Well, there's one flipper in Charlotte, who just knocks the dirt off and resells the bikes. I bet he sells 200 to 300 bikes a year. But if you are willing to do some work yourself and negotiate, some of his bikes can be a good deal. I have bought several from him, including my Paramount Series 5, my Waterford Paramount, and my Univega Alpina Pro. All were a good deal IMHO. Just don't expect them to be ready to ride.

On my last trip to Charlotte (about 2 months ago), I brought back my all chrome Katakura Silk. It was on there a couple of days. Why someone local didn't grab it is beyond me.

One trick that has served me well on road trips is to look at C/L for cities along the way. I made a trip to Richmond, VA, came back through Greensboro, where I picked up a nice Peugeot and a Schwinn Prelude for $75... Score. Sometimes its not the destination, its the in between places.