Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - Rampar....??

I think its Raleigh? Anyhow, seems like a bike in great condition, but not sure what to think of it. Does anyone know anything about this bike? Hes asking $120 for it and it seems a little high. Its High Carbon Tubing as he told me what it read on the sticker. What should I expect to pay for this bike? What is it comparable to? Said its in beautiful condition. Would this be a good flipper come summer or spring?

http://corvallis.craigslist.org/bik/984110456.html

High carbon = High Ten Steel = bottom end bike. I can't get $120 flipping such bikes in prime season around here.

The couple of times I have picked up high ten bikes to flip, I have regretted it. I still have a Raleigh Rapide (Taiwan high ten steel bike) to sell. I ran out of flip material, so I lowered my standards a bit. Fortunately, I was able to flip the other high ten steel bikes I bought, but I made very little money on them.

Even if you get the bike for free, if you have to replace the tires, tubes, bar tape, cables, bearings, and so on; there is little left for selling marging. I paid $25 for the Raleigh above, have put about $25 into it. I figure I can get about $80 to $90 for it. A fair amount of work to make $30....

My basic rule is to pick up a bike where I can make a minimum of $100, above the purchase price and the parts. Such a margin is only possible with cromoly frames, cotterless alloy cranks and alloy rim bikes (and then, only if I get the bike pretty cheap: garage sale or thrift store usually).

In the future, if I do pick up one of these high ten bikes, I will just part it out.

Oh really...bottom end..like bottom bottom? So not a very good candidate to ride for a few months and or flip? Not a very desirable bike...eh? Would this be comparable to a World Sport, or a little lower on the scale?

Would this be comparable to a World Sport, or a little lower on the scale?

A little lower than a World Sport. Rampar was Raleigh's answer to low priced bikes from Asia. Eventually, the Raleighs started coming from Tawain but that's another story.
Most of the Rampars I saw had chrome wheels, cottered cranks, chrome bars and so on. Rampars were usually ranked below the Raleigh Record in the Raleigh hiararchy. They were sturdy bikes so I'm not saying these were department store junk, but not glamorous. IMHO, I would not pay $120 for a Rampar to flip even in these times when I've seen obscene prices on old, steel roadies. But if I could find a R-1 for about $40 or less in my size, I might mess around with it for a year, then flip it.

I would say that is priced too high for what it is. If it were perfect and ready to ride (new tires etc) and you needed a bike to ride around on (commute/neighborhood etc) it would be OK. Don't think there would be anyway to make money flipping that bike.