Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - Bike Flipping 101

It's very frustrating when all you want is a good quality bike to give your kid.

there are plenty of good quality mountain bikes available at very low prices. put on slick tires and you've got a perfect city bike. You can get top of the line 80s mtbs with Tange Prestige tubing and Deore components for $200 or less which is a bargain compared to similarly spec'ed road bikes

the vintage road bike market right now is very inflated and getting a road bike for a "good price" takes a lot of time and dedication. if you work a 9-5 job you will probably not be able to grab one before a flipper does

if it's any consolation, the "fixie" conversion market is dying out due to brand new fixed gears bikes being sold for around $400 or less.. i think WalMart has one for $100 actually

I really like this thread, even though I haven't experienced the things people here are complaining about. I pictured bike flipping being a small but significant part of my income, and it hasn't, and I've decided not to pin hope on it. Repairs for locals, though, does take a fair bit of my time. I've decided that the next time someone brings me a Huffy to tune up, I'll decline. I've been unable to put my foot down on this front, and now I finally have the privilege.

I don't have a problem finding bikes worth fixing up. In fact, bikes land in my lap. People drop them off and ask me to find new homes for them. I have too many bikes, and I don't spend enough time getting them ready, and I really don't spend enough time listing them. I haven't put up an ad in a year or so. It's amazing I can sell as many as I do. Word of mouth gets around, and people come to buy bikes almost as quickly as they collect here. The trouble is, they're still coming in faster than I send them out, and I'm about to qualify as a subject of the Hoarders TV show.

Good **** right here +1

One thing to know before you buy an old junker is to look out for cottered cranks, these can be very difficult to work with and repair due to my last experiences on an old peugeot from the mid 70's. If that thing is loose in the bb stay away IMHO, i got lucky because my dad is a machinist and that guy can make any part work. if it's legit then go for it! On top of that the previous owner did not know how to get the cotter pins out and practically destroyed them, The hardest part about that was actually finding the right size cotter to fit in my crank. The LBS only had some that were just barely to big so my dad had to grind them down to fit perfectly. Just keep this in mind next time you out picking.

^ yeah i don't mess with cottered crank bikes

I understand how you feel. Used to be easy to find a good deal, but now so many flippers scoop bikes up, spray them with windex, put new bar tape on them and sell them for two bills. I don't know how they find them to begin with. I've tried finding good bikes (Miyata, Centurion, etc. with cro-mo frame) on the bay and/or craigslist for my wife and kids and it's really difficult to find one for sale by the original owner. It's very frustrating when all you want is a good quality bike to give your kid. I hate the fixie-kings even more. Let's take a really good quality 12 speed, chop off the handlebars, remove the brakes, derailleurs and chainrings, put on a cheap new saddle and call it a "fixie" for only $300. They totally destroy good bicycles and make them pretty much useless for anything other than looking cool outside of a coffee shop.

Way OT...

...it reminds me of the kid that "took his ball and ran home" when we tackled him too hard.

You're all ME ME ME GIMME GIMME GIMME, NOT FAIR....

Here's a nice tip for you flippers that keep accurate financial records and itemize your tax returns.

**THIS REQUIRES YOUR OWN DUE DILIGENCE**

YMMV and so on...


http://www.irs.gov/publications/p529/ar02.html

(look half way down, hobbies are only a small part of this deduction)

"You can deduct certain other expenses as miscellaneous itemized deductions subject to the 2%-of-adjusted-gross-
income limit. On Schedule A (Form 1040), line 23, or Schedule A (Form 1040NR), line 11, you can deduct expenses that you pay...

...Hobby expenses, but generally not more than hobby income."


I'm a practicing CPA and I use this every year.

I know people making a decent living at this (1,000 bikes a year) raiding tag and estate sales, and knowing the true market values. Thanks to Craigslist, too. Nice hobby, tough business, though. Lots of scrap metal, though. Some cash there too.

I've spent the last several months cruising through ebay and CL looking to upgrade my Centurion Sport DLX without much luck. It's been time consuming and a bit frustrating when deals fall through at the last minute because the CL seller doesn't want to deal with shipping. So this is a note to you "flippers" out there. I'm looking for a Centurion Pro Tour 15 or Centurion Elite GT 15. If you have one you'd consider parting with, or come across a deal that you can pass on to me, and still make a profit for yourself for time and effort, please contact me.

FWIW: I currently have an Elite GT for sale on my nearby C/L. Use one of the C/L search engines,and you will find it. I don't post links to bikes I am selling on this forum. Update: Bike has been sold.

Bill, give your email address, because jeb914 can't send a PM yet.

jeb814, if you have your heart set on one model, you're likely to be disappointed. Lots of bikes are likely to suit you.

FWIW: I currently have an Elite GT for sale on my nearby C/L. Use one of the C/L search engines,and you will find it. I don't post links to bikes I am selling on this forum.
Thanks for the note Bill. I found your CL listing. The bike is a little too small for me or I'd be arranging payment instead of writing this note. I need a 58 - 62 cm frame.

the CL seller doesn't want to deal with shipping

This is because it is a very common scam to be asked to ship a bike and pay Western Union or Paypal. They offer more than you are asking to cover the difficulty. Its a scam 100% of the time involving wire fraud, stolen paypal accounts, etc.

I've spent the last several months cruising through ebay and CL looking to upgrade my Centurion Sport DLX without much luck. It's been time consuming and a bit frustrating when deals fall through at the last minute because the CL seller doesn't want to deal with shipping. So this is a note to you "flippers" out there. I'm looking for a Centurion Pro Tour 15 or Centurion Elite GT 15. If you have one you'd consider parting with, or come across a deal that you can pass on to me, and still make a profit for yourself for time and effort, please contact me

About the Centurion these where import bikes made in Japan for Western States Imports and had the same component groups as the Nishiki's, Fuji's and Unevega's from the same era. You may look into these bikes for parts as they may be easier and cheaper to find.

I'm new to flipping, but was wondering whether any of you had any experience with increasing the amount of gears (ie:from 5 to 6 - to keep the same chain) Is it worthwhile? Is there naything else, aside from bar tape, tires, and tubes that you find help to increase the bikes' values?

You can change 5 to 6 speeds fairly easy if you can find a vintage freewheel of the same make type. I know on most of the suntour stuff from the late 70's early 80's you only need to change the freewheel and maybe add a couple of washers/spacers. The thing is it usualy isn't worth it on a flipper because it doesn't do much to increase value or ridaiblity. It would realy only be worthwhile if you already have a nice 6 speed freewheel on hand

I've converted several from 5 to 7 pretty easily. I don't know but it could help sale value. Not much though. I think used bike buyers don't care terribly about numbers of gears.

I don't think you understood what the purpose of the list I was suggesting would be.

Many of us would accept a free bike, or purchase a very cheap bike, for parts, even if the bike itself had little or no resale value. We might build it up and give it away, trade it for other parts, or donate it to a bicycle co-op after talking the parts we were after. But there are some bikes that should not be ridden, bikes that pose an unacceptable risk to the rider. You don't donate cables that you know are likely to break, brakes that won't stop a bike, a stem that cracks under normal use, a frame where the drop-outs may pull out while you're riding, or anything else you have reason to believe is inherently unsafe.

I count Next and Vertical as inherently unsafe. I've seen enough Huffy's that were just as bad that I will gladly avoid them, even if they're free.
I don't consider Murray as bad, but that may just be because I don't have as much knowledge and experience with whatever issues they have.
I know almost nothing about modern/semi-modern Columbias, but after Tom's post I will be extremely cautious about accepting one should I encounter one.

I remember hearing about a brand of bike that had been a give away item with the purchase of stereo equipment, because the importer found out they didn't meet the safety standards to be sold in the USA, but it was still legal to give them away (if someone remembers the brand please post, I've forgotten).

If you know a product that should be avoided, even if it's free, that's what I'm asking about.

One way to find out what bikes are worth in resale is to study the bikes on craigslist. you could make a list of names of bikes that sell for more then $100 or $200. Now start looking for those bikes. Don't bother with the bikes that are worth $50 or less. The tires on a $50 bike will cost the same as a $200 bike so why waste money on something that won't pay you back. When I first started flipping I bought everything I could get my hands on and found i was spending a lot of my time on cheap bikes that didn't make much profit. After 4 years of flipping I now buy bikes that will be worth $200 or more when done. Some take an hour or two to ready for a sale and some take more. I enjoy working on a quality bike rather then cheap Wall Mart bike because they are made to last. I like the Japanese road bikes from the 70's and 80's they were made the best. Study the names of frames like Tange, Champion, Reynolds ect and get familier with high end frames vs low end and that tells you the values of bikes when you buy them. I was given a road bike custom build with a Reynolds frame that I sold for $400 because of the frame. So the brand of bike isn't the key, the frame is and good components help, but you can always upgrade those. Good luck with your research

One of the most important things I consider is parting out value. If my 'flip' turns into a 'flop' can I part it out and recoup my money? Some bikes I buy with the sole intention of parting out.

I've bought twenty or so bikes on eBay over the past 5 years and have parted every one. The only bike I didn't part was a barn-find Raleigh Pro, sourced off CL and sold complete on eBay.

It's helped cushion the cost of my habit. I picked up one Colnago titanium bike for less than a grand and sold the rare carbon Colnago crankset for $500 alone.

It really helps to know your market. I can eyeball a bike and figure what its worth parted out. However...prices for complete bikes and parts seem to be going higher. For instance, I picked up several sets of Campagnolo Euros wheels over the years for under $300 each, and I can't touch those wheels today for less than $400-$500.

It also takes a lot of time to do it right -- cleaning and taking *good* pictures, writing extensive descriptions...and then there's the eBay and Paypal fees. I'm still in the game, but I haven't bought anything for resale in quite a while.

Lee

the vintage road bike market right now is very inflated and getting a road bike for a "good price" takes a lot of time and dedication. if you work a 9-5 job you will probably not be able to grab one before a flipper does


yeah decent road bikes are very $$$ now, and on craigslist.. the majority of nice bikes are posted by flippers.. sometimes asking insane prices.

but i do still see a few bikes listed at bargain prices around here, that i could easily purchase and make a profit on.. but to me, i don't know.. it just seems wrong. hopefully some of those bikes are finding good homes.. and not ending up in hands of the guys stockpiling bikes for profit.

if enough flippers are in one area.. think about it, there will be nothing but expensive vintage bikes available on the market

well maybe i have unpopular viewpoint considering the topic of this thread though :)

I fail to see how this is a problem. It means when you finally get a bargain, you can sell at high prices.

What are you after? A bike to ride for cheap, or profits on bikes?

Theres absolutely nothing wrong with making a profit!!! It's what our entire economy is built on, ney, it's what EVERY economy is built on. The question comes as to whether or not you are doing it in an honest fashion with a quality final product. I'm sure I'm not you're average flipper, I've only done eight this year, but all of them I would've felt comfortable selling to my mother! I've paid as much as $50 for some, as little as $6.00 for others. I spend countless hours meticulously cleaning, polishing, rebuilding and adjusting. When I'm done,it's like new, other than whatever scratches I couldn't remove from the frame. If I can get $350 out of a $75 investment, (total, parts and all), why should I feel the least bit guilty. If you just hose one off, make a couple minor adjustments, and prop it up on cl or where ever, yeah, shame on you. I work full time, so it's hard for me to snag those "good deal" bikes too, just remember, "the early bird gets the worm" is not just a saying. I won't look at ebay cause they just cost too much with shipping, and you never really know what you've bought till it gets to you, but I check cl every morning before I go to work, scratch down a phone number if need be, and call'em during the day. It's really just a hobby for me, a labor of love. saving an old Schwinn, or whatever from the dump gives me a certain gratification, your reasons may be different, but out of what I've read on here, and what I've experienced, it really seems pretty simple, full-time flipper, or hobby/stress relief, whatever your motivation, be mindful of what you buy, (you know what's a decent bike and what isn't or you wouldn't even be flipping, come on...), and do a good, thorough job of re-conditioning that ride, and don't be afraid to ask a fair price for your investment, time included. Always remember, if that ride is worth it to the buyer to pay a price you have agreed upon, obviously it's worth it to them, and no one else matters...

Theres absolutely nothing wrong with making a profit!!! It's what our entire economy is built on, ney, it's what EVERY economy is built on. The question comes as to whether or not you are doing it in an honest fashion with a quality final product. I'm sure I'm not you're average flipper, I've only done eight this year, but all of them I would've felt comfortable selling to my mother! I've paid as much as $50 for some, as little as $6.00 for others. I spend countless hours meticulously cleaning, polishing, rebuilding and adjusting. When I'm done,it's like new, other than whatever scratches I couldn't remove from the frame. If I can get $350 out of a $75 investment, (total, parts and all), why should I feel the least bit guilty. If you just hose one off, make a couple minor adjustments, and prop it up on cl or where ever, yeah, shame on you. I work full time, so it's hard for me to snag those "good deal" bikes too, just remember, "the early bird gets the worm" is not just a saying. I won't look at ebay cause they just cost too much with shipping, and you never really know what you've bought till it gets to you, but I check cl every morning before I go to work, scratch down a phone number if need be, and call'em during the day. It's really just a hobby for me, a labor of love. saving an old Schwinn, or whatever from the dump gives me a certain gratification, your reasons may be different, but out of what I've read on here, and what I've experienced, it really seems pretty simple, full-time flipper, or hobby/stress relief, whatever your motivation, be mindful of what you buy, (you know what's a decent bike and what isn't or you wouldn't even be flipping, come on...), and do a good, thorough job of re-conditioning that ride, and don't be afraid to ask a fair price for your investment, time included. Always remember, if that ride is worth it to the buyer to pay a price you have agreed upon, obviously it's worth it to them, and no one else matters...Dittos on this issue. I have been fixing and flippin bikes for almost 4 years and do it because I like it. Most don't realize its a labor of love. Once in awhile I get a good deal on a bike and don't have to do much to resale it, but thats not the usual. Most bikes I rebuild everything, all bearings and make sure the tires are excellent or new. I always match and touch up scratches on frame and finish with a complete cleaning and wax job. I always take a test ride to make sure everything works right. And i would sell those bikes to my mother. Selling a bike to a person that gets a smile on their face when they take it for a ride and saying ,"I like it", makes it all worthwhile. Classic bike saved and passing on to a new owner is all worth it. I just make a little play money doing this, but self satisfaction in what I do is better then my regular day job. I am retiring soon and will take this hobby with me

i have a 1930's-40's Sunshine Bicycle that could use a little tlc, it's complete--good flip for a colector

What do you think of buying a vintage touring bike for the parts and flipping the frame. I have a couple of cool frames to build. I believe I can look for bargains. Use the components. Sell the frame. And about break even. CL for the bargain. Ebay to sell the frame.

What do you think of buying a vintage touring bike for the parts and flipping the frame. I have a couple of cool frames to build. I believe I can look for bargains. Use the components. Sell the frame. And about break even. CL for the bargain. Ebay to sell the frame. In my Humble opinion, I think it's a great idea!! In fact I've done it a time or two . . . If you can make the dollars work why not?!?! Vintage parts are getting way high on the bay, and there tough to find anywhere else. I recently purchased a pair of vintage peugeots for exactly that purpose. I'll rebuild one, save any parts worth stashing, and re-sell the frame. If I only break even, I've at least been able to dable in my favorite hobby for free, (or close to it), and that, my cycling friend, is not a bad thing at all!!!

Expect there to be more wrong with a bike than meets the eye.

Expect there to be more wrong with a bike than meets the eye. Well, yeah, if it's TOO cheap, it's a heap, or you just got lucky and the individual selling it didn't know what they had. I've never bought anything sight unseen just for that reason. Still, like I said, if you can make the dollars work . . . I just bought another bike yesterday, a Velosolex. Never heard of it, but it's French built, Simplex Premiere and Mafac Racer, etc. I paid $55 for it, a tad more then I really wanted to, but I already know I can part it out and double my money, or I can simply keep it for a donor bike and not have to pay the high price of vintage parts and I'm money ahead. It's not really that tough, you just have to know what your purpose in flipping is; strictly buisness-flipping for a profit, maybe just a hobby, maybe a way to support your habit, for me it's a little bit of all of them, but there's no satisfaction like saving a cool old piece, restoring it, and selling it to someone who will appreciate what you've done to/for it. I try to keep the whole process as simple as possible, don't think too much about it. I can pretty easily size up a ride as to whether its salvagable, or a parts bike, whether I can use it or not, and can I buy it cheap enough or not, that's it. It's like anything, you do it long enough, you're gonna get burnt, but if there IS more wrong than meets the eye and you can still part out of it, you still win!!230999

What do you think of buying a vintage touring bike for the parts and flipping the frame. I have a couple of cool frames to build. I believe I can look for bargains. Use the components. Sell the frame. And about break even. CL for the bargain. Ebay to sell the frame.

In general, touring bikes enjoy a nice premium. So rather than part it out, if you can find one at an attractive price, I would fix it up, resell it, and use the proceeds for your next project. Rarely do touring bikes have super high end, super valuable components. But as a complete bike, they can bring a nice return. Myself, any touring bike frameset I find gets built up and resold (or kept)...

As far as donor bikes, I would look to a road/racing bike instead, one with lousy paint, or other damage, that really holds the price down. I bought one yesterday for $7. As a complete bike, it will not be rideable and fixing it up would exceed the value of the finished product. But the saddle, pedals, shifters and derailleurs are all decent and will go into the parts bin.

Out of hundreds of bikes, I have had a total of ONE touring bike donor. In that case, the frame was badly damaged. So the parts went onto another touring frameset I had.

^ yeah i don't mess with cottered crank bikes
Unless you have the tool for removal ... My lbs will remove it for $10

Are there any flipper's from Boston , Plymouth or Cape Cod on here ?

I'm in Cambridge and I do it for a living.

new member replying on an older thread--I work at a bike shop, and we get bikes donated thru the shop to me, where I rehab some into the homeless community, some to local schools and churches, and some are hi-graded and sold to finance the ongoing work. Some find there way to my permanent collection, like the Wastyn track bike I have that is awaiting restoration. I have been flipping bikes for 27 years, and have lost count long ago of the total number, sold, donated, or given away. I love seeing what is hiding under a protective coating of dirt, grease and cat hair.

All these bikes in the pics plus a few others not in the pics, I paid for by flipping.
Plus I made a few bucks and gave away about 50 bikes to people in need. I started flipping about 3 years ago.

I dont buy parts I buy bikes not worth restoring and take the parts that includes tires and almost eveything else cept cables.

All these bikes in the pics plus a few others not in the pics, I paid for by flipping.
Plus I made a few bucks and gave away about 50 bikes to people in need. I started flipping about 3 years ago.

I dont buy parts I buy bikes not worth restoring and take the parts that includes tires and almost eveything else cept cables.

I like your taste in bikes. You should check out the Schwinns and more at www.ratrodbikes.com (http://www.ratrodbikes.com). I think you would enjoy it.

All these bikes in the pics plus a few others not in the pics, I paid for by flipping.
Plus I made a few bucks and gave away about 50 bikes to people in need. I started flipping about 3 years ago.

I dont buy parts I buy bikes not worth restoring and take the parts that includes tires and almost eveything else cept cables.

Very nice collection. I really like when I can buy a junk bike for $10 and use parts to fix and sell 2 or 3 others for more $$$.

I see you use Kingsford.... Another positive!

well, I don't have a lot of experience as a flipper (just a couple), but I can give one point of advice if you do it alot of it. Make a business card and get friendly with the head sorters at your local thrift stores. Years ago I had job at one of the Saint Vincent/DePaul thrift stores as a sorter. In the back they had a card file filled with business cards, sorted by what these people wanted. Jewelry, Instruments (by type), bikes etc... Most the good stuff that goes though the donation doors, never hits the sales floor. Half my job was learning how to value an item (is it valuable or not- basically is it name brand, torn/broken, damage acceptable for such item), the other half was learning the card file.

Prices for the items weren't marked up for these people. It was simply a move to keep the sales floor from getting too full. Many of the larger ones get enough donations in a week to fill a another store.

Needless to say those people who's cards were on file were also sorted by us sorters. It's amazing how much coffee and doughnuts could get a buyer bumped to the front of the card file list in each category. But remember it's about turn over, so to keep your name at the front of the file, you gotta be ready to get there when you get the call.

If you buy enough (some resale stores) did enough business with us that we sorted everything we thought they'd be interested into there own bin/section in the back and they'd come in weekly or bi weekly and usually buy most of it. But that was only for volume buyers.

You just can't be really too specific in your requests though, for example....saying your interested only in prewar bikes wouldn't work (unless your sorter is a bike person, but realize you're probably behind him/her on the buying list. The sorters are kinda more of "Jack of all trades master of non" types when it comes to valuing items unless the item was obviously highly valuable, valuations are often made in a matter of seconds. The sorting process is too fast to get too specific by all but the best of sorters, and some of us had specializations. For example, any undamaged musical or recording equipment got in a pile for a specific sorter to price, Another did jewelry, another did books.

Though honestly even if you didn't do it alot, I don't think we ever turned down anyone that asked to see if we had a "fill in the blank" in the back waiting for shelving/floor space. Again Thrift stores are all about volume selling, sure they've gotten better at valuing items over the years, but in the end it's still about selling as much as possible as fast as possible.

That seems a little unethical to me but I know it happens at many of the GoodWills and Sally Anns around here. I see a lot of ads on Craigslist that are people looking for bicycles, which is fine but the ones that bug me are "Looking for a bike for my son and I" or "Bikes needed for charity" and it turns out to be a local flipper, tugging at people's heartstrings.

That seems a little unethical to me but I know it happens at many of the GoodWills and Sally Anns around here. I see a lot of ads on Craigslist that are people looking for bicycles, which is fine but the ones that bug me are "Looking for a bike for my son and I" or "Bikes needed for charity" and it turns out to be a local flipper, tugging at people's heartstrings.

Though I only worked at one, I can't imagine that it isn't standard practice at all of the thrift stores.

And it's not like the sorters are doing this on their own, it's part of the job. The files are property of the store. That card file sold more on a weekly basis than the sales floor did.

And I don't see where it's unethical. The purpose of these stores is to make money, the best ones do it to support good works. The store I worked for was, if I remember right, was somewhere around 80% the funding of the rehab center they ran down the street.

But don't kid yourself, they're a businesses, and they operate as businesses. They'll take a sure thing (the card file) over putting something on the floor every time.

What is unethical is the amount of pure garbage that people donate. Dirty diapers, clearly broken and useless items, food wrappers, completely wore out clothes....you name it I probably saw it come through. Ours had a construction site sized dumpster emptied nearly every day. And ours was a smaller one.

Local flipper donates time at a couple of thrift stores to get the inside on bikes and antiques. You can sure tell when he's been pricing items for the floor.

That could be possible in smaller locally ran ones. But the bigger national ones most likely (Goodwill, Saint Vincent, Dessert, Salvation Army) have professional pricers. The store I worked at didn't have any volunteers. The prices are pretty much set.

Bike for example be something like this.

Kids Bikes: $10, Adult Bike $20.00, Better Bike $40.00.

From there the prices would be reduced or increased based on condition accessories, and information about the product that the pricer knows. You don't get research time. you got 5 seconds. At best, a minute to consult with other pricers. Also if another pricer notices your pricing is too low, they can dispute it and then the manager would get the final say.

So a new looking Huffy with a basket, bell, and a rack would cost say $30.00 ($20 base +$10 (for accessories)) could get a higher price than say a 60's Raleigh Sports with rusty rims, a flat, and a beat up saddle say $10.00 ($20.00 base -$10 (for condition)). Of course that would depend on the fact that the pricer wouldn't know that Raleigh is a better brand than Huffy, and that they are unaware that their exists a collectors market for the Raleigh vs. Huffy. It's not like they make these prices up out of thin air, there is a system. So a guy couldn't just go in and say that Fuji track bike that came in is only $5.00 bucks then buy it. If it looked too nice to fit into the pricing system, it went to the card file people, from there the manager might research it, or all the pricers discuss it, or perhaps even call in multiple card file guys to auction between them in a day or two.

When I did this, it was before the internet took off. (Early 90's) and to some extent on line auctions have replaced the pricers in some product categories. Set a low minimum bid and let the market price it. But big items take up a lot of precious floor room and back room space. Here they are less picky about price and more concerned about moving it out. But in the early 90's - with no ebay or craigslist I couldn't have made much money reselling. I was at work during retail hours, and no easy or cheap way to advertise. But I'm sure that they've developed policies to try to prevent such things.

They also have policies to keep employees from getting too much of an advantage over the public. At our store we weren't allowed to purchase on company time (could only purchase during our lunch). Plus we had no discounts, items not on the floor had to be confirmed with the manager, thus pricing fraud is curbed. Our only real advantage we had over anyone else was first pick, and just being there every day.

Plus we had great pay (more than double typical retail at the time) and benefits. I don't think any of us were willing to loose our job over a couple extra bucks here and there. Why loose your job over an extra $100.00 reselling some old bike, when you never know if a first edition of "Leaves of Grass" might stumble through, then I'd perhaps chance my job.

good thread

I'm about to "flip" my first bike. . only because I ended up with two bikes instead of one. The problem is the bike I thought I was going to keep, and now considering selling, I already started "upgrading". I'll be happy to break even at this point. Fortunately, though, I found the saddle alone (which I'm selling individually and replacing with one closer to what came with the bike originally) can fetch around 1/4th what I paid initially, so it's looking good.

Time for another discussion on finding good bikes to flip?

Time for another discussion on finding good bikes to flip?
I agree!! Seems like all the stores I use to go, (Goodwill, Salvation Army, other Second-hand/Thrift stores), have gotten wise, or at least they think so. Trashy rides are beginning to stack up as they continue to raise prices. Don't leave any meat on the bone and no one will pick it up . . . and CL is just as bad. I would buy bikes for as much as $50 - $60, put another $50 in 'em, (along with multiple hours labor), and sell 'em for $200 - $250, like brand new. Yesterday I see this old Schwinn for sale, $300.00!!, and needs a tune up AND new tires!!! I think people see what flippers are selling bikes for, so they think they can get that out of theirs, not realizing what's been done to the flippers ride. Anybody got any suggestions??????

I agree!! Seems like all the stores I use to go, (Goodwill, Salvation Army, other Second-hand/Thrift stores), have gotten wise, or at least they think so. Trashy rides are beginning to stack up as they continue to raise prices. Don't leave any meat on the bone and no one will pick it up . . . and CL is just as bad. I would buy bikes for as much as $50 - $60, put another $50 in 'em, (along with multiple hours labor), and sell 'em for $200 - $250, like brand new. Yesterday I see this old Schwinn for sale, $300.00!!, and needs a tune up AND new tires!!! I think people see what flippers are selling bikes for, so they think they can get that out of theirs, not realizing what's been done to the flippers ride. Anybody got any suggestions??????
Sure, when your old method stops working, time to try different methods. You really need to get creative finding bikes. What worked for me four years ago, stopped working three years ago. What worked three years ago, stopped working two years ago, and so on. If I just stuck with the method I was using back then, I would not find anything.

Thrift stores in particular around here have become a waste of time. When I see a good bike, it is usually priced well above what I can sell the bike for, fully refurbished. And you know what? They sell them. Some doofus will go in there, and ass-u-me that it "must be a good deal!" and snag it.

I was at a Salvation Army recently, and they had a vintage bike priced at 2X fully rehabbed would bring. So I talked to the manager. He told me, he looked it up on ebay. So I asked him, "Completed auctions or what some dreamers are hoping to get?" He looked dumbfounded, had never heard of searching for completed auctions. Stopped in a week later, and guess what, someone bought it. Manager had one of those "I told you so" grins. (I still buy quite a bit of stuff at thrift stores, just not bikes....)

Anymore, the thrift stores here are full of flea marketeers. These buyers stand in line 30 minutes before the stores open, and rush around the store like its a game show. They will pick ANYTHING they think they can make a fast buck on: clothing, household, furniture, musical instruments, whatever. They do ZERO work on their items, they just mark them up up $25 or $50 in the case of bikes, and take them to the flea market. I bought ten bikes from one of these flea marketeers lately. You could see he did not know anything about bikes. He had two good ones, and the rest were crap.

Throughout this entire period one method has always worked: word of mouth/networking.

You may need to pick the pickers. Just because they got there first doesn't mean they know what to do with it. I have a local guy that saw me collecting bikes and began to pick them. We have a pretty good relationship now, vintage comes to me and I educate him on newer bikes. He Ebays sporting goods/collectables and lives at the local fleamarkets. He sold me 100 hardballs for a local travelling team, little leage, for $15.

I've put putting out flyers door to door (or newspaper box). I'm getting about 2% hits but half of the bikes turn out to be the lowest end junk you can imagine.
The community yard sale did not turn out the bonanza it has in previous years. I got a trashed Royce Union that still had a couple parts worth the $20 I paid. I also got a Giant Sedona and a nice K2 hybrid (with trashed fork) cheap. I picked up a Specialized Crossroads sans rear wheel for free. I'm thinking of mounting my Bionx kit on that for resale as a complete electric-assist bike.