nevrtrustahippy

I live in a high rise downtown and we have a basement dumping ground where people get rid of stuff. It's amazing what urban yuppies throw away... I make a small fortune reselling the stuff online. Today, someone left a bicycle in addition to other furniture. I sell a ton of furniture no problem but I don't get a lot of bicycles. Until today. I grabbed it knowing it looked good enough and old enough to be worth something to someone. And I live in the pacific nw - full of bicycle loving hipsters.

Anyway, from what I've learned by my own research it's a 1976 Raleigh Sprite ladies 10-speed. The tires look flat - not sure if they just need air or need replaced. Minor rush spots on the handlebars. Minor tears on the seat. A couple small dents on the fenders. Other than that, it's in pretty good shape for being 40 years old.

I know nothing about reselling bicycles and the info on the Internet for this specific bike is spotty. Any help greatly appreciated. I'm realistic about reselling junk. even if it's a $20 sale I'm fine with that - it cost me nothing but a little time. Again, here's the info I know:
- 1976 Raleigh Sprite ladies 10-speed
- carmine red
- has "Nottingham" manufactured serial number

What should I be selling this thing for?

TimmyT 

Well, if it's complete, your best bet is to put it up for $120 and take $100. Just add, "needs a tune up" to the ad. To me, that's a quick $100. You might get a bike flipper guy who buys it, cleans it, and tries to re-flip it for $300, but the FMV is probably around $200 in nice, running shape. It doesn't sound like it's worth putting in the time for the extra cash. You'd also need specialized tools, some bike know-how, and a workspace to do this.

For the handlebars, get a small jar of mother's polish, brasso, or barkeeper's friend, and give it a rub down with a rag to make it look presentable. I'd try to blow up the tires, too.

oddjob2

IMHO, without pictures, a Sprite needing work is about $75. Fixed up, they bring about $125-$150, not as dear as a Sport.

nevrtrustahippy

Thanks for the info. I'll do a minor clean up job and try to inflate the tires but I'm not a restorer so I'll leave it at that. And I just happen to have some metal polish I'll try out on it. It's a beautiful bike and all the parts are there and there's no serious body damage.

I think I'll list it at $125 and be willing to go down to $75 and see what happens. Thanks again for the input!