Originally Posted by
atariwhizkid
Obviously. But if you know that the CL bike can in no way ever be worth the price that the seller's asking for, why bother looking? That's when you shoot them an e-mail politely asking if that's a firm price or not.
It's a lost cause, IME. I can't recall a single time I was able to reason with someone who had grossly overpriced a bike. It's a very difficult thing to do - in person, or otherwise. I was able to do it on one memorable occasion.... memorable because I spent a lot of time and soft skills negotiating a satisfactory price, and then someone came along and paid the asking price before I could get there.
It is ALWAYS best to do it in person, with cash in hand. It will be a gamble, but if it is a bike you REALLY REALLY want, that is the only way to do it. Face-to-face. And you HAVE to be willing to waste your time, and walk away.
On the other side of the coin, a lot of CL buyers think that vintage bikes are only "worth" $50 or so, and are not real delicate in expressing their opinion. Ultimately the market determines worth, and lots of bikes get sold for significantly more than some folks think they are worth.