bikemig 

I have a 1983 21 inch Trek 600 I'd like to sell. Time to thin out the herd. This bike is in very fine cosmetic and mechanical shape. I've overhauled the bike (the bearing surfaces are all in fine shape) and replaced all the cables and the chain. The bike is pretty much original other than the wheelset. How much should I be able to get for this?

T-Mar

I have no idea what prices are like in Middle Earth but the 21" size would be far too big for most of the inhabitants, so it might be a tough sell. Too bad, you've done a nice job.

bikemig 

Good point. . My understanding is that some hobbits were a bit taller than others but still 21 inch might be too large for most of the inhabitants which would definitely hurt the value of this bike. How about the middle of the US of A in a mid-sized city like Des Moines, Iowa? Not exactly a hot market but Treks command a premium locally. As far as I can tell, the inhabitants of my middle earth are pretty much normal height for Americans.

oddjob2

Oracle says $275

Barrettscv 

Does the new owner get the engraved Trek ring?

I'm in Chicago and the bike would draw $250 to 375, IMO.

thinktubes 

+1

Pie plate and seat are killing it 4 me.

wrk101

I'd redo the tape and trim the end so it is neat and tidy. Little details can catch the eye of buyers, good or bad.

I taper the end of the tape, then terminate it on the back side of the handlebars. I use contrasting silicone self fusing tape to secure it. In this case, the silicone tape matches (almost) the color of the bike, while the bar tape matches the color of the decals (almost).

Just one guy's opinion.





bill

bikemig 

I like it; presentation matters.

bikemig 

If you want the bike, I'd be happy to take off the pie plate for you, . But I figure most buyers can't adjust a RD and I don't want them wrecking the bike. The saddle looks better in real life than the pics since it has nice blue stitching. It is a woman's saddle so I probably should replace it with a generic man's saddle and offer the B choice of saddles.

tmh657

Check some very recent completed ebay auctions for '83, '84 620's. Getting up there in $$$. I was looking at one in my size. I didn't need it bad enough for $550.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/231039751866...#ht_234wt_1171

https://www.ebay.com/itm/281151177863...#ht_242wt_1200

wrk101

620s typically bring a 50% premium as a touring bike, particularly 1984 or later (canti brake version). I would consider the 1984 to be a reasonable deal. Steel Treks have been on a steady increase value wise. When does it stop? I do not know.

T-Mar

Generally, I avoid Treks of this era due their fondness for Helicomatic hubs. They either have to be in like new condition or heavily discounted to compensate for potential wheel rebuilds.

oddjob2

What, a bike Thrifty Bill is missing in his armada?

wrk101

Actually, I have two 1984 620s right now. I had a 1983 620.

bikemig 

Well my bike has a freewheel, not a helico. It also fits a great many of the denizens of middle earth, .

bikemig 

I didn't realize that Thrifty Bill was trying to corner the market on Trek 620s. Wow, that explains why I can't find a vintage touring bike in my size.

T-Mar

My comment was a general comment on Treks and not on your bicycle in particular. It was prompted by a previous post (#10) noting high prices on 1983 & 1984 Trek 620 which were Helicomatic spec'd. Some Treks of this era, such as yours, were spec'd with freewheels but there were also a lot spec'd with Helicomatic. I apologize if I offended you, as it was not intended as such.

bikemig 

I was teasing. You mentioned in your first response to my post that you were unable to value my bike because you were concerned that the inhabitants of middle earth (which is my fictional location) might not be able to ride a 21 inch bike. I'm afraid you might be right! I'm still trying to figure out a way to get you to put a value on my bike, .

oddjob2

If you have friends/family who make the 4-5 hour journey to Madison or Chicago, you could get bigger $$$ for it than in Des Moines. In July, I sold a recumbent that was in my garage in Michigan to a buyer in Albany NY. In my ad I disclosed that free delivery was available around Labor Day along I-80, the Northway, and Long Island because I was traveling that route. So that covered NY, NJ, OH, PA. Delivered it last week and he's very happy. In Michigan, the only offers received were from lowballers, well below selling price on ebay.

T-Mar

I thought you might be, based on the emoticon. However, I thought I had best play it safe. I don't want to make any enemies with this little time left.

bikemig 

Dang, 10,000 posts and that's it huh? That's rough. Well then you'll have to keep your thoughts on my bike to yourself and save your posts for truly important things!

bikemig 

Yeah, I may go that route but first I'll probably try my luck locally. I don't think this is a sufficiently high dollar bike where arbitrage makes much sense but it does with high dollar bikes.

wrk101

Forgot to mention I also have 3 Trek 520s right now, plus a 420. So I kind of have the vintage Trek touring bike market here. I also have an early 710 (predecessor to the 720), but no 720s, yet....

bikemig 

Maybe we need to do a swap. My 720 and 600 for one of your 520s and a bike to be named later?