I admit, I know nothing about any of this, but I see cheap Specialized MTB's everywhere. Many of them are in mint condition, as it seems people buy them but never ride them (or only ride them down the street and back)Originally Posted by wrk101
I admit, I know nothing about any of this, but I see cheap Specialized MTB's everywhere. Many of them are in mint condition, as it seems people buy them but never ride them (or only ride them down the street and back)
Also, what's your view on hybrids?
Probably because of the tires more than anything else. Put on some slicks and they'll be tooling around town. Humans are simple creatures.
i bought a trials bike (which is a mountain bike with bmx geometry) for 250 and after i beat the hell out of it for 2 days i sold it for 370
i see you coastin
Money pits...possibly worse than mtb's.
Thats the way to do it!!!i bought a trials bike (which is a mountain bike with bmx geometry) for 250 and after i beat the hell out of it for 2 days i sold it for 370
WWW.CYCLESPEUGEOT.COM 2005 Pinarello Dogma Campy Record; 1997 Litespeed Catalyst Dura Ace; 1990 Miyata TripleCross; 1992 Bianchi Avenue; 1986 Schwinn Circuit Dura Ace; 1986 Dave Moulton Fuso Dura Ace 25th; 1986 Basso Campy Super Record, 1985 Vitus 997 Campy Super record; 1980 Colnago Mexico Campy Super Record; 1973 Raleigh RRA; 1973 Schwinn Paramount P65
I'm gonna go ahead and say that most people aren't going to ride their bike no matter what.
1984 Centurion Pro Tour 15
1988 Centurion Dave Scott Ironman Master—awaiting shipment to Hawaii...
I'd have to agree. If you didn't grow up riding, then biking is just another exercise machine. But still, the hybrids are going to sell because people want to be comfortable when they ride. Even if it's only one time around the block.
A decent hybrid (i.e. 80s, early 90s double-butter steel or better) can make a decent cross bike and be marketed as such. Cross bikes are in high demand.
I wasn't sure where to ask but this seems like the right place. I couldn't find this answered anywhere so...
I have a bike to flip, mid 80's and mid level. It has the original foam grip on the bars in like new condition and no bar hoods.
Can the foam stay or does it have to go in favor or some new bar tape?
Will the average buyer just looking for a bike in good shape to ride around campus, etc. really care?
I have always replaced the foam before but it was never useable.
This picture is for reference only, grabbed of the web.
The key to any successfull flip is to maximize profit. Do NOT replace anything that doesnt need replacing. If the foam grips are in good condition leave them alone. Buyers of casual bikes like foam grips.
WWW.CYCLESPEUGEOT.COM 2005 Pinarello Dogma Campy Record; 1997 Litespeed Catalyst Dura Ace; 1990 Miyata TripleCross; 1992 Bianchi Avenue; 1986 Schwinn Circuit Dura Ace; 1986 Dave Moulton Fuso Dura Ace 25th; 1986 Basso Campy Super Record, 1985 Vitus 997 Campy Super record; 1980 Colnago Mexico Campy Super Record; 1973 Raleigh RRA; 1973 Schwinn Paramount P65
+1
Is there any downside to the COD method of payment? I have been contacted about a bike and the buyer wants it shipped but can only pay cash, am I setting myself up to be scammed? What about as a buyer in the COD transaction, could I get scammed by a seller? Thanks.
Payment in full and cleared before delivery. I'll take any form of payment but its always cashed if its a check, or transfered out of my Paypal account before delivery.
WWW.CYCLESPEUGEOT.COM 2005 Pinarello Dogma Campy Record; 1997 Litespeed Catalyst Dura Ace; 1990 Miyata TripleCross; 1992 Bianchi Avenue; 1986 Schwinn Circuit Dura Ace; 1986 Dave Moulton Fuso Dura Ace 25th; 1986 Basso Campy Super Record, 1985 Vitus 997 Campy Super record; 1980 Colnago Mexico Campy Super Record; 1973 Raleigh RRA; 1973 Schwinn Paramount P65
Yes, good thinking.
What about as a buyer? I have never received a COD package, I would assume that I just make sure everything inside is as it should be and then hand over the cash?
+10 Took me a while to figure it out, but casual riders like foam grips and turkey levers. Remember you are rehabbing the bike for what the marketplace wants, not what you like. Money spent replacing foam grips and turkey levers is money and time wasted, unless it is a higher end bike. I have had buyers ask me if I could INSTALL turkey levers, on bikes I had wasted money removing them and replacing them with what I perceived to be "better" levers.
COD? Forget about it. There are enough local buyers to work for me. Cash in person.
I have flipped several hybrids this year and maintained my standard margin. The challenge with flipping hybrids is that you first have to find a good one cheap, really cheap. My last four hybrids were obtained for $7, $7, $9 and $9. Next you have to be really careful about parts. I have used donor tires off donor bikes, and some of the hybrids above had good tires.
So unless you can find a hybrid super cheap, the resale market just isn't good enough to make a reasonable flip.
Last edited by wrk101; 11-21-09 at 12:15 PM.
Yep. Which can be hard if it's a bike and packaged correctly. The delivery guy will be standing there with his truck idling, not a great time for an inspection of all the parts inside the box. They usually will take a check or CC as well.
I have two questions.
-First what is the most you have ever spent on a bike you flipped? (Excluding new tires, tubes, tape, etc...)
-How much does frame color scheme affect buyer interest/price?
It never gets easier, you just go faster.
The most I paid was $575 for a complete fixed gear/track bike. I didn't flip the whole bike. I parted it out and got a free frame and some cash. It had some expensive parts. Phil Wood HF hubs w/ Velocity rims, Sugino 75 cranks and BB, Thomson stem & seat post, some fancy track bars. A high end saddle. It's a Soma Rush and a nice ride. I kept the Chris King head set though. I would not spend that much cash if there was any question about making the money back + profit in a relatively short amount of time.
Color scheme? Hmmm.. I sold a purple and white 62cm Centurion LeMans w/ white bar tape to a 6'2' buffed college dude and he was very into it. He showed up with his girl friend to buy it. IIRC it came with a Campy aero water bottle w/ cage that I sold on ebay for about 1/3 what I paid for the bike.
I have also sold rattle can painted bikes that were bright orange, baby blue, white, lime green, sage green. Those were fixed or SS to younger people. Bright colors sell fixies.
I have sold a few bikes to girls/ women and they didn't care much about the color. Just wanted a good riding bike for the right price. Practical female thinking I guess.
If I found a Centurion Iron Man Master in my size that was Miami Vice colors I would ride it, no problem.
I don't know if there is any rhyme or reason to frame color.
Here's my techniques. I hope you wont use them if you live in my area:
- Go to the dump/landfill often. The scrap pile will provide you with hordes of frames and sometimes wheels
- Think about where you live. I live in the mountains, Everybody and their brother has or wants a mountain bike. I get free or sub $40 mountain bike and flip them ready to ride for $150.
- Go dumpster diving. Behind the LBS, you can regularly find tires, tubes, chain, wheels, bike boxes, and sometimes even shifters! Beware, some shops are extremely protective of their trash and will do things like DESTROY takeoffs and partially non-working parts. Don't be surprised if the employees soon hate you.
- I harvest Wal-Mart bikes for their cables/housing, ferrules, derailleurs (if they are Shimano), seat posts, saddles, grips, and sometimes: shifters, wheels, bars, v-brakes, stems... If the bike CAN be 100% I will sell it after making adjustments so it can be ridden.
- Any working road bike is worth $120+ if it's ready to ride.
- Schwinn is still a respected brand name by the average consumer (read: worth more)!
- If you get a road bike that doesn't get a lot of respect, but has nice components, part it out.
- Do you go to church? If so ask ministers/missionaries if they can keep an eye out for bikes. I have gotten gobs of parts and bikes from LDS missionaries who often wear out small parts on their bikes and trade bikes and parts often. It's not uncommon for missionaries (who all live in an apartment together), to have 20+ parts bikes available. I offer to fix their bikes for free, they give me everything they don't need. The bikes they don't use often get taken to the tip. So they usually consider my removal to be a nice service!
- Ask your friends.
- When I sell a bike, it falls in one of two categories: rebuilt or tuned-up. If a bike is nice enough, (Schwinn World Sport and up), I will completely rebuild and overhaul the bike and then tune it to race bike precision. When they go for a test ride and it looks a feel like new, they will usually pay a lot more. If it can feel that way without overhaul, then just clean/adjust
- Finally, when parting out: don't be afraid to clean/rebuild components I have ad a lot of luck selling things for top dollar on Ebay, "precision rebuilt" and "functioning flawlessly". I will even buy low priced Buy It Now dirty parts, rebuild and flip.
"Winning is the best deodorant. Someone can look at your bike and say it stinks, but if you win with it, suddenly it's okay." - Jim Busby
I tend to take the easy way on it. Pick them up at a flea market or garage sale, Wash , air up the tires. Make sure it rides up and down the street fine then post them at atleast double what I paid. I might put new tires on something and a little time in to but it has to be a decent bike. Most get cut up in to fixies so I dont mind.
This past summer I bought an '08 Kona Jake The Snake CX bike for $560 and flipped it in 3 days for $850 and basically just dusted it off. Believe it or not, it was a thrift store find that I let sit for 4+ weeks before I pulled the trigger.
What's the consensus on selling a frame on ebay during Christmas time? Would you wait or do you think it matters at all?
Maybe it's 50/50 since some people have no money left to spend and others have some cash they got as a gift and it's burning a hole in the pocket.
Someone has a wishlist. I'm not sure on sales, but prices are creeping up on craigs.
But watch out for flakes... http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/d36...-pinky-promise
Last edited by curbtender; 12-21-09 at 03:48 PM.
This past summer I picked up 2 Spinning bikes ridiculously cheap with intentions of selling them for a good profit in the winter months. Particularly the Schwinn Johnny Gs and similar machines. I did well on one last week and have another in the works. I would recommend this as a good option for a long slow winter.
[QUOTE=treebound;8126714]Do we need a "Bike Flipping 101" thread/stickie in the Valuation sub-forum?
Several threads recently are along the lines of: "I want to buy a bike to ride now and flip later so is this a good bike for that and if not then what should I look for and how do I know if a bike is a good bike to buy and flip".
I'm thinking maybe a generic, non-specific, generalized steps or process to select and then tune or repair and then price a bike. Probably pretty much the same comments that are already posted as replies to some of the current threads, but consolidated into one thread to direct people towards.
I'm not really a flipper, been keeping most of what I've found, but I have sold a couple of bikes over the last year or so, but "flipping" isn't my personal primary motivator. But I can see where some might see this as a way to make the hobby somewhat self supporting financially, "somewhat" being the operative word there.
I just wanted to ask you in all your bikes do you have Hopalong Cassidy Rollfast?
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
