Originally Posted by
BlueShoe
I'm interested in some of the comments posted here suggesting that refurbishing women's bikes is a losing proposition (one of the posters, I believe, quipped that one could hardly give a woman's bike away on Craigslist). Well, I'd like to flip the omelette over to show the other side.
Buyers can't buy if there aren't any sellers.
I've been searching a continent of Craiglists from San Francisco to Chattanooga for months now (it only seems like years) looking for a Raleigh DL-1 Lady Tourist or a vintage mixte. I can testify that it's been a feckless, dispiriting endeavor. I might as well have been searching for dinosaur eggs, the elusive black tulip. or a falling star.
Need to look a little further east of Chatanooga. I have sold several mixtes this year in both the Asheville, NC and Greenville, SC areas, I have a couple more in the queue yet to finish and sell. I've sold two in the last three weeks. I've also sold women's step through bikes and three speeds. Got one of those in the queue right now as well.
I also passed on picking up a mixte yesterday. Price was attractive, but the car is totally, completely full (six bikes, plus a bike repair stand, plus a bunch of other stuff). I will pack the car today, if I can make more room, maybe I will go back.
Mixtes sell for a nice premium. Step through road bikes and 3 speeds sell at a hefty discount. 99% of the bikes I sell to women are small to extra small men's style racing bikes. Thats what is in demand here. Just picked up a really nice one this weekend.
The last women's three speed I had, which was in outstanding condition, took me several months to sell. Meanwhile, the mixtes, XS racings bikes, and so on sell in a couple of days......
The market has "trained" me on what to pick up: racing bikes (the smaller the size, the better), mixtes, touring bikes, and just a handful of desirable MTBs.