What irks me is the recent trend for Craigslist sellers to essentially stage an auction. They put $1 as the price to get around Craigslist's rule about having to list a price. And the ad says make offer. Really? If I wanted to bid on it, I'd be looking on Ebay. Of course, I do that, too. But that's beside the point. The EXPECTATION on Craigslist and the RULES of Craigslist are buy, sell or barter. It's irritating, for sure.
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Originally Posted by the_tool_man
(Post 16554160)
What irks me is the recent trend for Craigslist sellers to essentially stage an auction. They put $1 as the price to get around Craigslist's rule about having to list a price. And the ad says make offer. Really? If I wanted to bid on it, I'd be looking on Ebay. Of course, I do that, too. But that's beside the point. The EXPECTATION on Craigslist and the RULES of Craigslist are buy, sell or barter. It's irritating, for sure.
Just yesterday I saw one of those $1 bikes that I was interested in and I seriously considered calling the seller and saying i'll take it since it's only one dollar. On the other hand I can think of four bikes I've purchased that have been listed in a similar manner (two of them came as a package). I think sometimes sellers actually get the opposite response they are hoping for with those ads, I think many potential buyers are likely to ignore them rather than make a low offer. One of them was a late 90's/maybe 2000 specialized hardrock that needed an overhaul, I sent an email saying I'd give $15.00 for it. The seller, ignored my email as if he was insulted but I noticed after a week the bike was still there so I emailed again and asked him how much he wanted for it and he said $20.00 (obviously he hadn't gotten the response he hoped for). I bought it, but there is a good chance he would have gotten more for it if he had posted a reasonable price to begin with. The other bikes I purchased were in a similar manner. While we are talking about Craigslist gripes, my biggest pet peeve is when people don't delete the ads after they sell the item. Especially if I call and they tell me it sold but still don't delete it, because then they can't have the excuse of forgetting. To me that's just blatant laziness and selfishness. It affects the market as the bikes that sold quickly due to being a good deal are essentially competing with the bikes that are still up for sale. It also affects my emotions when I get excited about a bike and find out later I can't have it. |
Originally Posted by the_tool_man
(Post 16554160)
What irks me is the recent trend for Craigslist sellers to essentially stage an auction. They put $1 as the price to get around Craigslist's rule about having to list a price. And the ad says make offer. Really? If I wanted to bid on it, I'd be looking on Ebay. Of course, I do that, too. But that's beside the point. The EXPECTATION on Craigslist and the RULES of Craigslist are buy, sell or barter. It's irritating, for sure.
If I'm interested in a bike (or any item for that matter) presented in this way my first question is, "how much do you want for it?" |
My sole frustration is the continual regular top reposting by the 3-4 boneheads in the Detroit market, often with bikes on the market for well over a year. I would estimate these neanderthals take up 75-80% of daily postings. No one wants a used $85 Huffy/Roadmaster/Free Spirit/Next, a well used Brooks B-17 for $85, only $7 less than new, or a rusty kiddie bike with a missing peddle for $35. How about and $800 Schwinn Voyageur or a Kabuki (yellow not chrome) for $450? I'd rather not have the haystack to find a bargain needle.
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I kind of get a kick out of this frustration. Two guys from Iowa, pile into their van, drive all over buying really low, and selling high (higher than retail). They typically do nothing to their items, just resell them. They mark stuff up typically hundreds to thousands of dollars. Meanwhile, some guy from Milwaukee spots a deal on a bike, hops into his van and picks it up, hoping to make $100, $150 tops. A good bike flippers should be able to clean, inspect, fix and make a good advertisement and sales pitch. People who just take stuff out of their garage usually don't. |
Good exchange here. IFTW, what bothers me is the flipper's poor grammar. Make the ad feel slimy.
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Flippers dream, yesterday Austin Texas CL, Trek 1400 road bike, $40.00. It had been listed for 37 minutes, was deleted by seller, someone got a deal.
He also had a Trek 820 for $60.00, deleted at same time. The 1400 had a very small frame, would have been perfect for my daughter, would not have flipped it! |
Originally Posted by a77impala
(Post 16559660)
Flippers dream, yesterday Austin Texas CL, Trek 1400 road bike, $40.00. It had been listed for 37 minutes, was deleted by seller, someone got a deal.
He also had a Trek 820 for $60.00, deleted at same time. The 1400 had a very small frame, would have been perfect for my daughter, would not have flipped it! Edit: I couldn't resist, I just called the seller and left a voice mail, if she calls me back and still has the bike I am going to buy it. |
Update. Bike still there. Flipper has now dropped the price to $225.
Trek 7000 American made!!!! |
Originally Posted by MRT2
(Post 16567836)
Update. Bike still there. Flipper has now dropped the price to $225.
Trek 7000 American made!!!! |
Originally Posted by oddjob2
(Post 16567987)
You might let him know Lowe's has $5 off on Valspar paint for his door. I've seen better single wides.
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I love the term "schmuck tax"! Thinking of adding it as a line item. I will say, though, that I have had very, very few bike flipping experiences that would require such a tax.
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+1, I was thinking you should offer the seller 90 with the explicit statement to help him cut his losses, you are willing to pay 90 for a bike thats probably worth 75, cause you are a nice guy and feel sorry for the flipper getting in over his head.
Edit: For a couple of hundred you could offer to teach them about door painting, market based economics, market equilibration and gamesmanship. |
I am not a fan of flippers. Mainly because of being very hard to find an average rider for cheap. Took months to find a around town bomber. All the ok deals are gone so quick and im just shopping to a basic bike for sister in law to ride with her kids. I don't have the time to hit all the goodwills and garage sales. I bought my schwinn the day the add came up. $100 for a varsity. To much I know. Around me they are listed from $150 and needing tires to $250 ready to go. This on was in great shapes I bought it.
Anyone thinking of getting into a bike for cheap are stuck with wore out Wal-Mart crap. They won't be happy With it. There is one flipper here that has a lot of bikes at fair our close to prices. But yeah +1000 on setting the same add for months. |
Originally Posted by Indytona675
(Post 16811160)
I am not a fan of flippers. Mainly because of being very hard to find an average rider for cheap. Took months to find a around town bomber. All the ok deals are gone so quick and im just shopping to a basic bike for sister in law to ride with her kids. I don't have the time to hit all the goodwills and garage sales. I bought my schwinn the day the add came up. $100 for a varsity. To much I know. Around me they are listed from $150 and needing tires to $250 ready to go. This on was in great shapes I bought it.
Anyone thinking of getting into a bike for cheap are stuck with wore out Wal-Mart crap. They won't be happy With it. There is one flipper here that has a lot of bikes at fair our close to prices. But yeah +1000 on setting the same add for months. |
The harder you work, the luckier you get.
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Originally Posted by Indytona675
(Post 16811160)
I am not a fan of flippers. Mainly because of being very hard to find an average rider for cheap. Took months to find a around town bomber. All the ok deals are gone so quick and im just shopping to a basic bike for sister in law to ride with her kids. I don't have the time to hit all the goodwills and garage sales. I bought my schwinn the day the add came up. $100 for a varsity. To much I know. Around me they are listed from $150 and needing tires to $250 ready to go. This on was in great shapes I bought it.
Anyone thinking of getting into a bike for cheap are stuck with wore out Wal-Mart crap. They won't be happy With it. There is one flipper here that has a lot of bikes at fair our close to prices. But yeah +1000 on setting the same add for months. Enjoy your bargain Schwinn that you got on the same day the ad dropped....at $150 less than it should have been (your estimate)......;)... |
Originally Posted by Vonruden
(Post 16811294)
The harder you work, the luckier you get.
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