Condition is everything. Original paint and decals a must. More recognizable names like Trek and Peugeot tend to sell really fast. Anything with the cool vintage look, like 1980s Fujis, sell well. Other than the frame/paint/decals, the bike can be in pretty poor condition. Such poor condition bikes sell at a huge discount (no one wants them).
Anything with cromoly lugged frame, road bike (drop handlebars), alloy crankset and rims, will sell well. I tend to buy midgrade bikes. I avoid entry level bikes. I rarely find high end bikes, so that leaves everything else in the middle.
Any small frame bike sells at a premium. Large frames (25 inch or more) are really hard to sell, and sell at a discount.
It takes just as much $$ in parts and just as much time to rehab a crappy bike as a good one. But only the good ones will return enough to make it worth your time IMHO.
I even dabble in MTBs, a real no-no in flipper-land. But to be profitable, I have to get them really, really cheap, and they have to be one of just a couple of brands: Trek, Gary Fisher and Specialized.
I also seek out donor bikes. I have one posted in the recent finds thread. Bike was in deplorable condition. But lots of good useable parts. I sold the rear wheel for what I paid for the bike. So its like getting a box load of parts free. The bike sat on Craigs List for over a week. I was the only one who called on it. Most buyers can't see past obvious flaws and sniff out a deal. If you are going to try to flip MTBs, you better find some donor bikes. Otherwise, you won't have any margin left on a MTB. A typical $5 donor might provide brakes, wheels, cassette, grips, tires and tubes, seat, pedals,shifters, etc. One donor might not have this entire list, but pick up a few and you will have it.
Its really all about what I am able to find, at a reasonable price. I will buy modern bikes as well at the right price. Bought one yesterday.
Last edited by wrk101; 05-07-10 at 11:26 AM.