Classic & Vintage - Nishiki Sport - Keep it or sell it?

Hi gang,

I am new here and would like to get some advice from some of you experts.

I have an older Nishiki Sport that I originally bought in 89-91 (can't seem to remember exactly).
Originally paid $250 or so.
It was hardly used as it just sat in my garage for a long time.
No dents, no scratches, only damage is on the tires which are starting to peel off due to age.

Now that I am cleaning things out of my garage, I thought about selling it but was not sure what the value was or if it was even worth it to keep it around.

I do have a custom road bike that I use so I really don't need a second bike.

Please give me an estimation of Value and what your thought are on this model if you can.

Thanks

A few key elements on pricing.

Location... some markets are better than others.

Tubing... I notice what looks like it could be a tubing decal, but I don't recognize it from the angle of the pic. Chromoly vs 1020 etc makes a difference...

Size... Certain sizes are in the range where more cyclists would be interested and generally go for a little more. I personally wonder if a patient person can actually make more money on an odd ball size.

I am in So Cal.
I think the tube said Chromolly.
The frame is 54cm.

Actually, after I left the message I looked at the picture of the rear dropouts, and assumed it would be Chromolly.

54 cm is on the low end of what seems to sell best, but should be a good size to get good interest.

I assume from the age that it is probably indexed shifting... good for those of us not used to friction.

I don't recognize the specifc components (another thing to consider) but from what I know, I would guess at probably $100-$150 would be a good range for a selling price if it rides well and the finish is as nice as indicated.

Of course, if the So Cal market is like New York, you could probably get what you paid for it. :D

I would probably invest the money in new tires and tune it up (if you can do it yourself) so that someone could test ride it. I suspect that the impression from a test ride would make a big difference in whether you can close the deal.

I am in So Cal.
I think the tube said Chromolly.
The frame is 54cm.

It is in very nice condition, it is a popular size, and is on the top limit of sizes that would appeal to women looking for a "real" road bike. In addition, you're in a hot bike market and it is cro-mo. Down side is the stem shifters and suicide levers, but that is easily remedied. RD looks like Suntour Vx - decent enough.

Were it mine and I lived where you do, I'd polish it up, install new tires. make sure it is absolutely ready to ride, and list it for $200 on CL. Play up the barely used angle and ready to ride status with a very good pic, and MAKE SURE to point out it's suitability for taller women (5'5" or so) and possible entry level use as a tri-bike. To get top dollar it HAS to be ready to go, clean and shiny, and in excellent cosmetic shape.

You might actually get the $200 if the bike is in tip-top condition and cosmeticall excellent. If it doesn't fetch $200, I'll bet $180 or thereabouts.

Or, you could just sell it to me for $20 and I'll take the burden off your shoulders. :D

Wow!

Thanks for the info guys. I was thinking that it was worth maybe $50 or so.
I just need 2 new tires, 1 inner tube and new tape for the grips and a little oil and TLC to get it in good shape.
I will have to work on it as my weekend project.
Do you recommend that I remove the reflectors and the horizontal brake handles?

I was thinking $40-$50. Is the price that high because of location? I see bikes in this condition selling here in Eureka, CA for much less. I got a 1989 Schwinn World Sport in similar condition for $20 but I doubled my estimate for the added desirability of Nishiki.

"Value" of anything is subjective . . . it's what the market will bear. The components look like low end Suntour VX, so they have little or no value on their own, since NOS VX front and rear ders can be had for $10 on ebay. The Sugino crank is a nice piece that would fetch $30-40 on ebay by itself if it was cosmetically excellent. The brakes look like low end Dia Comp, so not too valuable on their own. For me, the real value in a nice bicycle like that is to someone who attaches sentimental value to it. Perhaps someone who used to own one just like it, and is looking for a pristine example. In that case, you could fetch $300-400 for it on ebay, with a sentimental buyer. But you would have to be patient. Most people who would be interested in buying your bike on ebay are "flippers." They buy bikes at the lowest possible price, clean up a few defects, then turn right around and sell it 2-3 times what they pay for it. The American free-enterprise system is alive and well in the vintage bicycle market!

....Most people who would be interested in buying your bike on ebay are "flippers." They buy bikes at the lowest possible price, clean up a few defects, then turn right around and sell it 2-3 times what they pay for it.....

Unless the bike is special, buying a bike for "flipping" purposes on eBay is problematic because of the shipping. Say you bought a bike like the one we're talking about for $50 on eBay - great price. Then you gotta pay $50-$70 or so for shipping. Now you're into a bike for $100+ that can't be flipped for profit - or if it can, not enough to go through the exercise. Even if you sell it for 3 time what you paid, you've only made $50, and only if it needed nothing done to it. Labor and parts have a price.

Run of the mill bikes can only be flipped sensibly in a local market where there is a big demand. Like L.A. for example.

Oh man! (Drool:o ) that's my size! I've been looking for a nice, budget priced Nishiki Chromoly road bike for a long time here in NC. The closest I've come is a larger size, high tensile frame, steel wheeled, 10 speed with cottered cranks for $70 that I passed on. But the guy got his price. For some reason, Nishiki's bring extra $$$ here. So, I'd bet that black bike would bring over $100 here on CL. I like that Sugino VP crank. I currently have one on an MTB with a triple.
The Sport was a mid to lower level Nishiki, but certainly higher than entry level.
Nice bike! Are you visiting North Carolina by car any time soon:D ?

I would love to go to NC but unfortunately its just too far.
I can always ship the bike to you using UPS ground.
I think the shipping would be reasonable.

I sold a Nishiki Custom Sport on CL a few months back (pic below). I had picked up the frameset in a trade and built it up as a single speed. It was a decent ride, but I have to say that frame was one heavy sucker. I think I sold it for about $125, and that's on the low end of what single-speed road bikes go for around here.

Neal

Shipping used to be reasonable, but now that UPS ground and even Fedex have gone to the "cubic inches" method of determining shipping costs the price has gone up! Used to be (even last week with Fedex) that you could ship a bike box with bike in it for about $25, depending on where you were in the country vrs where you needed to send it. Now, with the new method, most any bike sized box is going to tip out at 70lbs or on the "cubic inches meter", and that runs $40 or so just for starters, more when cross country. I am not sure what DHL's position on this change is, as of last week they were still doing it based on box size (length times 2 times girth = 130" or less = good deal, more than 130" = bad deal). I guess if you are shipping boxes over the magic 130" mark, then the new rules may be good for you!