radumas

In the early 80s, I bought two bikes for wife and myself to take toodles. I got into it, and have gone through a few more bikes since then. Hers, on the other hand, was ridden maybe five times before she decided that cycling was simply not for her. In the garage it sat for many years.

A couple years ago, son saw it and took it to become a neighborhood bike or something to permanently mount on an exercise wheel. He cleaned it up, changed tires, chain, got it in good working order, and then never used it.

He just brought it back home. I want to sell it to get it out of the garage. I said I'd sell it for $50 on Craigslist and the son said, "Not less that $200". His argument is that it's a "classic" and the frame would be perfect for a fixie.

I think the size of the bike is 23". When I stand over it (I'm 6'1"), it feels like it's the right size for me.

The bike is pretty much all original, including the paint job, with a little rust in tiny places, but looks like this:
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_whtVpXkKwl...0-h/img025.jpg

Ok, so who is right? Father or son?

wrk101

Without pics, no idea. It would have to be really pristine to be worth $200, and in perfect ready to ride condition. Rust = serious discount, the more rust, the larger the discount.

Let your son sell it, and see what he can get. I could not get close to that price, given your description. But every market is unique. A Miyata 110 is a low end bike, not collectible. Lots of better choices for a fixie.

Chicago Al 

+1 and you won't get better advice than from 'Thrifty Bill'. It's important to note though that Miyata kept the model 110 in production throughout the 80s and it changed a lot during that time. In '86-88 it was a considerably nicer bike than in the early 80s, made of lighter/stronger steel with better components.

(You did specify that it's early 80s but the differences are pretty subtle unless you really know what to look for, and people often mis-remember exactly when things happened in their younger days. I sure do! )

Also, location matters a lot. In a bike-mad area like the SF Bay, NYC, Chicago, or Portland, prices are considerably higher than elsewhere.

And...the fixie/SS craze seems to be fading so there is not so much demand for old bikes to convert.

I predict the bike's True Market Value (ie what it will really sell for, reasonably quickly) is....somewhere between $50 and $200!

radumas

I'm in the SF Bay Area.

Yes, somewhere between 50 and 200. Since it cost maybe a little over 100 in 1981, and it was the low end, I thought the lower number appropriate. The thing is weird to ride, with the narrowest handlebars. I can't recall how I was comfortable on that kind of ride.

I've had good luck selling old bikes quickly on Craigslist. My son says that's because I underprice.

T-Mar

I agree, we need pics to make an informed judgement. $50 and $200 are just about diametrically opposed ends of the spectrum for a Miyata 110.

radumas

Here's the portrait. You'll see the rust on the reflector mounts and the bar tape missing.

WMcCready

Thank You for the orig. ad & pict. I recently purchased a Model 100. on CL for $ 100 range, it was in good cond. with a little rust on pedals. did some light over haul on it and, will be riding it more when it warms up here.

wrk101

Rust is not too bad in that picture. I see it on the reflector mounts, but not the frame itself. Around here, probably $125. Add a SF premium as needed to that amount.

radumas

thanks. posted at 150 on craigs list. Son still telling me I'm giving it away.

Do all sons think dad is too conservative?

CV-6 

Tell him if he thinks its underpriced to buy it at $150 and flip it.

tmh657

I don't think you are giving it away for this time of year but someone will be getting a fair deal if it is in good mech condition.

I sold a 1984 110 with downtube shifters in very good condition in Sept '10 for 220 in SoCal and it was a 24 1/2" frame. Miyatas seem to sell pretty easily where I live. Stem shifters turn a lot of people off but I have had friends ask me to find them, "one of those, you know, a bike with shifters that I can reach". To each his own.

wrk101

I've had recreational riders ask me if I could install stem shifters and turkey levers on bikes I had spent time and $$ replacing with "better" stuff. I have learned a lesson.

toytech

Should be a relatively easy sale at that price in our market, but it is a little slow right now. My dave scott iron man is sitting at 300 and would have gone for 375 easy a couple months ago.

wrk101

Yep, just sold a vintage steel Trek last night, about 20% less than what it would have gone for last summer.

miamijim

In SF you could probably get $200 for it. $50 is too low. Overall the bike is in very good condition. Your son is wrong in regards to the fixie/SS market. That market is falling and falling fast. Regardless, thriw it on Craigslist for $225 and see what happens. If someone offers you $200.....take it.

rekmeyata

The 110 was a lowest end Miyata made, trying to get $200 is wishful thinking when they sold for new at around $150. But do the Craigslist for $150 and see what dopes you get to buy it! Personally $100 would be fair since some people are trying to sell Schwinn Varsity's for that much, and the Miyata is a better bike.

vintagebicycle

Around here I'd probably say closer to $200 or $225. Pretty much any read to ride bike with alloy rims, forged rear drop outs, and good paint should go for over $200, expecially since you can no longer buy anything like it new.
Don't knock the Schwinn Varsity, I just sold an Orange 24" framed Varsity for $225, it was in super nice shape but the paint has lots of wear. The bike itself probably never saw pavement, but it was found in an attic covered in old drapes and other clutter. I tore it down, gave it a super cleaning and relube, polished all the original chrome, and hung it up in the garage, I hadn't even tried to sell it when a guy that came to check out another bike just had to have it. I told him it wasn't for sale yet, but he insisted and started showing cash. He left with it that day, plus the bike he came to look at.
It's all about how bad someone wants something and how rare it is. A Miyata 110 may not be rare or high end, but to a guy that always wanted one when he was a kid, and couldn't afford it, it's may just be the Holy Grail.
For example, I had an old Columbia 10 speed frame hanging in the back of the garage I had stripped of it's steel rims and some other odd bits to get an old three speed up and ridable for a neighbor. I was planning on just tossing it. The frame was somewhat clean but again, a low, low end bike with 26" wheels. It hung their for a few months up in the rafters when someone started asking about it. I told the guy it was just an old Columbia but he went on about how he saved to buy one way back when but never did get one, he now wanted one, and price didn't matter. He had me build that bike up and it sold for $250. I almost felt bad about selling it for that much but I had too much time hunting down odd bits to make it complete again. Try finding two mint clean or new mid 70's Columbia steel rims or brown plastic handle bar tape for that matter.
I've got a guy now that just dropped me off an early 70's Raleigh Sprite 27" that wants it all redone, the paint is fair, and will stay, but finding all the bits and a set of steel rims to make it original again will be both a challenge, and expensive. I'll most likely end up having to buy several old bikes to make him one good one, that all goes into the cost of the bike. His limit is $500. While it won't get to that, he's more than willing to put that amount out to get the bike he wants. To make it worse, he wants a brown one.
Personally, I love old English bikes but I wouldn't give a $100 for that model, but to him, it's his dream bike.
I never intended to get into rehabbing old bikes, but after the first 50 or so they keep coming. They come in waves, lately I've had a quite a few to redo or repair, and even sold off a few that have been hanging around for a long time in an effort to thin the herd so to speak. Over the years I've ended up keeping a few that I came to like too much, I guess when that number gets over 30 or so, it's time to let a few go.

rekmeyata

Vintagebike guy, those prices are rideculas! Ok fine, ridiculous, the ride part was interesting...Ok it's late.

Anyway I would never pay that kind of money for bikes like those. They don't go for that much on e-bay. You must live in a weird place. The Varsity was a tank at nearly 48 pounds! Sorry, but I lived in the day of Varsity's and I remember what pieces of junk they were, and to me their not worth more then maybe $50!! But that's me. But the prices you quoted for various bikes are higher then what they would go for around where I live, and your prices are nuts. But whatever the market will bare.

sykerocker 

In the Richmond area, that bike would go for about $125.00 (I'd ask $140.00), and I'd have put the turkey wings back on it.

radumas

Well, so far in the bay area, I've had one inquiry at 150, and it was a person trying to get me to click on a link that downloads a virus.

When I've sold bikes before, I've had a dozen inquiries within the first couple of hours. Says something about the interest in an old..er, vintage... low end bike.

wrk101

In my experience, as you approach market pricing, sales are slow, particularly this time of year. Its a good sign that your asking price is certainly high enough, and $200 was not realistic. I think it will sell at your asking price, but you will probably have to pop it onto Craigs List a few times.

miamijim

Bad add. I think your price is OK if a touch too low. Heck, there's a POS Eighty SE for $220.

Take 2MP or greater pictures, host them on your preffered hosting site, copy/paste the HTML code into CL ad.

wrk101

+1 To get market price, or close to market price, everything needs to be perfect. Bike needs to be spotless and ready to go, as do the pictures and the ad. You really should host full size pics on photobucket or flickr. A little time spent preparing a quality ad will result in a higher price.

Don't try to load the ad up with all kinds of text. Instead, let the pictures tell the story. Let the potential buyer know the size, who it will fit, and then three or four great pics.

If an 80SE is $220, then I would go $175, your bike with a good ad will look like a bargain in comparison!


Good luck!

longbeachgary

Nice looking bike. As far as the rust goes, those mounts come right off and are not really part of the bike. New mounts may be only a couple of bucks.

radumas

Yup, I uploaded a larger image and craigslist shrunk it. I'll fix that.

I had one inquiry asking how large the 23" bike is.