a Craiglist Ad.
I'm not gonna go any further and compare which other sites are possibly better. Most people are not criminals but still proceed with caution. Certainly, you'll have personalities that want to haggle or just talk forever or perhaps tire kickers with no intention of buying unless you give the item away, but those folks, though possibly just a little looney aren't criminals. I am not sure if using certain sites, such as listing a quality high-end bicycle with substantial market value on a site such as CRAIGSLIST does not immediately bring suspicion and cautious hesitation as one probably immediately wonders is said bicycle is stolen property acquired by some " Re-Seller / entrepreneur" with a pair large bolt cutters and a non descript old Ford Econoline or Chevrolet C-10 windowless Van. Obviously, you have to be somewhat like Columbo if the "owner" knows nothing about said bike and their story about how they came to own said bike just doesn't seem to make sense........
Most people selling on Craigs are probably good people but there is so much " earnings potential" is for criminals with the lure and rob scheme. Folks will be carrying cash and likely only one person or maybe two people (buyer & friend) show up to see & buy the "bike". If the criminal is able to determine the secluded location where no one else is around and without video surveilance cameras, the criminal or criminals can rob you of your cash and your car too, and leave stranded there, in the best case scenario, otherwise unharmed, but this isn't always the case as COURT TV has had coverage of trials of some of these craigslist killers from various parts of the USA.
Minimize your risk both as a buyer and as a seller also. As a seller, remember that if you are listing your home address or GOOGLE MAP to your residence, you might get more than just prospective buyers searching through the for sale ads. Be careful as to what photos and wording and information that probably is helpful to a legitimate prospective buyer, but otherwise if professional burglars, thieves or porch pirates are just trolling such ads, they may be able to determine based on supplementary information that you otherwise innocently provide.................. FOR EXAMPLE: saying something like I work at Grady Memorial Hospital in the Radiology Department and my husband is an Electrical Engineering professor at GA TECH , so we are never home between 6AM and 7PM, here is my contact info & number at Grady and here is Willie's contact at Tech....... So yes in this case, a prospective buyer likely can feel somewhat better that they have a name and contact but for a trolling burglar, Kathy and Willie's home is likely vacant during the day..............................SO DO BE CAREFUL AS TO WHAT YOU DO POST WHEN YOU ARE THE SELLER. BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL IF YOU ARE A BUYER responding to a Craiglist Ad.
I'm not gonna go any further and compare which other sites are possibly better. Most people are not criminals but still proceed with caution. Certainly, you'll have personalities that want to haggle or just talk forever or perhaps tire kickers with no intention of buying unless you give the item away, but those folks, though possibly just a little looney aren't criminals. I am not sure if using certain sites, such as listing a quality high-end bicycle with substantial market value on a site such as CRAIGSLIST does not immediately bring suspicion and cautious hesitation as one probably immediately wonders is said bicycle is stolen property acquired by some " Re-Seller / entrepreneur" with a pair large bolt cutters and a non descript old Ford Econoline or Chevrolet C-10 windowless Van. Obviously, you have to be somewhat like Columbo if the "owner" knows nothing about said bike and their story about how they came to own said bike just doesn't seem to make sense........
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#19
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Since the original poster is located in Stockholm Sweden, he may not be familiar with rogue American criminals who use FOR SALE ads on Craiglist and other for sale ads to lure folks with cash to a specific location, where they rob the person who is coming to buy the "bike" that is pictured in detail and fully described. The criminals have become smarter and yes they are using detailed photos and descriptions captured from other sites/and or other old craiglist listings from a normal seller. They know that some folks feel that pictures of every angle and complete details gets the "MARK" to drop his guard, and most folks today under 40 years old, are comfortable in only TEXT MESSAGE communication, but such rogue criminals are using anonymously activated Burner Phones where there is no registered link to that person. Craigslist is not particularly safe UNLESS YOU TAKE CERTAIN PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT YOURSELF, SUCH AS THE PARTICULAR MEETING PLACE ETC IN BROAD DAYLIGHT IN A SAFE PUBLIC PLACE, WITH SECURITY CAMERAS, OR INSIDE YOUR LOCAL SHERIFF's SUBSTATION, OR POLICE/HIGHWAY PATROL PRECINCT.
Most people selling on Craigs are probably good people but there is so much " earnings potential" is for criminals with the lure and rob scheme. Folks will be carrying cash and likely only one person or maybe two people (buyer & friend) show up to see & buy the "bike". If the criminal is able to determine the secluded location where no one else is around and without video surveilance cameras, the criminal or criminals can rob you of your cash and your car too, and leave stranded there, in the best case scenario, otherwise unharmed, but this isn't always the case as COURT TV has had coverage of trials of some of these craigslist killers from various parts of the USA.
Minimize your risk both as a buyer and as a seller also. As a seller, remember that if you are listing your home address or GOOGLE MAP to your residence, you might get more than just prospective buyers searching through the for sale ads. Be careful as to what photos and wording and information that probably is helpful to a legitimate prospective buyer, but otherwise if professional burglars, thieves or porch pirates are just trolling such ads, they may be able to determine based on supplementary information that you otherwise innocently provide.................. FOR EXAMPLE: saying something like I work at Grady Memorial Hospital in the Radiology Department and my husband is an Electrical Engineering professor at GA TECH , so we are never home between 6AM and 7PM, here is my contact info & number at Grady and here is Willie's contact at Tech....... So yes in this case, a prospective buyer likely can feel somewhat better that they have a name and contact but for a trolling burglar, Kathy and Willie's home is likely vacant during the day..............................SO DO BE CAREFUL AS TO WHAT YOU DO POST WHEN YOU ARE THE SELLER. BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL IF YOU ARE A BUYER responding to a Craiglist Ad.
I'm not gonna go any further and compare which other sites are possibly better. Most people are not criminals but still proceed with caution. Certainly, you'll have personalities that want to haggle or just talk forever or perhaps tire kickers with no intention of buying unless you give the item away, but those folks, though possibly just a little looney aren't criminals. I am not sure if using certain sites, such as listing a quality high-end bicycle with substantial market value on a site such as CRAIGSLIST does not immediately bring suspicion and cautious hesitation as one probably immediately wonders is said bicycle is stolen property acquired by some " Re-Seller / entrepreneur" with a pair large bolt cutters and a non descript old Ford Econoline or Chevrolet C-10 windowless Van. Obviously, you have to be somewhat like Columbo if the "owner" knows nothing about said bike and their story about how they came to own said bike just doesn't seem to make sense........
Most people selling on Craigs are probably good people but there is so much " earnings potential" is for criminals with the lure and rob scheme. Folks will be carrying cash and likely only one person or maybe two people (buyer & friend) show up to see & buy the "bike". If the criminal is able to determine the secluded location where no one else is around and without video surveilance cameras, the criminal or criminals can rob you of your cash and your car too, and leave stranded there, in the best case scenario, otherwise unharmed, but this isn't always the case as COURT TV has had coverage of trials of some of these craigslist killers from various parts of the USA.
Minimize your risk both as a buyer and as a seller also. As a seller, remember that if you are listing your home address or GOOGLE MAP to your residence, you might get more than just prospective buyers searching through the for sale ads. Be careful as to what photos and wording and information that probably is helpful to a legitimate prospective buyer, but otherwise if professional burglars, thieves or porch pirates are just trolling such ads, they may be able to determine based on supplementary information that you otherwise innocently provide.................. FOR EXAMPLE: saying something like I work at Grady Memorial Hospital in the Radiology Department and my husband is an Electrical Engineering professor at GA TECH , so we are never home between 6AM and 7PM, here is my contact info & number at Grady and here is Willie's contact at Tech....... So yes in this case, a prospective buyer likely can feel somewhat better that they have a name and contact but for a trolling burglar, Kathy and Willie's home is likely vacant during the day..............................SO DO BE CAREFUL AS TO WHAT YOU DO POST WHEN YOU ARE THE SELLER. BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL IF YOU ARE A BUYER responding to a Craiglist Ad.
I'm not gonna go any further and compare which other sites are possibly better. Most people are not criminals but still proceed with caution. Certainly, you'll have personalities that want to haggle or just talk forever or perhaps tire kickers with no intention of buying unless you give the item away, but those folks, though possibly just a little looney aren't criminals. I am not sure if using certain sites, such as listing a quality high-end bicycle with substantial market value on a site such as CRAIGSLIST does not immediately bring suspicion and cautious hesitation as one probably immediately wonders is said bicycle is stolen property acquired by some " Re-Seller / entrepreneur" with a pair large bolt cutters and a non descript old Ford Econoline or Chevrolet C-10 windowless Van. Obviously, you have to be somewhat like Columbo if the "owner" knows nothing about said bike and their story about how they came to own said bike just doesn't seem to make sense........
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Since the original poster is located in Stockholm Sweden, he may not be familiar with rogue American criminals who use FOR SALE ads on Craiglist and other for sale ads to lure folks with cash to a specific location, where they rob the person who is coming to buy the "bike" that is pictured in detail and fully described. The criminals have become smarter and yes they are using detailed photos and descriptions captured from other sites/and or other old craiglist listings from a normal seller. They know that some folks feel that pictures of every angle and complete details gets the "MARK" to drop his guard, and most folks today under 40 years old, are comfortable in only TEXT MESSAGE communication, but such rogue criminals are using anonymously activated Burner Phones where there is no registered link to that person. Craigslist is not particularly safe UNLESS YOU TAKE CERTAIN PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT YOURSELF, SUCH AS THE PARTICULAR MEETING PLACE ETC IN BROAD DAYLIGHT IN A SAFE PUBLIC PLACE, WITH SECURITY CAMERAS, OR INSIDE YOUR LOCAL SHERIFF's SUBSTATION, OR POLICE/HIGHWAY PATROL PRECINCT.
Most people selling on Craigs are probably good people but there is so much " earnings potential" is for criminals with the lure and rob scheme. Folks will be carrying cash and likely only one person or maybe two people (buyer & friend) show up to see & buy the "bike". If the criminal is able to determine the secluded location where no one else is around and without video surveilance cameras, the criminal or criminals can rob you of your cash and your car too, and leave stranded there, in the best case scenario, otherwise unharmed, but this isn't always the case as COURT TV has had coverage of trials of some of these craigslist killers from various parts of the USA.
Minimize your risk both as a buyer and as a seller also. As a seller, remember that if you are listing your home address or GOOGLE MAP to your residence, you might get more than just prospective buyers searching through the for sale ads. Be careful as to what photos and wording and information that probably is helpful to a legitimate prospective buyer, but otherwise if professional burglars, thieves or porch pirates are just trolling such ads, they may be able to determine based on supplementary information that you otherwise innocently provide.................. FOR EXAMPLE: saying something like I work at Grady Memorial Hospital in the Radiology Department and my husband is an Electrical Engineering professor at GA TECH , so we are never home between 6AM and 7PM, here is my contact info & number at Grady and here is Willie's contact at Tech....... So yes in this case, a prospective buyer likely can feel somewhat better that they have a name and contact but for a trolling burglar, Kathy and Willie's home is likely vacant during the day..............................SO DO BE CAREFUL AS TO WHAT YOU DO POST WHEN YOU ARE THE SELLER. BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL IF YOU ARE A BUYER responding to a Craiglist Ad.
I'm not gonna go any further and compare which other sites are possibly better. Most people are not criminals but still proceed with caution. Certainly, you'll have personalities that want to haggle or just talk forever or perhaps tire kickers with no intention of buying unless you give the item away, but those folks, though possibly just a little looney aren't criminals. I am not sure if using certain sites, such as listing a quality high-end bicycle with substantial market value on a site such as CRAIGSLIST does not immediately bring suspicion and cautious hesitation as one probably immediately wonders is said bicycle is stolen property acquired by some " Re-Seller / entrepreneur" with a pair large bolt cutters and a non descript old Ford Econoline or Chevrolet C-10 windowless Van. Obviously, you have to be somewhat like Columbo if the "owner" knows nothing about said bike and their story about how they came to own said bike just doesn't seem to make sense........
Most people selling on Craigs are probably good people but there is so much " earnings potential" is for criminals with the lure and rob scheme. Folks will be carrying cash and likely only one person or maybe two people (buyer & friend) show up to see & buy the "bike". If the criminal is able to determine the secluded location where no one else is around and without video surveilance cameras, the criminal or criminals can rob you of your cash and your car too, and leave stranded there, in the best case scenario, otherwise unharmed, but this isn't always the case as COURT TV has had coverage of trials of some of these craigslist killers from various parts of the USA.
Minimize your risk both as a buyer and as a seller also. As a seller, remember that if you are listing your home address or GOOGLE MAP to your residence, you might get more than just prospective buyers searching through the for sale ads. Be careful as to what photos and wording and information that probably is helpful to a legitimate prospective buyer, but otherwise if professional burglars, thieves or porch pirates are just trolling such ads, they may be able to determine based on supplementary information that you otherwise innocently provide.................. FOR EXAMPLE: saying something like I work at Grady Memorial Hospital in the Radiology Department and my husband is an Electrical Engineering professor at GA TECH , so we are never home between 6AM and 7PM, here is my contact info & number at Grady and here is Willie's contact at Tech....... So yes in this case, a prospective buyer likely can feel somewhat better that they have a name and contact but for a trolling burglar, Kathy and Willie's home is likely vacant during the day..............................SO DO BE CAREFUL AS TO WHAT YOU DO POST WHEN YOU ARE THE SELLER. BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL IF YOU ARE A BUYER responding to a Craiglist Ad.
I'm not gonna go any further and compare which other sites are possibly better. Most people are not criminals but still proceed with caution. Certainly, you'll have personalities that want to haggle or just talk forever or perhaps tire kickers with no intention of buying unless you give the item away, but those folks, though possibly just a little looney aren't criminals. I am not sure if using certain sites, such as listing a quality high-end bicycle with substantial market value on a site such as CRAIGSLIST does not immediately bring suspicion and cautious hesitation as one probably immediately wonders is said bicycle is stolen property acquired by some " Re-Seller / entrepreneur" with a pair large bolt cutters and a non descript old Ford Econoline or Chevrolet C-10 windowless Van. Obviously, you have to be somewhat like Columbo if the "owner" knows nothing about said bike and their story about how they came to own said bike just doesn't seem to make sense........
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