Mhendricks

I know there are a lot of us out there. Guys like myself who flip bikes to support our "Bike Habits" or those of us that do it as a hobby. Sure we make a little money but a lot of us do it just for the satisfaction of rebuilding old steel back to it's original state. I just responded to a post on craigslist here in the SF Bay area and thought some of you guys would appreciate the post. The second link is from one of the girls I sold a bike to. She called me when she saw my post.


https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/bik/249402723.html


https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/bik/249415542.html

Katzenjammer

You got somebody upset...they flagged the second post and deleted it.

kemmer

Haha, we pretty much have the same deal going on here in my area. 3 or 4 guys in the area including myself do the same thing. Technically the bikes I sell are stolen. Stolen from a dumpster, but it's still illegal and I've had the cops threaten me a couple of times. The thrift store definitely doesn't want me taking them, they have security on Sundays and some evenings that will chase me away. I believe their concerns are mainly after hours donations (which the security guard prevents) and liability if someone should get hurt climbing around in a dumpster full of jagged metal and broken glass. What do you guys think? Am I doing a good thing by saving decent (sometimes really nice) bikes from the recyclers, or is it dishonest?

kemmer

The second post was from the girl, what was the content of the second post anyway?

Katzenjammer

The idea that it's stealing to take them from a dumpster is, you should pardon the expression, rubbish and the cops should be ashamed for trying to roust you. In fact, the cops can do you for something they find in your rubbish because the thesis is no warrant is required because you've relinguished ownership over anything you bin.

Katzenjammer

I'd like to know that too. Mr Mixte? Do you have a copy?

cyclotoine

Second post is gone now but that was a good reply. I once sold a frame to a girl who came back a week later and bought some pedals off me (it pays to sell fixed gear parts separately). Anyway, she asked if my friends thought I was a drug dealer. I asked why. She said I must be living the high life because I told her it was my hobby to buy, sell and fix vintage steel bikes. I told her I barely turn a profit and it doesn't even compensate for what I spend. She didn't seem to believe me!! What those people don't know is I have a couple campy equipped bikes in the back room and a beater (with campy) and a commuter and how many projects!?!? People who aren't into it seem to think there is something shadey about what we do, but there is not. The reason no one saw that $50 Bike is because I bought it the day it was posted and will sell it in the spring all shiny and tuned. The truth of course is that if you add up the hours we put into the bike we often are making less than minimum wage. you have to factor in the time spend searching and picking up the bike and checking the thrift stores not just the hours tearing down and rebuilding. Anyway, some of the bike community know its me when I post became my ads are different. They have good pictures and are very detailed and that is how you sell a bike. Often I take the time and effort to go look at bikes in those one sentence, no picture ads and I find a bike than can be turned around at a profit. Others are too lazy to do that.

Mhendricks

Here's what she said:


I have dealt with a few of those guys unfairly mentioned in that original post.

They were some of the nicest people I have ever met. Older gentlemen mostly with families, homes and responsibilities. There stuff was clean and priced very fair. If your looking for someone to hassle because your angry at free enterprise then you have fired at the wrong people. To Ever accuse someone of anything even closely related to a crime or illegal activity is a crime itself.... when you don't bring any evidence to substantiate your allegations. When you shoot in the dark you never get the bad guy --you hurt good people. The original poster owes some apologies.

top506

I myself would balk at taking a bike from a donation hopper, guarded or not. An unsecured dumpster is fair game. As is a landfill, transfer station, or dump.
The last time I was hassled at the dump and accused of 'theft', I asked the attendent to call the cops-and make sure he had a bill of sale or title of some kind for the bike in question when the cop showed up.
Pure bluff, of course. If he had called the cops, I would have had the choice of purgering myself or admiting guilt. The guy muttered under his breath and walked away. I went back the next day with a 30-pack of Coors Light and, as was said in the old neighborhood, an 'arangement' was made
Top

repechage

The ethical thing to do would be, donate to the thrift store, build up some good will, they get some money, might even save the bikes for you rather than toss them first.

nlerner

As an occasional flipper myself, I'm glad for your response, Mike. I'm similarly doing this to support my bike habit and my mental health. My satisfaction has come from folks who bought bikes from me on CL then passing my name along to a friend, who then buys a bike, and so on. Over the summer, I put together a "custom" mtb single-speed to someone's spec after that kind of contact (and he gave me his two old mtbs in return to use for parts and resell). We're definitely filling a market need.

Neal

bigbossman 

Hey...... who the hell is she calling old?

FWIW, all of my bikes come from three places, in order: 1) CL, 2) thrifts, 3) garage sales. There are a lot of folks that are cleaning out garages and post an "old bike" for sale cheap on CL. Also, there is another "flipper" close to me that buys bikes to flip on CL but doesn't like to wrench on them. I sometimes buy a bike or two from him, fix the problems, and move them along for a small profit (but I usually limit myself to the "higher end" bikes in this case). He knows what I do, and is good with it - we both profit.

I always give the bike a complete going over, and when I offer it for sale it is ready to ride, clean and polished, and almost always has new tires/bar tape. Buyers seem to appreciate that, and my bikes sell quickly. I have never ever had one come back to me, and it is a very rare occurrence that someone comes out to see one of my bikes and does not leave with it.

In fact, if I had a buck for every squeal of delight I've heard or thank-you email I've received, I'd have a pretty well-stuffed tip jar.

reverborama

We have a couple people in the Minneapolis area that do this. I bought a nice Raleigh road bike for my wife from one and I've directed several people to him when they are looking for a nice bike for under $100. Sometimes people get mad because these guys re-advertise the same bike for a couple of weeks, bumping it to the top of the list. CL for bikes isn't so crowded that it bothers me and the bikes are in decent shape. Heck, I appreciate that someone is saving old bikes for people who appreciate a good ride for not a lot of $$. And when I see someone out riding something old and steel I tell them.

BlankCrows

I don't think the person who you responded to has ever been to a flea market, thrift store or a garage sale -- and determined there are a lot of used things in those places, bikes among them.

Little Darwin

I just have to wonder if these statements are somehow connected in a devious way... Why would someone delete a message talking about the nice bike flippers in the bay area?

kemmer

Actually in this case, the dumpsters are on private property. There's no fence or anything, it's a public right of way, but still private property. It's definitely stealing in a legal sense. They also sort the garbage so that things that are mostly metal go in one bin and furniture and clothes and stuff go in another. I don't know if they get money for the scrap metal but I suspect they do.


I would never take anything from the donation area, I think that would clearly be wrong. It's the dumpsters that I feel are a bit of a gray area. Good call on the beer, I usually take a few extra bucks when I go to the dump, a couple of dollars go a long way with those guys.


I do donate from time to time, and I buy a lot there too. This store is too big and too busy to remember me though. It's kind of like the wal mart of thrift stores. I've talked to the manager about saving the bikes for the local bike collective. He says the can't give anything away because what they do with donations is carefully monitored. He said they couldn't really set things aside to sell me either. *shrug*

I might try to get in good with the guys that take donations and sort merchandise. Maybe I can at least talk them into putting the bikes on top in the dumpster and not dumping washing machines on top of them. I can't tell you how many times I've seen a cool Schwinn or something mangled from having a dishwasher thrown on it. A friend of mine saw an Apple Crate at the bottom of the bin, he spent a solid couple of hours trying to get it out but had to give up. So sad.

mastershake916

Any flippers in sacto?

PTB

I'm also in minneapolis. I think I know which guy you're referring to (Plymouth off 394). His prices are always reasonable and he's duly reconditioned the bikes he sells. I think its great. Lately, it seems he's been doing mostly singlespeeds. Filling a market demand. (After all, this is the home of Surly.)

bigbossman 

Ha ha ha......

"discussion" is strictly forbidden on CL "For Sale" boards, and will get deleted prertty quick once someone flags it. and NO, it wasn't me......

mswantak

Probably me; must be the gray beard...

My story's pretty much like the others. I've done about 80 bikes over the past couple years, all sold on CL. Sometimes I get lucky and all they need is a bath, but most of the time they get stripped and rebuilt -- repacked bearings, new cables, tires and chain. I'm not getting rich, but I've cleared a few grand. I live in an apartment complex and in the beginning my neighbors wondered why I was on a different bike every time they saw me, but they're fine with it now and they even refer folks to me.

Cyclotoine's on to the big CL trick -- taking the time to check out the vague, one-liner ads; an ad for a 'free 10-speed' got me the Carlton-built Phillips. Beyond that, I just try to check the list a few times a day for bikes that are clearly undervalued, or need attention I can provide. It's something anyone else could do if they were interested enough. I've seen other CL posts from people whining about seeing a bike on CL that was there two weeks before for less money, but that's all it amounts to -- whining. Sure, sometimes I get over because I was the first to answer an ad, but more often I'm too late -- usually because of bossman or hendricks.

braingel

yeah, you've gotta be real quick here to get any kind of deal on craigslist. there are a lot of people who try to do this in portland(although i'm only 1 of 2 that actually overhaul the bikes, as far as i know). i've been sticking mostly to checking thrift stores frequently...my roommate works at one too which helps. he prices the stuff, and puts it out on the floor, so i get a phone call before the customers even see them. they don;t get them in too often, though, and garage sale season is officially over here.

edit: and i've gotten a few phone calls too from people whose friends have gotten bikes from me. i ended up building a touring bike for this girl who's going to argentina, which is kind of cool.

squirtdad

Can you just talk to them, explain what your are doing, maybe offer an occaisonal working bike to them and see if you can do this "legally"?

kemmer

I tried talking to a few people there, it ain't gonna happen. I could try to buy them all at a fixed price, but there are too many magnas and kid bikes (I can't seem to give those away).

bigbossman 

Funny, I could say the same thing about you and hendricks - and I'll bet he could say the same about us!!

The amusing thing is that I really just dabble in it any more. Between the job and family, I limit myself to the area close-in to me, and a odd thrift shop/garage sale run now and again. I try not to buy bikes that need a lot of cleaning or work, but even then I never seem to have the time to run through my backlog. Last time I counted, I had at least 8 bikes in inventory ready to go on the stand and get refurbished.

Sometimes, though, bikes just seem to find me - and sometimes in droves. I think it has more to do with a heightened awareness and possession of the knowledge I've gained here than anything else. Also, I'm guessing that on a subconscious level my mind is probably scanning and processing all the time, looking for bikes.

But luck seems play a part, too.

cyclotoine

I couldn't agree with you more.

The thrift shops here are not very lucrative and neither are the yardsale. besides I don't own a vehicle making it difficult. Value Village literally is the Wal-Mart of thrift stores. I saw a chromoly Exage MTB in mint condition there yesterday but they wanted $100 for it! It was worth the price but not for flipping. I have only bought one bike at a thrift store and it was one of the first few that I flipped.