wrk101

I don't buy bikes to flip that look like break even propositions. Too much risk. You need to give yourself a margin of error (room for surprises). One surprise and a break even bike becomes a loser. Multiple surprises, and it becomes a BIG loser. How do you lose? 1. You find a mechanical problem you didn't spot (bb, hub damage are two examples). 2. You over-estimate the bike's value in finished ready to ride condition (this happens to me too often), and you end up selling it for less than you had thought.

The way I guard against these two risks is I buy the bike at a low price. All the managing your expenses work in the world does not overcome paying too much for a flip bike. If you are flipping bikes, I assume you can source consumables cheap, have an ample supply of parts, have the tools to do all the work yourself, and have decent marketing skills (can create a good ad, with great pics, etc).

Finding bikes that have flip potential is hard work for sure.

One reason the DKO crowd does so well is that they don't worry about mechanical problems. They knock the dirt off, resell that $25 garage sale bike for $100, pocket the $75, and repeat. The challenge is finding the $25 bike...