The weather is showing major signs of spring and everyone is out and about, ready to spend a little cash to pick up a shiny new bike for the upcoming season.
I'm new to the flipping game but I picked up about 7 cycles this winter and slowly am going through, cleaning/degreasing/repairing then releasing them back onto the open market of the maddening world of Craigslist.
The bikes I purchased were all very different. From some plumbers pipe Peugeots to an Ironman Single speed and bone stock Bridgestone 112, to name a few. I haven't gone through all of them yet, but so far, I'm starting to figure out which ones are the most desirable (for whatever reason) and quick to sell. I had a gorgeous Peugeot Grand Sport mixte that sold instantly and the mens version of the same bike went pretty quick too.
I'd say, that in Portland, the hot bikes that turn quick seem to be almost
any Peugeot. Since it has a French name, people think that they are all amazing bicycles (as silly as that is). I'm also finding that mixte's seem to be desirable as well. Configurations (drop bars vs other straighter, more relaxed bars) are still yet to be determined, but I'm sure that makes a difference too. I also see that single speeds/fixies go fast, but that's to be expected here in Portland. However, I always make a caveat in my ads that restoring the frame back to its original status would be a
great idea!
What I'm actually trying to find out from this thread is, what vintage bikes do you find to be the ones most highly desirable? What configurations? Does color play a factor? Anything else?
Obviously, different parts of the country and different cities (college town vs big city vs rural area) are going to make a difference, but surely there must be some common threads, other than price.
I'd really rather concentrate on only repairing/restoring higher end bikes, but some are just too easy to make a killing off of.