mattface 

Here's the thing: I love bikes. I've got five, and I love them all and ride them all as the mood strikes me, but I feel like I need to get rid of a couple, and the only ones I feel I can do without are my 2 vintage road bikes.

1 is the shopping cart bike. It's a 1891 Ross with Shimano 600 group. it's also got old Campy pedals and a Wrights Saddle I'm kinda fond of, but the big ugly wire basket is what makes this bike. I can take it to the grocery store and load it up, so it's kinda tough to part with it because it's so damn useful to have around.


The other one is my 78 Raleigh Supercourse. It's not an especially useful bike, but I just kinda love it. Even more so since I changed it over to One One Mungo Moustache Bars, and Suntour Barcons last week. it's got a manky old Turbo saddle on it that I also kinda love.


I can't really chose between them, but the LBS is having a bike swap this weekend, so I think I will put them both in the bike swap priced kinda high, and see if one or both sells. If they both sell I'll have lots of cash to invest in my remaining bikes, if only one sells, the market will have decided for me.

So here's where I'm asking for help? What prices do you folks think I should ask for these? I'm thinking something like $110 for the Ross, and $240 for the Raleigh. Does that sound right? I'm not trying to price them NOT to sell, but I don't wanna sell em cheap, know what I mean?

Also do you think I should keep the saddles, and put something I don't care about on them? I've got a Brown leather Avocet Touring II I don't really care about. do you think that saddle would make either of these bikes more or less desire-able?

gorn

I doubt anyone would decide not to buy the bike because they didn't like the saddle, however looks are very important to catch someones eye. One of my friends was selling a bike and showed it to me and my initial reaction was that it was a crappy bike because the seat was celeste and the bike was black and non-bianchi, the handlebars were not wrapped and pointed at an unnatural angle, and there were no logos on the frame. It actually is a decent bike, but I was turned off because of the horrid setup. So make it look pretty whatever you do.

chicagoamdream

I'd keep the saddles, since you like them, and it's a total crapshoot whether or not they'll be attractive or a not to a prospective buyer.

I understand your price-kinda-high strategy, but there is just no way that Raleigh's going for $240, and I really like Carlton-built Raleighs. An International or Competition, for sure, but the SC occupies that niche where people who really know these bikes aren't likely to be impressed, and to the untrained eye, it's just an old bike. Just sayin'.

mattface 

I got dollar signs in my eye when I saw a 1979 frame just like mine go on ebay for $300. I KNOW that's crazy, but there were at least 2 crazy people out there at that time, so I put mine up right away hoping the other crazy person would bite and buy my whole bike for $200 or more. Nobody did. I wouldn't part with this bike for less than $200 (unless it was going to a friend who I knew would appreciate it), but I fully understand that might just mean I have to keep it.