AngryFrankie

and it haunted you for days after, and you couldn't stop thinking about it? Who got it? Where did it go? Will they fix it up and love it or leave it in the rain?!?!??!

cudak888 

More than 15 years ago. German road bike with Nuovo Record and Weinmann centerpulls. Not in great shape, but the Campag was fine. $15.

Was in a rush and couldn't take it. Wasn't there when I came back. Still irritates me to this day.

-Kurt

RustyJames 

Nope. I have brought a few home that I thought were dumb purchases. Cheap department store bike to flip, too small frameset, stuff like that.

nlerner

Life's too short.

jamesdak 

Well not to that extent. I did miss out on a $400 British Racing Trike that was listed locally a couple of years ago here in Utah. Just wasn't able to take off work that day to go get it and it sold quickly. I think it went to Texas to someone on this forum or Paceline.

AngryFrankie

I've done those dumb purchases. I'm way ahead in buying and selling, so when I see one I want, I just tell them "I want it." I actually bought a bike once and it was so hideous, I pulled over about 1/2 mi. away, in front of a vacant storefront, and left the bike. Was that wrong? This time around, I missed on a Kuwahara Pacer and I was just so excited about the idea of getting it. The guy was kind of aloof, and several hours later emailed, "I just sold it!"

bark_eater 

I had the unfortunate opportunity to pick through an old school bike shop over the course of its last year till dumpster day. Everything was %50 off the marked prices, which were set in the late 80's. The owner was very generous and basically sold me a load of tools for scrap prices, but my appreciation of vintage technology was pretty low, so of the box of 80 NOS Suntour VX GT long cage derailleurs for $10 each, I only bought 1...... Thousands of cogs at $1 each... I never even looked in the crates marked Huret...

shoota 

All the time.

merziac

Is there a question here?



So many times.

VtwinVince

Don't remind me: Brodie Sovereign at a local auction, missed the bid deadline by seconds, sold for cheap. D'oh!

bikingshearer 

As I teenager (1970s), I had a shot at a used (1960s) Cinelli f/f. By the time I had figured out how to scrape the $$$ together, it was sold. Somehow, life went on. Now in my advancing decreptitude, I have two mid-1960s Cinellis, so it's all good.

A few years ago, a Merckx MX Leader with Freuler geometry came up for sale. I don't remember whether it was here or on eBay, but it would have fit me very nicely. I hesitated . . . and lost. I was upset for about five minutes, then moved on. I truly did not need it, but it would have been cool to have that one.

Dylansbob 

During covid, a rasta fade Greg Lemond showed up on CL for a couple days for $300, halfway between me and Seattle. Pristine SLX frame, DA 8spd, Look Ergostem raised skyhigh. Rolls saddle, I think on a USE suspension seatpost. But of course I'd just bought a bike or three that summer.

Darth Lefty 

A few years ago a Merz popped up locally and merziac wanted me to go get it for him. I had newborn twins and no cash or time. I don’t know if he found another facilitator

Kabuki12

Yes!! I saw an ItalVega Super Record (early seventies) on CL that looked to be in great shape . Lots of pics in the ad showing the Campagnolo NR parts , including Derailleurs , shifters, seat post , headset and BB, cranks High Flange hubs, etc. The chrome and paint were dusty but not oxidized or pitted . Cinelli saddle in perfect shape and just needed a front hoop and cleaning up .....$100 in my size . I emailed (no phone #) 3 hours after the post but was 3rd in line DOH! There may have been suspicion with the missing rim , but the hub was mounted on the fork and it didn't look like any damage. I committed to buy with my first contact based on parts only , but I lost . I still think about that bike,hmm.

billytwosheds 

Yes and/but the deals that ended up in my lap for no good reason seem to offset the pain.

noobinsf 

I had a shot at a Paramount frame from my birth year once, and I was outbid. I thought about it for a while, but I've had a few other scores that made me settle into the ebb and flow of stuff coming to me with good fortune and my stuff going to others in the same way. I scored my Eisentraut frame after I was initially outbid, but then saw it pop up again the next day. I contacted the seller, and his buyer had flaked, so this time I got it, and for about $50 less than the first winning bid.

DMC707

well -- yes, but i didnt put quite that level of thought into it afterward

motochick 

I was on my way to pick up a Paramount for a song, seller ended up reneging on the deal, I offered more money, no replies. I consoled myself by buying my husband a PXN-10, a NOS Paramount and a super clean Centurion Elite RS that matched my Ironman, all for CHEAP. I looked for weeks for that other bike in ads but never saw it again. I ended up with a way better one anyways.

RustyJames 

I’ve had a few of those too. It probably averages out.

Pcampeau

I’ve narrowly missed out on great deals a few times but honestly, as I look over my collection of 3 Paramounts, 2 Raleigh Pros, an Interational, a Mercian, a Holdsworth special, 2 Moto Grand records, a Le champion, 2 Pug PX10s and a PY10, and way way too much more, I have a hard time getting upset about it. With most of these, I’ve been really lucky and paid very little for them, really I need to miss out a bit more often.

Pompiere

I passed up a nice Gilmore, because I didn't know anything about them. At least I think it was a Gilmore. My memory is a little fuzzy on that one because it wasn't until a couple years later that I saw Gilmore mentioned on this forum. At the same swap, I just missed a rough looking Paramount frame because I was too slow to recognize what it was. The guy next to me picked it up and immediately called his buddy to see if he wanted it. I've passed up a few others that were good deals because I wasn't sure I wanted to bring home another project due to time or space limitations. Most recently was a 1970s Peugeot AE8 in really good condition for $35.

AngryFrankie

Bikes have feelings. "How can you be so obtuse?"

wrk101

Missed out? All the time. Regret it? No. I've gotten more than my share of good to great deals over the years.

Now I have pulled stuff out of the scrap pile that local flippers and others didn't appreciate. Kept some nice stuff from going to scrap. And a bicycle is horrible scrap. First, its a mix of stuff, from plastic, to steel, to rubber, to aluminum. So as scrap, there is typically less than $1 in a bike. Save one part, and you are way ahead.
county "recycle" center does not allow me to pick up bikes to take to the co-op. They are so stupid. They call themselves a recycle center. I call them a scrap center. Recycle to me means reuse for highest possible use, which for a bicycle means a bike. Scrap means keep it out of the landfill, but use it for its lowest possible use. Even something as simple as a cardboard box, reusing it as a BOX is much higher use than putting it in the recycle paper bin.

rgvg

Nothing fancy. I was supposed to meet a seller for a Norco ST on a Saturday. On Friday she messages me and says she decided to sell it first come first serve. It seemed like a nice bike, reminded me of my 83 Centurion Pro Tour. I had a suspicion it's the same frame with a different name but alas. I could have just offered to send her a e transfer then pick it up but I wasn't sure if I could convert the 27" wheels to 700c.

Another one was a Vitali touring bike. It was only $80 CAD. Told the seller I would come by tomorrow and she says fine. I wasn't familiar with the brand and I thought the wheels were 26". The headtube was extended (so handlebars could be higher, which I'd appreciate). In the evening seller messages me and tells me her husband just sold the bikes. Anyway, Vitali was a house brand for a local bike shop here (bicicletta), and it was Italian, and it was in fact 700c wheels. I know because the flipper who bought it posted it online for $400 a few days later.

repechage

A Colnago Tecnos
just could not get there in a short time.

I did find two other bike if keen interest on CL.
both times the bikes were listed on a weekday morning- total luck.
both times made a recon run THAT evening.
paid asking and was happy.
both needed correction.
one had sting-ray bars even!
really curious exchange of parts, from stock Mafac to Campagnolo brakes... no accounting of decisions made.