Classic & Vintage - For ****'s sake.

Criagslist has not treated me well.
I email some one selling the bike saying that I'd like it and that I can pick it up tomorrow.
They email me back saying that it's still here, then I email them a time.
Not they say that they just sold it a few minutes ago.

This comes after another bad craigslist involving a bike and another with something else.

Criagslist has not treated me well.
I email some one selling the bike saying that I'd like it and that I can pick it up tomorrow.
They email me back saying that it's still here, then I email them a time.
Not they say that they just sold it a few minutes ago.

This comes after another bad craigslist involving a bike and another with something else.

Never settle for "tomorrow" if there is any remote possibility of seeing the bike "today" - if you get my drift.

Be lucky they told you it was sold...

-Kurt

Never settle for "tomorrow" if there is any remote possibility of seeing the bike "today" - if you get my drift.

Be lucky they told you it was sold...

-Kurt
Well it's the next town over and it's late.

I rarely hold bikes for people when I sell them on craigslist. If they tell me a time, unless it's within a few hours, I tell them that's fine but I can't hold onto it if someone comes sooner. You hadn't even confirmed a time yet...

Well it's just frustrating, the last time they told me to come after a certain point, I came an hour after that but they didn't say not to. As I got there they had just sold it to some one else, of which they said nothing about to me before.

ooooh...that's not nice. i thought he told you by email that someone else had bought it. i always tell people if i'm not holding it for them, and i call them right away once it sells to let them know.

Here is my take on CL on both ends of buying and selling. If selling I will sell to the first person that crosses my palm with cash. If someone sets up a time/day to come see a bike of mine I always tell them to call ahead just in case it has already been sold. As the buyer you have to be quick. I have missed out a number of deals because I didn't see the post until later that night (work getting in the way of finding bikes!!).

When I sell something locally through the classifieds, I line up the interested people. First one interested has 24 hours to follow through. People who call after that get told the truth and what number they are in line. If #1 doesn't buy, then #2 has a chance and so on.

Include your phone number and ask the seller to call you, or better yet give them your phone number and ask for theirs, so you can call them. Don't do it over email. For whatever reason, people feel more obligated if you speak on the phone. Even more so face to face. Generally, people have little or no courtesy over email.

I do what rad does and give people first email first serve policy if they can come the next day type of thing. If they want to come 4 days later then I tell them I will not hold it. I have had people set up a time with me and I get there and they are showing the bike. I want to give them a piece of mind and tell them how inconsiderate they using many derogatory words but I never do that. I have also had people sell it before I can get there even with a set appointment. I also hate it when people leave their adds up. The curtious thing to do is respond saying it's sold instead of no response.

ooooh...that's not nice. i thought he told you by email that someone else had bought it. i always tell people if i'm not holding it for them, and i call them right away once it sells to let them know.
Well that was another time, this guy told me through email.

Include your phone number and ask the seller to call you, or better yet give them your phone number and ask for theirs, so you can call them. Don't do it over email. For whatever reason, people feel more obligated if you speak on the phone. Even more so face to face. Generally, people have little or no courtesy over email.
Yeah, this is my experiance.

The trouble I have is with buyers not following through enough to show up. They will even go so far as to set a time when they're coming, and never show. On the world sport I'm trying to sell, no less than 10 people have drug out a deal for several days, and then go poof before even getting the address. The last time I posted it up, I said last time up. Just to let anyone who was stringing me along know that it was finite. I think many buyers just watch for the same bike to drop in price over several weeks. The first day I have time, the bike will be dismantled. I need the rims, and the crankset is nice. I can find places for the parts, believe me, lol.

If it's a bike you really want, go get it asap.

Craigslist not like eBay...you snooze you loooze. Lots of no shows on the buying end...cash talks and BS walks to coin a few well worn phrases. EBay on the other hand is a contract. CL is usually cheaper but a whole lot more sketchey.

I guess it depends where you live. Granted, I don't have a lot of experience, but I've never had someone not show up. When I get 2nd or 3rd people interested, (I put phone number in listings), I tell them that someone else responded before them, and that I'll let them know if they don't follow through.

As a CL seller, I usually try to give my address to only one person at a time, and if that's person is a now show or doesn't follow up quickly (which rarely happens in high selling season), I'll move on down the list. I've sold quite a few bikes to people who've said they'd been trying for weeks to hook up with a seller, but bikes just move too fast. That's what you get when you plug a quarter of a million college students into a relatively small geographic area.

Neal

my biggest problem as a buyer and seller on craigslist are the people who repost their ads every day. :mad: It bothers me so much that I have actually passed on bikes that I was very interested in because of it. it usually takes a week or two at LEAST for a bike to be bumped to the next page, and even then there is a "next 100 ads" link as well as a search function. I have left an ad up for over a month and it was bumped to the next page. I did not repost my ad, yet I sold the bike for my asking price. could I have sold it sooner by "bumping" my ad? maybe. would I have gotten my asking price? maybe not.

...it usually takes a week or two at LEAST for a bike to be bumped to the next page, and even then there is a "next 100 ads" link as well as a search function.

Here in Puget Sound your ad would be around 8 or 9 pages back after a week! That's one reason for bumping an ad. Doesn't sound as if you have quite the same situation in Livonia, though :) .

East Hill

What's worse is someone that cannot sell their bike because of a too high price, yet keep posting it for MONTHS, at the same price. In Houston it is this Dingo 24" bmx bike that the guy is trying to get $500 for. They've been trying to sell since last summer if I'm not mistaken, probably longer.

Wait a minute. You passed on bikes you were interested in because they were posted every day? Why spite yourself. Buy the damn thing. You already admitted you want it, and it will not be posted again if you do, hehe.;),,,,BD

Here in Puget Sound your ad would be around 8 or 9 pages back after a week! That's one reason for bumping an ad. Doesn't sound as if you have quite the same situation in Livonia, though :) .

East Hill
the Detroit and Ann Arbor pages (I'm between the two) don't get as much action as your area, especially in the winter. in the bikes section there are anywhere from 0-10 ads posted per day. around here there is no reason for it.

Bikedued: the sellers in my area that do this are the ones who think their $h!t is gold and I deal with enough people like that. And most of the time it's something I can do without. and besides, unless it's something I'm going to flip, I can't bring anymore home. My shed is full of bikes, my garage has tons, and ask Redneckwes what my yard and patio look like. I don't have space and I'm trying to get rid of stuff. I'm tired of my commuter being coated with ice when I leave for work

CL is loaded with flakes. I've sold one or two bikes on it here locally, and I've met some pretty interesting folks. :rolleyes:

If I had a buck for every email I received saying "I'll take it!" followed by the author subsequently disappearing, I'd be rich. Because this is a hot bike market, I suspect prospective buyers shotgun replies to several ads at once, and buy the first one they can actually get to and like. Time is the enemy on both sides. If you see a bike you want, get there quick - buying or selling. Around here, it's not uncommon for a freshly listed bike to get bumped off the first page in a few hours! (Assuming it's still around - which is my gripe. Deleting an ad is pretty easy, but most people don't bother.)

Once someone actually commits enough to come out, the sale usually goes through if I've not been deceptive in the posting (and I never am). I'll haggle a bit, depending on how I like the other person. Courtesy goes a long way with me.

I'm in no hurry to sell the bikes, and will let the ad age for 4-5 days before deleting it and re-posting. I do not top-post, and have gotten some good sales by being patient. Most folks are smart enough to figure out the search function on CL, and if they aren't I'm not sure I want them to know where I live..... :eek:

Selling on CL is a crap-shoot as you have to contend with every oddball with a computer (BF mebers not withstanding:D ) I prefer e-bay for selling because you can set the parameters of the transaction. For buying, I rarely buy on e-bay and prefer to buy on CL because you can haggle to try and save $. If I call a CL add I tell them I am on my way or as soon as they can show me the bike. I try not to call if can't go right then.

I sent my wife to buy a bike during the day because I knew it would be gone by the time I got off work. She called the seller and got directions. By the time she got cash and drove over, the bike was sold. That was lame. It was a $25 KHS tandem, it sold within an hour of being listed. I left work at 2:30 to buy a $75 Stingray, luckily it was only a mile from work. I rode my bike over and rode them both back to work, when it's a $75 Stingray you have about 15 minutes before it's gone. You really have to jump on those super good deals.

As a seller, I won't hold anything. If I have someone coming over at 6:00 and I get another interested party, I tell them to call at 6:30 and see if it's still there. If it is, they get first dibs even if the 6:00 guy shows up first. I've only once had two people show up for the same bike at the same time because of this policy, and the second guy got it. The first guy blew it by making me wait around all night, too bad sucker. I show no mercy to flakey CLers.

oh well, another deal fell through before it really started.... for future reference, how tall would someone need to be for a road bike with a 31" standover height?

I prefer e-bay for selling because you can set the parameters of the transaction.

I'd rather have a no show than a dead beat bidder. I've had to list the same ****ing item 4 times before someone finally paid me, and re-listing an item is more of a hassle than wrenching on a bike while I wait for some flake to not show up.

I prefer e-bay for selling because you can set the parameters of the transaction

True - but I can easily get higher prices, sell quicker, and not have to deal with shipping by using CL. Plus, the transaction doesn't cost me anything.

Local hot bike markets out-perform eBay on your average pedestrian run-o'-the-mill bikes. I've never used eBay for a bike, and unless I have one to sell that is collectible or similarly out of the ordinary, I probably never will.

oh well, another deal fell through before it really started.... for future reference, how tall would someone need to be for a road bike with a 31" standover height?

Depends - man or woman? I'm 5'11" and my wife is 5'3". We're very close on frame size - women tend to have longer legs.

I usually ride 56-58cm bikes, or somewhere roughly between 22-23" center of crank to top of seat tube. While I only have a 30" inseam, typically my bikes seem to have a stand-over of 32-33" - not sure why the discrepancy.

In any case, I state the seat tube center-to-center measurement in inches and cm's, and rarely have people balk due to fit. They seem to know what they are looking for, at least in that regard.....

Depends - man or woman? I'm 5'11" and my wife is 5'3". We're very close on frame size - women tend to have longer legs.

I usually ride 56-58cm bikes, or somewhere roughly between 22-23" center of crank to top of seat tube. While I only have a 30" inseam, typically my bikes seem to have a stand-over of 32-33" - not sure why the discrepancy.

In any case, I state the seat tube center-to-center measurement in inches and cm's, and rarely have people balk due to fit. They seem to know what they are looking for, at least in that regard.....
well, I got an email from a woman stating she was 5' tall and asked if the bike would be suitable for her. My ad says the standover height is 31" and the seat tube measurement is 21" from center to top. in my reply I told her the standover height which was in the ad and said it would probably be too tall for her. she emailed back that 31" is too high. I thanked her for her reply and wished her luck in her search.

oh well, someone's coming in a little while to look at a Royce Union ladies MTB. the lower end MTB's, especially ladies frames seem to go very quickly around here.

well, I got an email from a woman stating she was 5' tall ....... the seat tube measurement is 21" from center to top....

Yeah - that's roughly a 53cm bike. She'd need something closer to 19" on the seat tube length. I recently fit a 5' woman on a 21" mixte - mixte's are a bit more forgiving because of the step-through, and she really, REALLY wanted it. I thought it might be a bit big and expressed my concerns, but she figured it out on the test ride and happily handed over the money.

For your 53cm bike, a woman would need to be (roughly) in the 5'3' - 5'5" range, depending on how she's configured..... :D

Yeah - that's roughly a 53cm bike. She'd need something closer to 19" on the seat tube length. I recently fit a 5' woman on a 21" mixte - mixte's are a bit more forgiving because of the step-through, and she really, REALLY wanted it. I thought it might be a bit big and expressed my concerns, but she figured it out on the test ride and happily handed over the money.

For your 53cm bike, a woman would need to be (roughly) in the 5'3' - 5'5" range, depending on how she's configured..... :D
thanks bossman

thanks bossman

No problem - just remember that women typically have longer legs and shorter torso's, so stand-over is less of a problem that top tube. If they get stretched out too much, they'll get back pain over longer rides.

Not a big issue for city girls - they're just scooting around town.

Here's a classic tricky situation on CL:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/bik/260309862.html

A naive seller selling a early 70's chrome Schwinn Paramount.... hmmmm. How to play it? This is what CL is all about.......

Here's a classic tricky situation on CL:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/bik/260309862.html

A naive seller selling a early 70's chrome Schwinn Paramount.... hmmmm. How to play it? This is what CL is all about.......

I usually leave the "make offer" ads to other folks, but in this instance I sent him an offer last week. He never responded. Maybe I'll up it to $50...... :D

Seriously, I tend not to deal with folks who won't state a price up front. That's just me - I like to know if I'll be in the ballpark at least, and it is too easy to insult someone inadvertently.

I doubt that the Schwinn is being sold by a naive seller. The molly spelling looks too intentional. My guess is that it is someone trying to find out what the bike is worth before really pricing it, or selling on ebay.It could be an out and out hustle.
Luck,
Charlie

I emailed the guy a week ago...and at first he knew nothing. He was fairly thrilled with my $300 offer sight-unseen and I think this clued him in that it was valueable. Nevertheless, he said he wanted to get a few more offers before he sold it to me. A few days later....he emailed me back and told me my offer was insulting, like he was now a Paramount expert.

If someone wanted to gauge true value...they would advertise it as a Paramount not a "chome molly shwin". The guy is clueless and probably inherited the bike from dad or storage lien auction.

I emailed the guy a week ago...and at first he knew nothing. He was fairly thrilled with my $300 offer sight-unseen and I think this clued him in that it was valueable. Nevertheless, he said he wanted to get a few more offers before he sold it to me. A few days later....he emailed me back and told me my offer was insulting, like he was now a Paramount expert.

If someone wanted to gauge true value...they would advertise it as a Paramount not a "chome molly shwin". The guy is clueless and probably inherited the bike from dad or storage lien auction.
Tell him that is face is insulting and that you could have offered him $50.

I emailed the guy a week ago...and at first he knew nothing. He was fairly thrilled with my $300 offer sight-unseen and I think this clued him in that it was valueable. Nevertheless, he said he wanted to get a few more offers before he sold it to me. A few days later....he emailed me back and told me my offer was insulting, like he was now a Paramount expert.

If someone wanted to gauge true value...they would advertise it as a Paramount not a "chome molly shwin". The guy is clueless and probably inherited the bike from dad or storage lien auction.

The mistake you made was an email offer. You have to get in there in person and see the bike. You can get a feel for how much he thinks it's worth. Then you do this routine: Oh, this one needs tires, the bottom bracket is squeaky, nobody cares enough to make this or that part anymore, etc... Once that's done, out comes the cash. A cash offer in person is much better than a email offer from some guy who may or may not ever show up.

Not that it has any bearing on the conversation, but the World Sport sold today. I dropped the price ten bucks to $150, and threw in an aluminum Schwinn bottle caddy. He left happy, and I made a decent profit.
My wife is even happy about it. It's no longer leaning on the wall in the kitchen, in out of the weather.,,,,BD

I emailed the guy a week ago...and at first he knew nothing. He was fairly thrilled with my $300 offer sight-unseen and I think this clued him in that it was valueable. Nevertheless, he said he wanted to get a few more offers before he sold it to me. A few days later....he emailed me back and told me my offer was insulting, like he was now a Paramount expert.

If someone wanted to gauge true value...they would advertise it as a Paramount not a "chome molly shwin". The guy is clueless and probably inherited the bike from dad or storage lien auction.

I always email and say I am very interested in purchasing your bicycle, I will most likely buy it, I'd like to see it ASAP please call at ... or email back... thanks...

I guess in a make offer situation it becomes more complex but I think it is still wise to go over and look and wave cash in his face even if you already know what you are going to offer.

I have arrived to look at a bike before to have the seller tell me he has been receiving email offers above his asking price (people in a desperate attempt to get the bike even if they are not the first emailer) and as a result have had to pay up or pass on the bike (unfair but not all things are fair). One time this was fine I had to pay $180 for an '88 miyata 1000 instead of 150. I didn't even get a chance to clean and tune it as I responded to a wanted ad on CL and sold it a week later for $300.

A few days later....he emailed me back and told me my offer was insulting, like he was now a Paramount expert.

Well, I just sent him this 'Rant-some' :p note. Figured it was about time this guy got what's coming to him. I'm sure he'll respond very promptly and quickly:

--------------------

I've been watching your ad, along with a large group of other vintage bicycle enthusiasts online, and I had to ask you these questions:

Who do you think you are? Some kind of a one-week professor of Schwinn price values?

First, you go and post your little Schwinn on Craigslist, fishing for offers. Sure enough, you get your offers. Sooner or later, some guy comes along extolling how rare editions in mint condition of this particular bike have been fetching a lot of money on eBay. Now, armed with the absolute highest prices that very rare, mint variants of your bike have sold for, you now proceed to slander and ridicule every knowledgeable collector out there that have offered you fair prices for the bike.

Besides the fact that your attitude has been of a little pr!ck, I should note that you did mention "make offer" in your ad, and didn't say anything about your minimum price. Either state your price, or grow some tennis baIIs and cease insulting collectors.

There are many uninformed people out there with vintage bikes like you - you all think you have a gold mine, and you want to screw anybody who wishes to buy it for all it is worth. Well, let me tell you this - the real vintage bicycle enthusiasts are not in it for the money - we're in it for the enjoyment of the hobby, and we're sick and tired of little punks like you muscling in and acting as if you know all.

And for the record, I'm not trying to get you to lower your price - I live on the East Coast, and have no interest in your cro molly Schwinn.

:fight: :fight: :fight:

-Kurt

Well, I just sent him this 'Rant-some' :p note. Figured it was about time this guy got what's coming to him. I'm sure he'll respond very promptly and quickly:

--------------------

I've been watching your ad, along with a large group of other vintage bicycle enthusiasts online, and I had to ask you these questions:

Who do you think you are? Some kind of a one-week professor of Schwinn price values?

First, you go and post your little Schwinn on Craigslist, fishing for offers. Sure enough, you get your offers. Sooner or later, some guy comes along extolling how rare editions in mint condition of this particular bike have been fetching a lot of money on eBay. Now, armed with the absolute highest prices that very rare, mint variants of your bike have sold for, you now proceed to slander and ridicule every knowledgeable collector out there that have offered you fair prices for the bike.

Besides the fact that your attitude has been of a little pr!ck, I should note that you did mention "make offer" in your ad, and didn't say anything about your minimum price. Either state your price, or grow some tennis baIIs and cease insulting collectors.

There are many uninformed people out there with vintage bikes like you - you all think you have a gold mine, and you want to screw anybody who wishes to buy it for all it is worth. Well, let me tell you this - the real vintage bicycle enthusiasts are not in it for the money - we're in it for the enjoyment of the hobby, and we're sick and tired of little punks like you muscling in and acting as if you know all.

And for the record, I'm not trying to get you to lower your price - I live on the East Coast, and have no interest in your cro molly Schwinn.

:fight: :fight: :fight:

-Kurt


You sure told him!

""Well, I just sent him this 'Rant-some' note. Figured it was about time this guy got what's coming to him. I'm sure he'll respond very promptly and quickly:""

NICE KURT! The guy is a little weenie.

Kemmer & Cyclotoine: I know, I didn't play this particular one right but at the time I felt like he was going to get a million emails and I wanted to stand out. I lost a beautiful vintage Masi because I didn't offer money in the email. (seller told me they responded to the offer email first) I know, it's a slippery slope.....there are inherent risks any way you play it.

I have however, done well in the past ;)

oh well, another deal fell through before it really started.... for future reference, how tall would someone need to be for a road bike with a 31" standover height?

Depends how long your legs are. I'm only 5' 8", but my inseam is 32", so I could easily ride that bike if the stem isn't too long. I know other people who are over 6' but have shorter legs that would have a problem. The method for measuring is to hold a thin book in your crotch and measure to the floor, then subtract an inch.

Depends how long your legs are. I'm only 5' 8", but my inseam is 32", so I could easily ride that bike if the stem isn't too long. I know other people who are over 6' but have shorter legs that would have a problem. The method for measuring is to hold a thin book in your crotch and measure to the floor, then subtract an inch.
that seems like a dangerous thing (for me) to ask a woman (or man) to do. hopefully they know this....;)

NICE KURT! The guy is a little weenie.

Well, here's his reply:


800 firm

Not a man of many words, eh? I told him that he better list this price in the ad pronto.

I flagged the ad for good measure - he needs a good swift kick in the pants ;)

-Kurt