Originally Posted by
daf1009
Anyway...I find that "us flippers" are NOT the ones that drive up prices (well, there are a few in the Atlanta area that do stupid things!)...but...the people that buy bikes without knowing their real value. I have seen very marginal, Hi Ten bikes go for $500 or more here in the Atlanta area...bikes whose value was more like $50 (think Schwinn Varsity level...and I like the Varsity, it is just not worth that). Having lived in NH for 3 years...and finding it to be a very good market (near Boston) for buying/trading/selling bikes...Atlanta is much higher priced...and, IMHO, it is due to disposable income and buying bikes are inflated prices...but...as a form of "flipper"...I cannot afford to do that.
Do you have actual knowledge that the high tensile bikes are being sold for the asking prices? That info would have to come from from the buyer and/or seller. Otherwise, you're just like the CL sellers who find a BBC ad on ebay and assume that is what the bike FMV should be, rather look at closed and sold transactions. For example, there is a local CL ad for a Centurion Ironman single speed for $950. Does that make it FMV? Obviously not.
Even ebay is subject to overstating, because I locally pick up bikes rather than pay $40-$100 shipping fees. The other day I bid and won a bike at $80, but upon inspection there were issues and we made the deal at $40. But the sale on ebay is reported at $80.