miamijim

Exactly. Tampa is over run with buy who buy and flip whithout putting a penny or spare second into them. I know where they get their bikes, fortunately or unfortunately, I have a real job which prevents me from beating them to it.

For me it's a hobby, I dont want my hobby to turn into a job.

thinktubes 

if you're good at it, you can probably make $20-30 per hour.

vintagerando

You hit the nail on the head. Its happen to me time and again.....I fall in love with these old works of art. If the size is right, I always end up keeping it. If it doesn't fit there is at least a chance I can sell it and make some (small) money. I fall for these old beauties tooo easily.

aluminummonster

To make any money, at least in my experience, and like others have said, you've got to do some research. Find out what's valuable, what's got a following, and how best to sell it--keep it together and sell it on craigslist, keep it together and sell it on ebay, or part it out and sell it on ebay. Take for example, a lower-end bike like a 70's model Raleigh Grand Prix. So-so frame, so-so but functional components. This is a bike I'd clean up, tune, and try to turn a quick buck on the local craigslist because it wouldn't be worth the effort to part out, and it's not a valuable enough bike to go through the work of shipping it out. However, let's say I've got a late 80's upper-mid model Schwinn, like a Tempo with the original components--say shimano 105. I'd probably try to sell this one all-together on ebay, because it's all original with a pretty decent component group that's somewhat valuable but not outrageously so. But if I was having problems selling it all together, or I was in a hurry to make a bit of money, I'd part it out. But really, patience is key, and beyond patience, the understanding that sometimes you're gonna get burned and take a loss. With that in mind though, it's a great hobby that eventually can and will support your own love of cycling.

Don Taye

I can't say I really make money rebuilding bikes but I don't loose money. I buy projects I want to work on and put my time into them. Sourcing parts, painting and just really playing with em. Could I make money doing this? Maybe but It would require quite a bit of hustle and a good amount of money invested in projects.

Thumpic

No

rgver

I don't make money I make bikes, I started with a beat Fuji S10-s, I now have a stable of what I think are gorgeous bikes. I paid for all with bike flipping, if I looked at it in monetary terms, no not worth the work I have put in, but if I look at it like the hobby it is I have profited greatly. I enjoy working on old bikes, I like that I have earned a beautiful collection of bikes that otherwise I would never have.
You can earn some money doing it, easier to do if you don't like bikes, but then why would you do it for the relatively small returns

Glennfordx4

There are better ways to make money as others have said but if you are passionate about it give it a try. That being said, I know it has gotten a lot harder in my area to sell a used bike then it was just 2 years ago. When I started rebuilding & selling bikes out of my garage 6 years ago & listing them on our local CL people would travel from as far as 3hrs away to purchase them & I would sell everything I could build as fast as I could get them together, but times have changed.
I now use CL to sell but I also am able to sell out of a local bike shop & sales are taking much longer to move product & if I didn't love what I do I would have quit a long time ago.

Glenn

RobbieTunes

We keep telling our wives it's possible, so please, don't blow it for us.

RobbieTunes

Good for you. There is hope for humanity.

nesteel 

I think if you work at it a bit, and don't get the reputation for being a "dirt knocker" (like some of the locals around here), you can do OK. Just don't fall into the trap where you spend all your time finding deals, rebuilding bikes, and get too burned out to enjoy bikes.

Thumpic

Why yes dear; tires are always 2 for $10 and include tubes!