stronglight

In my town (Albuquerque) what you'll find on Craigslist is typically crappy K-mart and BMX bikes. Absolute garbage. Not even worth looking on CL. There are a couple used bike shops down near the University and they sometimes have interesting garage sale finds or consignment bikes, and at decent prices, too. Basically, they cater to the college campus crowd. Now, surely there must be "Good" vintage bikes here, but I rarely see any (perhaps they are all right here in my own apartment). In any case, as far as flipping bikes around here... I wouldn't bank on it. Although quite a bike friendly town with generally superior cycling weather perhaps 9 months of the year, the cyclists I see on the roads and bike paths have New bikes, even nice new bikes, but I seem to be among the extreme minority as far as having attractive, cared for, vintage road bikes. Perhaps I alone make up the entire market for them here.

On a sad note, the local Police department annually auctions off literally thousands of bikes recovered from thefts, arrests, and whatever. However they are sold in bulk lots of hundreds at a time, and are usually shipped down to Mexico in huge open-back trucks just as you might haul bales of hay or plywood. You are not allowed to look at them or pick through a mound of rusting metal to see if it might contain perhaps a recently recovered Hetchins (like the one which was stolen from my friend). It's just a simple "what's my bid for this truckload of maybe 300 bikes here...". Then they're gone.

Bikedued

Oh hell yeah, agree 100%. I also sell bikes ready to ride, or make 100% sure the buyer knows it before coming by. We have had a rash of flippers hitting CL immediately buying up anything for a decent price, and then posting it the same day for 3-4 times the original price without doing a thing to them. Ticks me off , but then I get the joy of watching it slowly drop with each ad, lol.,,,,BD

curbtender

I'm a sucker for free stuff and no picture.

roccobike

Wahoonc, too bad you don't live in Apex or New Hill. A bike like that listed for $75-$100 would sell within 2-4 days for asking, no problem. I have a Schwinn World ladies/step through on CL right now. I've had four hits and I'm surprized it's that slow. Hit #3 looks like a winner, probably will sell tomorrow.

roccobike

I have to admit, I'm getting tired of bike flipping. I've put a lot of time into it and it has paid large dividends in terms of expanding my knowledge of bikes, especially C & V bikes for very little money. In fact, I've barely come out on top.
BUT I have one BIG problem, I never have time to work on my bikes! I think this year I'm going to sell off a few and spend the rest of the time fixing up the ones I want to keep.

nlerner

I've pretty much given up flipping for now (and that was mostly single-speed conversions) and have focused on getting my own fleet up and running. I'm much happier about that and spend far less time scrounging for wheelsets and cranks and the like. There's also quite a large number of flippers on Boston's CL now, including a couple of folks I know well and will trade parts with, but this college-town market seems to buy up what's out there pretty regularly.

Neal

wahoonc

Roccobike,
I might have to check into that. My office is in Apex, but the last two times I listed something on the CL for that area it didn't sell. I spend most of my time on the road which makes it hard to work on anything.

Aaron

robtown

I'm with you 100%. I put much too much time in on most bikes I flip. I'll replace tires, cables, saddles, bar tape, chains, etc. I always clean and often wax and metal polish. I'll tune, adjust, repack, and true wheels. Some rough jewels I'll strip and sell to the fixie market. Somtimes I'll strip premium parts for my own use or resale. I'll rarely sell a bike I haven't gone over except to another enthusiast at a small profit.

I've seen some incredible claims and prices asked. The ones that get reposted for months on Craigslist are rather sad.

I command a higher but reasonable price on many bikes - but it works out to less than minimum wage. I also post multiple hi-res pictures with good descriptions in the Craiglist ads. I have sold three, higher end bikes two of which I built up. They went for $500 - $900 and would have cost 50% more on sale at the LBS.

tellyho

Yeah, I don't get too worked up about overpriced crap on CL. I've never had trouble selling the bikes I overhaul. Few of them have been pretty, but I usually get $100 - $150, basically the cost of an overhaul at a shop.

As a buyer, there's always the thrill of the hunt - some layperson selling his vintage Trek or an old unidentifiable Italian bike.

East Hill

I think our thread is much better .

East Hill

nak45z

I been lucky to flip a 86' Myata 110 and a 88' Raleigh Tri-lite Scott Tinley, but now I am debating on a recent purchase of a 1950's Firestone Vagabond (2 piece frame, 16" wheels). I am debating on rebuilding it, because I bought it for 100 and they go for 150. I would have to put 200 and change to bring it back to life. It is a cute bike, but it would not be a good flip.

What do you guys thing?

nlerner

I think this thread is over seven years old. Nostalgic!

icepick_trotsky 

What color is your garage door, @SoreFeet?

dailycommute

Not much has changed in 7 years, CL BIA is primarily overpriced crap of which I suspect 90% never sells. This time of year is especially shrill with white noise.

curbtender

Any post that's ended with an East Hill comment...

nlerner

And I didn't have to look far to find my own comment back in 2008:

Definitely still true.