vinfix

It seems like most shops around me can't help with vintage stuff anymore. Many don't even have any road bikes! I do have one LBS that's been around since the 80's, packed to the ceiling with new & old high end bikes, Campy, etc. If you need advice or and old part, he has it.

The thing is, I can't trust his pricing, and some of his "knowledge" beyond actual wrenching is suspect.
I don't want to be that guy, that wastes a shop owner's time, picks their brain, then buys online. But I don't want to pay hundreds or even thousands more for something than is fair. For example, I was quoted $800 for a wheelset that is now a few years old, and readily available for $450. A bike I tried, and liked, he told me was $4K, but it's on their website at only $3000- and the Centaur group on it "competed against Ultegra".

Would you take your business elsewhere, if you could, or just "trust but verify" before you spend any money?

non-fixie 

"Trust, but verify" would be my approach, if I'd been happily doing business before. Granted, if verification yielded those kind of issues, my trust would evaporate pretty quickly.

smd4

Nothing wrong with Trust but Verify.

We used to have folks come in and haggle with us on the prices from everything from full bikes to parts. We used to wonder if these same people went into the grocery store and haggled over the price of lettuce, or went into Sears and haggled over the price of Craftsman tools. It was a rhetorical question. It sucked then being a bike retailer, other then being able to get amazing stuff at cost.

Today, I have no problem buying whatever I need from the Internet. My LBS is a Giant dealership, and really stocks nothing I need. I wouldn't trust them to work on my bike for even basic stuff, although I'm sure they're more than competent with the newer shi...stuff. But prior to that, we had a top-end independent bike shop with exceedingly knowledgeable staff and an owner who raced in the 1980s who knew about vintage bikes and repair. They closed the brick-and-mortar shop, but the owner still carries on the repair side of things out of his garage. Whenever I need anything done that I can't do myself, I still take it to him. I'll check with him on occasion to see if he has a vintage part in stock, and if not, I head to the internet.

But I think I may not be the best data point--my bike is classic C&V, and just about everything I want isn't available in any shop. So in my case, the internet is pretty much my only option.

repechage

There is a reason all that vintage Campagnolo is hanging around

smd4

Because people prefer Shimano?

SurferRosa

And it's so difficult to work on! How am I supposed to know how to thread a nut on a bolt without someone instructing me?

vinfix

t's all new, or nearly NOS. Barely any Shimano- says he can't get it. And SRAM is crap.
But that's part of my dilemma- I'd like to try modern-ish Campy and this shop is the only game in town.

vinfix

I mean parts more than wrenching. But there are some tasks that are beyond me, or require specialized tools.

merziac

If he's high, he knows he's high. I wouldn't worry about being "that guy", he's already "that guy".

That being said, maybe try and have a heart to heart with him, see if he will explain his position and try to explain yours, his window for getting rich on this stuff is closing although he doesn't see it that way. Maybe he's planning on retiring and spend his life on efbay going round and round there.

Robvolz 

Sigh.
As a guy who owned a wine bar/shop, I see both sides.

Imagine some dudes coming in and seeing I have Opus One at $200 a bottle (that's perfectly cellared, sitting in my rented space, on beautiful Saarinen chairs, being served in Riedel Glasses with a free bowl of warmed hazelnuts) and one of them pulls out his wine-searcher app and states, "I can get that same bottle shipped to me for $150."

I always want to say, "GTFO" but I can't/don't. I want to say, "well then high tail it to Maryland and drink your Opus One there." While valid, can't do that either.

On the flip side, I was in a highly regarded Central California Coast shop that had a Merino Wool vintage style jersey for $199. Having been on the jersey manufacture's website, I know where that $199 came from, because it costs retail $199 [BUT IN NEW ZEALAND DOLLARS]. ($150 USD)

Assuming the proprietor isn't buying at retail to sell at retail, and I really like the guy and his place, I didn't show the website, I said nothing but "here, take my money, cool shop."

On the other hand, recently I went into a Portland shop that had a glass case for small goods. There were several pair of NOS Campy NR gummy hoods with the world logo. I see the re-pops all day at $25. I see NOS on line at $80-100. Since everything else seemed to have a visible price tag except those, I inquired about the price, ready to buy a couple, support the local economy and a local bike shop.

"If I sell you those, I won't have them."

Next attempt, some Vittoria sew-ups, seen in many shops for $39-45.

He said, "I removed the prices because they were going up in price and the price fluctuates daily, you know, supply chain and all."

"So, what is today's price then," I inquired.

That's when he said $59.

It's rare that I leave a shop empty handed. I always buy something I need, some grease or lube, a tire or glue, a park tool I don't have.

I decided he was not in the business to be a rational shop.

I left empty handed and thought about the retail experience. How a "hi there, welcome in, what can I do for you" still does wonders for me.

I am willing to spend more to support my local shops, but there is also a line, when buying on-line, as impersonable as it might be, sometimes is the right call.

Kabuki12

I think a shop can ask what they feel a certain item is worth. You have the option to , pay the asking price, ask if the price is firm or negotiable, or just say no . I had an experience where a shop had some nice vintage Campagnolo parts…no prices. I asked for a price on an item and I had to restrain myself from choking when he told me. I politely said no thank you. At his asking price I knew we were not going to go any further. There are other places to go to get what I need. I bought the same item on eBay for about one fifth the asking price in the shop. That’s how it goes with vintage parts anyway. With regular stuff like cables and tires I don’t mind paying a bit more to support my local bike shop IF they have what I need , and that is getting harder. I would not leverage the internet price against a shop , that is unreasonable IMHO.

roadcrankr

I suspect most on this forum are rather hardcore and savvy. One's gotta figure a shop shoots from the hip, plenty, to occasionally find a customer willing to open up their pocketbook. In my opinion, the shop probably finds it difficult to keep up with market prices of their vintage stuff. A place that also sells online would possess a much better grasp at current values. We always hope the shop goofs and underprices!

mdarnton

Sorry.... I deleted that post before I saw the response. It was actually intended to be in another thread! I'm not defending the original situation!

gugie 

Sadly, bike shops have become obsolete to those who know which end of the spanner to grab. I've got Universal Cycles in my backyard if I really need something today. Otherwise I just text @Andy_K or @nlerner and raid their parts bins. I try to reciprocate.

I love the vibe of an old school bike shop. Since those are are becoming rare, I replicated one in the Atelier.


my happy place

branko_76 

There must be a youtube for that, keep looking....

branko_76 

I often feel this way when I sell a bike. I only feel good about a sale when the buyer seems to really appreciate what he is getting and is willing to pay a little more for a bike that has been meticulously overhaulled.