Road Cycling - Drawn to ebay...

Ok here i sit, sick as a dog, fist time looking on ebay for bike stuff, why do i feel me grabing my wallet at some of the prices i see? Can it really be true they are selling stuff for this cheap?

Ok here i sit, sick as a dog, fist time looking on ebay for bike stuff, why do i feel me grabing my wallet at some of the prices i see? Can it really be true they are selling stuff for this cheap?You looking at starting bids or ending bids? Alot of stuff goes for much more than its worth. alot of stuff is junk. There are some deals too.

It seems like whole bikes often go for as much a new one.

no i am lookin at parts, i see these parts that are new, and at a insane price!

Dont even bother with items unless there is a day or less left in the auction. The serious bidding dosnt happen until the very very end. It dosnt make sense to bid on an item it there is 4 or 5 days left, your better off watching it and paying attention to the end time. You might see things like $500 bike for $50 with one bid, however that bidder (who might actually be the seller with a different handle) set his max bid at 500 so you bid 60 and he automaticaly ups you and you up him until you big 510 or lose. Dont get me wrong though, there are very good deals to be had on there, you just got to watch like a hawk and get lucky

It seems like whole bikes often go for as much a new one.

They do...... and often for more...

I bought a brand new Cannondale F600 mountain bike on sale at a LBS, used it for a year, and sold it on Ebay as used for $50 more than what I paid for!

It really depends on how knowlagabel you are. When I first started ebaying I bought a set of Hutchison Carbon Comps and by the time I paid shipping I could have just bought them at my LBS. I'm smarter now and I don't get caught up in the bidding. I just bought a pair of 105 brake calipers for 40 bucks w/shipping for my fixie and they are like new. Same for the bullhorn handle bars got a great deal.

I've sold a bunch of stuff that could have been bought for new for the same price. The bottom line is do your homework and be willing to lose the item. Don't be caught up in the bidding wars.

Don't be caught up in the bidding wars.


Very good and important advice to heed.

I bib on stuff all the time on ebay but I rarely win because I will not pay like new prices on Ebay stuff. If I can get it for nearly the same price locally then I will just buy it locally.

Ebay can be good for rare or hard to find stuff.

Also keep in mind the shipping charges. Do not buy large or heavy stuff unless you are prepared for large shipping charges

I find ebay to be a great place to find really good deals!

Be patient and watch the auctions for the items that you want to see what kind of market exists and then make a determination as to what you are willing to pay.

The trade off with buying at your local LBS is no return policy and the risk that you will get what you think you are buying!

Lately, the only things I buy on Ebay are Buy-It-Now items where I know I can win the item immediately and the price different between LBS and Ebay makes it worth the wait for it to be shipped and the possibility of dealing with a jerk-off seller. My Ultegra pedals I bought off Ebay for $50 less than the LBS had them for are a decent example. Tough to justify a 50% markup for two days of waiting.

Ebay can be good for rare or hard to find stuff.

Also keep in mind the shipping charges.

Rare and hard to find is what I really use eBay for. I also tend to buy stuff no one else wants. I have yet to buy anything cycling-related off eBay though. My eBay track record so far includes stuff like fan trays and controller boards for an ancient Sun SPARC StorageArray (Sun wanted $800 for a fantray; got it and the controller board for $50 + $12 shipping), Sun SunVideo SBus video capture board ($500 list price; got it for $35) and DSS multiswitch for $12 including S&H (in-store prices for those can be $80-$100 with lowest price at $40) and that was via a Buy Now. Also, I notice that popular items even if listed cheap will come with a high markup on shipping.

EBAY rules, I picked up DA-10 for $1,208 shipped. That kicked ass! But now I work at a shop, so I am not as inclined to buy from Ebay, but I am grateful that I have gotten such great deals on Ebay.

all true. there are some horrible deals (stuff going for retail or higher, plus stupid shipping costs), and there are some great deals.

i picked up 2004 ultegra pedals for around $90 ($150 retail), an easton ec90 seatpost for around $90 ($180 retail), ksyrium elite wheels for $375 ($550 retail), conti attack/force tires for $69 ($110 retail) and so on. all brand new.

conversely, i'm frequently shocked at the prices some of the stuff i sell goes for. i auctioned off a (albeit clean and functional) three year old ultegra rear derailleur and STI levers. i was up-front about mileage and age and started both at $1, figuring someone would use them on their beater or winter bike.

the derailleur sold for about $10 less than a brand new one, the levers for about $20 less than the price of new levers after a 20% discount. amazing.

many times, people don't even bother to check prices at performance or nashbar or poke around for a 20% off coupon.

Just picked up a 3Rensho single speed for $220 + shipping... not too damn bad if you ask me. I picked up my Aegis Aro Svelte fully loaded for $1000 a couple of years back. eBay rules as long as you know what you're doing...

-s

I picked up my Aegis Aro Svelte fully loaded for $1000 a couple of years back.

Okay... now I'm envious. :)

Rare and hard to find is what I really use eBay for. I also tend to buy stuff no one else wants.


Same here, I bought an older stlye profile behind the seat waterbottle system for my bike. The kind that clams to the seat rails and has a small storage space. I got this type so a seat bag would still fit.

I have also bought older computer parts for cheap. Been tempted to buy lots of other stuff too but lucky for I always come to my senses before I spend to much :D

DA 9sp STI nib kit with all parts in box $225
DA7800 RD nib $99
DA 7700 31.8mm FD nib $46
DA 7800 Brakes nib $197

Total shipping Fedex saver $28

Called Buy it now sellers and dealt direct

Could not in good concious buy local for a ton more.

Check sellers scores & feedbacks. Don't only look at auctions, search in the stores area also.

Use Froogle to find best deals in eBay stores and compare with other internet merchants.
For example I was looking for a Park Tool CT-3 chain tool and froogle gave me a range from Jenson (24.95) to eBay (23.99).

A word of advice from a former ebay junkie.

Most ebay prices are inflated. You can almost always do better at an actual garage sale, flea market, or Craigslist.

Sometimes I see prices for new items that sell more than what you can get retail. It really amazes me why this would happen.

Another reason why ebay has bought a majority portion of Craigslist which scares me.

Also another advice. If your going to do ebay. Buy from a casual seller like you and me maybe at the maximum 300 positive feedback and like 1 or 2 negatives. Large wholesale professional seller who make their living through ebay usually charge a handling fee and inflated shipping charges. Remember they make their living through ebay so they want to maximize their profits. The casual seller will usually be happy if it sells at the used market value and sometimes if it sells at all.

Also, casual sellers with little or no negative tend to give personalized attention to their auctions which is nice if something happens to go wrong. You will have a lesser chance to email the head person of a large scale ebay "corporation"

EBAY rules, I picked up DA-10 for $1,208 shipped. That kicked ass! But now I work at a shop, so I am not as inclined to buy from Ebay, but I am grateful that I have gotten such great deals on Ebay.

With a 20% coupon code and Team Perf. discount, I am guessing you could have purchased that stuff from Performance for almost a few hundred less. Depending on exactly what you bought, I suppose. I sold my Ultegra components and purchased all of the DA 10 stuff for about a grand from Performance.