Originally Posted by schiavonec
I would not have paid over 150 for either though, but they were the 3rd and 4th bikes so I can afford to be patient.
This is an extremely good point! I know I probably overpaid for my first bike (although I got it for less than the advertised price), but as I've gone along I have tended to be a bit more sparing of my dollars, simply because I CAN afford to look for a better deal.
If it's something rare or unusual, then we would all be willing to put up a few more units of our local currency. But for someone's first bike, it may very well be a good thing to mention that what we would be willing to pay may be significantly lower than the person asking.
I'll try to keep that in mind next time.
East Hill