xfusion
05-18-12, 02:08 PM
Hello everyone,
I stumbled upon this site while looking for some details on the bike that I have and hoping someone could help me out. I have a Schwinn Superior Bicycle. I'm having trouble identifying the year of the bike. The serial number is located below the handle bars right above where the front wheel is. I will post more detail if necessary and will have pictures of the Schwinn up ASAP.
The value of your Superior is all about condition, along with your ability to market, and the method you plan to use for the sale. Without pics, no idea. Even with great pics, I would need to know more about your sales plan. Unfortunately, getting anything close to full value out of a vintage bike is actually very tough. A lot of bikes sell for a small fraction of full market. I try to get full market out of bikes, I still have a lot to learn. And I can say for sure, it is a lot of work in preparation of the bike, presentation, lots of patience, and negotiating skills.
On ebay, the variance on pricing is even worse. I have bought quite a few bikes on ebay over the years where the seller didn't do a good job in presentation. One was a "professional" drop off ebay store. Go figure. One of note was a pristine Trek 620. I paid $113 for mine. Another auction, for an identical year and model Trek 620, ended within an hour of the one I bought. Seller got over $400 for that one, as he did a fantastic job on his listing. Other factors come into play on ebay. Your reputation as a seller (not just your feedback score, as anyone who just buys on ebay will have a spotless, 100% feedback score). Its all about your feedback on sales, preferably bike sales, where you have shipped a bike. Next you need to be capable of packing a bike and shipping at a reasonable cost. Carefully packing a bike is a lot of work, and buyers will not pay you for the extra time and effort. Don't want the hassle of shipping a bike? I don't blame you. I avoid it most of the time myself. But in so doing, I leave $$ on the table versus ebay.
That leaves selling locally. Locally is very dependent on where you live. There are red hot markets, cold markets, and everything inbetween. I marvel at what bikes sell for in cities like Portland, OR, San Francisco, and so on.
As far as identifying the age, just google dating schwinn bicycles, there is all kinds of information out there on the web. Dating Schwinns is easier than any other brand I can think of (except for a short period where the records were lost).
afilado
05-18-12, 09:01 PM
Bill, I'm always impressed with your store of knowledge and your willingness to share it. I learn a lot from you.
Thanks,
Julian
Bill, I'm always impressed with you with your store of knowledge and your willingness to share it. I learn a lot from you.
Thanks,
Julian
Thanks for the compliment. I have learned a lot from others on this forum as well!
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