EventServices

I've never posted in this forum, so go easy on me...

In the 70s and 80s, a customer at my LBS bought about 25 exquisite and mundane bikes. And he's never ridden most of them.
Now he wants to sell them.

Masi 3t
Cinelli - amazingly beautiful teardrop tubing.
JPWeigle
Tommasini
Guerciotti track
Guerciotti road
Trek
Klein <--has a 3-digit serial number
Kestrel
Alan
Sterling
Schwinn Paramount
Santana

Nothing newer than 1985.
Only a couple of them have been ridden.
Most have Campy.
Some have Campy 50th Anniversary Gruppos.


My question:
How would you want to see them sold?
Would you just put them on the floor of the shop?
Or would you throw an invitation-only party for your most valued customers and collectors first?

And if you're near Detroit, do you want in?

cudak888 

FS posts must be placed in the C&V FS forum with set prices. Valuations need to go to the valuation forum.

Never. Elitism has no place in C&V.

-Kurt

norskagent

Well the first thing to do is pull out all the 54cm ones, and contact me to ensure that they have a proper opportunity to be evaluated and processed. The rest can go to public auction. Actually ebay would probably fetch the most $ for them, if that is the goal.

Kobe 

I'm hoping this guy is pretty tall and only rides 65cm frames and larger.

And like norkskagent said, I would e-bay around April or May to get top dollar.

cudak888 

All I care about is that the new owner of the Paramount add it to the Paramount Registry

-Kurt

Ex Pres 

Unridden bikes w/50th groups could probably bring big bucks on the place we love to hate - ebay.

But it would be great to have a bike shop display them. Really, you have a nice start on a nice museum. Charge admission. That way they won't end up in Japan.

Otis

What's wrong with vintage bikes ending up in Japan? Things should go to people who appreciate them and can afford them regardless of geography.

Does America really have some right to hold on to European racing bikes? They were only ever appreciated here by a tiny minority when new. I'd say the most involvement the majority of American's have in European racing bikes is calling those who ride them ****.

EjustE

If it were me, I'd figure out the market value of those, discount it 20% (because it saves hustle and fees) and try to sell them on your store's floor come Spring. What does not sell, ebay it. You know how to package and ship bikes, so that would not be a problem.

mainducoyote

He should sell them all to me in one lot ... but yeah I'm serious. I'm also curious to know why he bought 25 bikes at once or within a few years. Did he buy them as an investment ? Is he expecting to get as much has he originally paid for the bikes, or even as much as he paid compensated for inflation?If so he could be disappointed.

wrk101

From what I have seen of the Detoit market, it will not garner the pricing that other outlets, primarily ebay, would garner. If I lived closer to Detroit, I would be going there regularly to pick up bikes to flip.

gomango

I agree, let's lay off the Pacific Basin "they are stealing our bikes" comments. This is thinly veiled racism. Let's try to stop it here in C & V.
I see enough off it elsewhere in car forums (especially BMW) forums. Sorry BMW guys, I own a cheap BMW so I feel I can say this. These are market forces, so if you don't like the bikes going elsewhere, bid more $$$, bid smarter.

EjustE

I have not seen a single mention about BMWs exported to Japan in the BMW forums (fellow vintage BMW owner here).

That said the concept of "exporting" Italian and British bikes (and German cars) from the US to Japan is at least funny.

JunkYardBike

Is that Trek in the USPS Team colors? I'll only ride AMERICAN, not that Italian stuff like Cenilli, Mazi and JPWeigle (stupid name for an Italian bike). And don't even talk to me about that Chinese crap. I ride a Trek because I don't want it to implode under me because it was made by child labor. Handbuilt in the good old US of A for me, thank you very much. (Those American handcrafters aren't unionized are they? All that commie ***** is what ruined this great country! )

RoboIsGod

A picture or two of the lot wouldn't hurt :-)

gomango

What do you drive, we have a 1972 BMW 2002 Tii?

And it isn't always what is said on the surface, it is what is often said in texts and pms below. Just like there is an above surface board here, many of us chit chat on pms about topics that might not be appropriate or interesting for a wider audience, there are sub-board converstations that relate directly to cars/parts being shipped to the basin.

Just sayin'.

EjustE

'94 E36 325i vert (stored winters 88K miles). Built date 10/93 (one of the first 10 documented E36 verts imported in the US)

gomango

That's a nice car!

Now back to the show. Our little bunch of riders here would have interest in at least four of the bikes depending on lots of things.

Pics please.

EventServices

No. USPS wasn't interested in bikes in 1981 when this one was built.

Not so stupid for a Connecticut name, though.

If you hate slave labor, you might want to avoid European cathedrals. They weren't built by college kids.

You might want to reconsider the Weigle.

USAZorro

I know a couple collectors in the area who are quite honest, and could possibly give you some advice on them. PM me if you'd like me to contact them, or pass on their contact information.

note - JunkYardBike was joking. hence the ""

JunkYardBike

I suppose I should keep my day job!

luker

I am also really interested...wuzzup widdat guy? He didn't ride the bikes he bought?

And...we really need a few pictures...

EventServices

Sorry, Junkyard. I'm new here.

The guy bought them as art, apparently.

Pictures coming eventually. This all came up in the past day or two, and there are boxes and boxes to sort through.

gomango

I bet you could use a little help from your new buddies in C & V! When should we be over?

JunkYardBike

No trouble. I was just being stupid.

Maximum profit can probably be achieved by parting them out (especially those with the 50th Campy), unless any have special provenance as built. As others have stated, ebay will garner the greatest profit, though there may be a few watching this thread who will ante up (no, not me...my pockets have holes).

miamijim

Every bike you mention may or may not be worth more than it was when new, its all relative to condition and frame size. And our crappy economy.


Ebay. All of them. For top prices this is the place.

Shop floor with reasonable prices. Your limiting yourself to your local market.

Bike Forum for sale section. In general bikes in the for sale section dont bring top dollar. But, Ebay/Paypal fees will be in the 10-13% area so if you'd like $2,000 for a bike on Ebay or your shop floor offering it up here for say 15% less could be a break even proposition.