GordoTrek

snagged it for 30 bucks on CL, only needs bar wrap and a new tire, and the obvious maintenance/cleanup,

i know this is a low level miyata, but it has the downtube shifters and no turkey levers, suntour throughout

i was thinking once its cleaned up i could sell it for 150?

is that too high, what do you guys think?

4Rings6Stars

Hows the paint? If it's pretty, has alloy wheels, isn't extremely large and a has recognizable brand name I could get $150-225 in Boston back when I was flipping.

Missing any of those things usually put it below the 150 mark. To get above $200/225 it had to be something mid level or nicer. Trek with 531, brifters...etc.

GordoTrek

i was able to sell an 84 olympian in decent shape, needed a bunch of parts but the frame was solid, for 230... the pain on the miyata is ok... lots of little chips and some cosmetic rust spots, the rims are alloy, its a really small size, good for somebody 5'5 and under

FastJake

Post some pictures. You'll need them anyway for the ad.

Phil_gretz

Put a little more effort into it.

Put matching new tires on it. Replace the cables throughout. New brake pads. Clean/regrease/adjust the hub bearings. True the rims. Clean/polish all alloy surfaces you can reach. Wax the frame. Touch up any rust spots with a preventative.

Take excellent drive-side photos, and close-ups of the headbadge and chainrings-to-rear deraillaur. List for $265. You'll be surprised.

GordoTrek

its stripped down right now, ill put some pics up once i have it done, thanks for the help

wrk101

Chipped up paint can hurt a lot, rust even more so. Practice your touch up skills. When I get a bike where the frame is mediocre condition wise, I typically use it as a donor and put the parts on a better frame.


Preparation, presentation, and patience. You need all three to get anything near full market value. OK, you can get lucky on a bike or two, but repeat it a few times, and these three become imperatives.

$230 on an Olympian is way over market around here. You did great. I had one and it was a pretty basic bike.

I would not count on that continuing. Eventually, you will migrate to market price, maybe slightly less, for your market. If you want to routinely do this process, then repeat business becomes more important. I have sold one family seven bikes. It started with the son, who bought a bike, and changed his mind a day later, requesting a refund. I gave him a refund, then the mother bought a bike, the father, etc.... And the son eventually bought a different bike from me.