Because flipping by simply buying bikes and reselling them "as is" sucks and is a crappy thing to do. Why not give someone who might not otherwise be able to get a nicer bike have a chance to own one? That kind of flipping is just a crappy self-centered attitude. If you pick up a sweet bike for $50 that needs work and fix it up and resell it at a fair price for a profit, fine, but don't screw others out of the chance to have a decent bike so that you can look out for number one.
If it's anything like Madison, too late. I Know from talking to one of them that at least a couple of the flippers around here have apps on their phones that let them know immediately when something is posted on CL in the bike section. They quick glance at their phone and see if it's anything they want. If so, they email the person right away from their phone. Often times when you see a bike for a decent price, the bike is then re-listed later that day for much more $$$ by one of these same guys. Probably part of the reason the Madison bike market is so highly priced. If it weren't for finding my first nice vintage steel abandoned in a basement, I probably never would have gotten into the C&V hobby with this highly priced market.Anyone who tries to defend that attitude just shows themselves as a greedy, self-centered _______. At least if they do show up, it'll let us know who we can't trust to be a decent person that isn't willing to crap on the rest of us for a few $. (That might discourage them. )