L26

My local Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace are a bit dry in the bike department. I was curious how much luck you all tend to have with things like yard sales and flea markets? I have no experience with yard sales and my wife is convinced there will be some bikes but I feel like the chances of finding anything but Huffy and Roadmasters are slim.

Chuck M 

Probably. But from time to time, people post about great finds they find at yard sales and when they do, it is usually a big score.

shelbyfv

What type of bike are you looking for?

rumrunn6

I've tried yard sales & flea markets but always had better luck w/ Craigslist. approximately where do you live? state? county? you might try expanding your search area & be willing to take a long drive. the Boston area usually has lots of bikes. especially at the end of the school year. heck college kids just chuck them on top of giant piles of garbage bags. that's how I got my 1st mountain bike

locolobo13 

Offer up?

curbtender

If you hit garage sales, let people know you are looking for a bike. You never know what they might pull out.

t2p

at one time I would find bikes regularly at flea markets - nice bike-shop quality bikes - at low prices ... vintage BMX ... etc

for the most part - that was pre-internet ... Craigslist and FB marketplace etc have significantly eroded into flea market finds

although I did get a Cannondale Topstone at a flea market late last summer (and in my size smh)

Vintage Schwinn

Yard sales and Flea Markets are a waste of time and are not a productive cost effective use of your time and gasoline money.
Sure, if you and your spouse love the activity of spending your time browsing flea mkts and garage sales very early every Saturday morning as a general hobby then that is a completely different story, because then the "fun" is the travelling, searching, endless hunting, haggling and picking just like those famous Iowa pickers tv stars. Because of their tv program, you'd have to believe that whatever that major cable tv channel was compensating them, allowed them much more breathing room, cash flow, and autonomy to go wide and far where no pickers had ever gone before. Sure, Mike, Frank, Dani D. , Mike's brother, and the smart young lady that ran their Nashville store after they expanded beyond the original Iowa store, are all brilliant, very smart, extremely dedicated, hard working people that in addition to all of that, can and did quickly solve problems because they all were beyond very good at thinking on their feet with both the mindset of shrewd intelligent business owner and that of a comptroller/CPA as well. They were no dummies. Heck, Mike sold the network the whole concept of the show, and this was way before anything like that had been conceived or tried by any network. The whole thing was a mammoth success. One does hope that the did do alright financially from the show and that they get some residual compensation from old re-runs as well as any new future programs.
You aren't gonna be able to replicate the american-pickers because it just is not going to be cost effective--------The Numbers Just Won't Add Up......your cost once you factor in everything, but just gasoline cost and depreciation in value & wear and tear on your vehicle (automobile, SUV, pickup, or van..) because of the miles you'll add just driving from garage sale to garage sale and flea mkt to flea mkt, it will be a LOSING proposition from a purely financial numbers standpoint in your quest to find bicycles.

Heck, in my opinion, you'd likely have greater success going and having brief conversations with folks at and before and after group bike rides, sprint triathlons, bikes & beers rides, group gatherings + rides of the ol' antique American coasters (single speed) or really any event or group gathering where at least twenty people are riding bikes in one place at one time. It is no secret that most bike people, no matter what type of two wheeler that they prefer as their primary ride, do have more than 1 bicycle, and they likely know the whereabouts of at least five or six bikes that may belong to friends, neighbors, family members that are just gathering dust in a garage or basement. You'd be surprised at how many leads you might get on a bike you may be looking for. Often, you might find that some people may just give you the bicycle if you are truly looking exclusively for you-yourself to get back riding a bike again after years away. Now, don't expect folks to be so generous if your aim is to simply FLIP / resale at a profit, and I don't think that you should mislead anyone with a BS story, just to exploit someone's generousity to get a free bike that you can then FLIP immediately in 24 hours for $75 or whatever. Most bicycle people will go out of their way and do what they can to help someone who really wants to start riding again after decades or riding for the first time since long ago when they were 14 or 15 years of age.
Many of these same bicycle people are truly unsung heroes in that they also volunteer their time and mechanical talents in repairing old used bicycles at no cost that are then donated to the very needy and underpriviledged children and to those adults who cannot afford normal automotive transportation as well as Salvation Army & other rescue mission shelter residents, and also to the chronically homeless population that lives downtown on the streets in tents and abandoned buildings and structures.
This "essential" transportation perhaps gives them a small chance of finding some sort of employment since they can ride a bike much farther than they could otherwise walk. Now you do also have a very loud and vocal portion of the taxpaying city residents that hate that the chronically homeless have been given free bicycles. They contend that giving them bicycles simply makes them more mobile such that they can travel + roam farther during the day, using this mobility advantage to case, surveil, and commit burglaries. They say that the free bikes, along with free cell phones, and the cleaning stations (purpose built small buildings that house free public showers) and free healthcare clinics in the downtown area have contributed to it becoming a destination for the chronically homeless and the nearly unemployable homeless who are smart enough to become somewhat capable in criminal activity perhaps because some of them have done time. Yes, this is all likely true to some degree, but the bicycles do help those that are set on finding gainful employment and bettering their situation.

Now, this is universally known by nearly everyone but it warrants repeating as many people do forget that, though the probability is slim, that any CRAIGLIST type sale where a potential purchaser (YOU) goes with a pocket full of cash to meet up with an unknown individual (The CRAIGLISTER) at any unfamiliar location
could end up badly where you are at the very least, robbed of all of your cash.
....................NEVER FORGET THAT.
........................................Be careful and error on the side of caution, taking every pre-caution to meet in a SAFE PLACE such as a Police Station / Police Substation where cameras capture everything and that the finest men and women in blue are just a few steps away.
There are many other potentially SAFE , acceptable places to meet and conclude a CRAIGLIST transaction, but you do want someplace where cameras capture everything, not to record the sale transaction...no, you don't care about that......you just want to insure that you don't get abducted and murdered in addition to just being robbed of your vehicle and your cash. Well lit, DAYTIME, and cetainly not some isolated, remote area, where there are no cameras, and only just a bodega with just two or three people inside...
....SERIOUSLY, USE YOUR BEST JUDGEMENT & DO NOT EVER TAKE ANY CHANCES WITH ANY Craiglist TYPE OF BUYING TRANSACTION!!!
You cannot discern the BAD PEOPLE from how they look or how they speak, or what kind of car that they drive, or anything.......
Don't major state and local law enforcement agencies as well as the FBI , mostly agree that serial killers may not have appeared threatening at all to their victims, ---e.g. Bundy who was attractive, and was said to have faked having a hurt arm or hurt leg (arm in a sling -or- by using crutches) to have his female victims want to assist him and thus fall into his trap. You just never know! You must be cautious and take steps to insure that you remain safe.
Make certain that a close friend or relative knows where and when, and who/what you are going to buy/who you're gonna meet.......and when you're expected to return....the ETA of going there to close the deal, and the ETA to return..............you ideally would want to remain in constant telephone (voice) contact with your friend or relative throughout..................It is BEST to also have someone accompany you while you're going to BUY (close the CRAIGLIST deal..).
Hey, I'm certain that some of you reading this are thinking that Vintage Schwinn is sounding too much like a paranoid idiot instead of the ordinary wall of text Vintage Schwinn idiot posting, but in this day and age, you cannot let your guard down while carrying cash and driving to meet a stranger in an area or neighboring city that you aren't totally familiar with..........................and hey there are similar risks in your same apartment complex or subdivision, so don't take it lightly because you're meeting someone that you don't know that resides in your neighborhood.................you never know for sure................. Be careful out there.

shelbyfv

I agree, well said

DonkeyShow

I got my 1980s lotus at a yard sale. Was out for a walk and my neighbor was moving I guess. Not quite your ordinary situation as he also had 2 centurions he wouldn't sell me. Wish I knew he was into bikes before they decided to sell up and move.

curbtender

Well, OP hasn't stated if they are doing it for a hobby or a business. As a hobby it is a great way to make contacts. If you are looking to get a personal bike it can get tricky with sizing and needed repair. I'm not as phobic about craigslist. If things don't feel right I just back out. As a business? I think it's a waste of time.

Iride01 

How much are you willing to spend for a bike? Most bikes I've seen on craigslist and other places want as much as what a new bike would cost.

If you are into haggling over the price then it'd make more sense to buy a new bike instead of a old bike at new prices.

Juan Foote

The thing about "yard sale-ing" is that it's pretty much a full time operation. As VS pointed out above, just going out and driving around randomly looking for a yard sale can be wasteful and unproductive. It is best to just keep an eye open all the time and stop when the opportunity presents itself. With that said, finding anything good is really going to be a study in random luck.

tomato coupe

I've never been abducted and murdered during a Craigslist transaction. But, YMMV.

dedhed

Honestly cleaning out an estate last year and selling hundreds of items as well as buying stuff myself on C/L and marketplace I've had probably 98% great experiences and never have felt in danger. Of course I'm not dealing in items that sketch people attract to. or >$1K.

RCMoeur 

I've seen (and made) some great bike deals at yard sales. But they are definitely few and far between, even in a large metro area.

Dave Mayer

I'm riding around residential hoods on weekend mornings anyway, so if a yard sale looks promising, I'll stop by and ask about bikes. I've probably made 1,000 of these visits over the last 40 years. I've maybe found maybe 3 bikes officially for sale at the front that were actually worth buying as in a Pinarello. But the real treasures (dozens) were hung up in the rafters of the garage or in the shed out back. Helps to be polite and ask.

Most probing and revealing questions:The best scores were post-breakup finds, where the wife/GF/SO was shedding the ex-partner's stuff, sometimes with a vengeance.

Neighborhood demographics are important: you want upper middle-class single family homes with garages. Apartments, condos etc, Co-op housing etc. feature denizens with not enough space or income to afford the stuff that you want. The multi-million dollar homes have even better stuff, but they don't have garage sales, because the few hundred dollars that a sale would net is not worth enough for their time. They throw stuff out. Because time is money, and if you want to make money, you become a hedge fund manager, not wasting it on the meagre returns provided by working on bikes. Tracking down and fixing bikes is a hobby, not a living.

Juan Foote

Where it comes to CL deals it has a lot to do with what I am selling and how portable it is also in relation to how in demand it is. I have met everywhere from my/their own home, a fast food restaurant, and in the parking lot of a police station. I always drum up some conversation via the email link. I never post my phone number there and only give my number for the meet up contact at the very last moment and after I get a feel good feeling about the buyer. In much less control when dealing with a seller, so that often varies greatly.

I have had contact with the same person multiple times. I often offload PC hardware and my CL posts follow a very similar pattern and style when I post. He recognized that and followed up with me later for another transaction. I have only had one situation that sketched me out a bit and turned out to be a bad read on that individual. The deal(s) have all gone as expected so much as I can recall. The real negative to CL in this area is that most sellers are asking well more than the item is worth and it appears that bargaining or negotiating is a lost art.

JacobWilliss

Yard sales and flea markets can be hit or miss when it comes to finding bikes, but you never know what gems you might stumble upon. While it's true that you might come across some Huffy or Roadmaster bikes, there's always a chance of finding higher-quality brands too. It's all part of the adventure! If you're up for exploring, you might want to check out the Sacramento Flea Market. It's a great place to browse for secondhand goods and who knows, you might just find the perfect bike there! If you're interested, you can check out the Sacramento Flea Market website at sacfleamarkets.com. It's a handy resource to see what's available and plan your visit.

shelbyfv

What's your coolest find?

13ollocks

I just know I'm going to be passing a garage sale as the seller is wheeling out that dusty old bike that lived at the back of garage for decades. "I don't really know how much to charge for it....it's a Calnargo or something - never heard of it....and the tires are flat. So......twenny bucks?"
I also just know I'm going to win the Powerball soon....I just know it.....

rickpaulos

I only ride my beater bike to nearby sales. No gas, no parking issues. Get a little exercise instead of polluting. Limits what I might bring home. Just cruise this side of town looking for the signs at the intersections. Garage sales are usually thursdays, fridays or saturdays. Decent weather only. Last autumn I picked up a Schwinn Cimmaron minus wheels for $5. Many local sales are run by housewives so there is an abundance of kids clothing but you never know what you will find if you don't take a look.

Estate sales are quite different. Most fall into 2 groups. Way over priced or 'get rid of it'.

13ollocks

I dunno Man, one minute you could be haggling over a bike, and the next thing you know, you're at the bottom of a well and there's some lycra-clad lunatic screaming down at you "It shaves its legs and applies the sunscreen.....or it gets the hose!!!!"

ScottCommutes

By me, I would suggest some of the local charity sales. The local hospital has a second hand shop set up in some old barns across the street. The Visiting Nurses Association has a (much bigger) weekend sale twice a year in a different set of barns. All the bikes would be lumped together in one area at either. My next suggestion would be town-wide garage sales.

FWIW, four of the five bikes my family rides came from the trash.

t2p

this is our dumpster bike

it was sitting next to a dumpster at a public parking lot where I was parked ; rear derailleur was trashed and rear wheel was bent

initially I thought someone might be returning for the bike (with their car to transport the bike home) - but it was still sitting there the next day and then again the next day - so I grabbed it (just before it would have been taken as garbage and destroyed)

needed chain, rear derailleur, rear wheel trued

both kids used it (and outgrew it) - I still ride it now around our house