Originally Posted by base2 (Post 23268980)

I encountered this attitude quite often. You get it for free, the customer expects you to sell it for free. Like, I didn't have expenses like feeding myself or rent or electricity.

All in, the break even point was $500/day, 5 days/week, however the shop got there.

What people often fail to realize is the amount of time, labor, or materials that went into each and every single bike. A complete and total overhau and replacement of worn pads/cables, etc...at other local Bikeshops is around $300. Our Co-Op gave every bike the same treatment and a bike too for an average price of around $200-225.

We had a dozen regular volunteers and could hardly keep bikes in stock. The problem is that for every $400 Olmo Corsica or $300 Windsor Carrera Sport with $350 worth of Phil hubs, or un-ridden Peugeot or Merz Allez that came in taking up retail space, we had a dozen Treks or Bridgestones MB4's or CB's or other early '90's mountain bikes that would sell instead. The high priced nice bikes simply sat giving the wrong impression because everything cheaper sold first.

Simply managing and disposing of the onslaught of BSO's and Bike Boom garbage in and of itself was a full time job. Let alone inventory recovery of anything even remotely valuable or salvageable for bike repair.

Maybe you should get involved in actually running a Co-Op before you pass judgement on how/why the prices are what they are. I lasted 2 years. Making magic from nothing is hard work.

Here's me on the local station. I'm in the green shirt.
https://www.fox13seattle.com/video/1111188

Originally Posted by Mr. 66 (Post 23269029)

I’ve been to sharing wheels. They wouldn’t sell me a bunch of stuff. One of the reasons was because I wasn’t one of the regulars that would normally buy those types of items. In fact I was to buy a colnago and they wouldn’t sell, they were to get back to me about it, I got crickets in return. Volunteer organizers, no biggie. If the finer stuff sits it’s priced to high.

I did get a PX10 there, the director sold it to me. The PX was there for more than 3 years, according to the director, yes 3 years. Never was it presented for sale rebuilt or as-is.

Originally Posted by juvela (Post 23268962)

-----

Mr. 66 -

do you know what years the yellow/orange/red/black Nerozzi transfers in you posted image were in use?

asking because have not seen them previously


---

unworthy1 -

suspect gentleman shown in the race finish photo you posted be Ted Ernst, Senior

the Ted Ernst (Il Grillo) who be yet with us methimks be Ted Ernst Junior


-----

Originally Posted by unworthy1 (Post 23269656)

No the photo is dated 1950 so has to be the currently alive but a senior 90-plus years old Ted Ernst, not his dad (who had the same name). Ray G. died in 1996 AFAIK so was approx the same general age as this Ted-the-younger, who lives around Palos Verde Estates, I believe. His bike shop was in Manhattan Beach which he sold to his long-time mechanic Manny

Originally Posted by bboy314 (Post 23279353)

Dang those are nice! Were they donated? Btw you may want to block out his email address just as a precaution.

Originally Posted by Robvolz (Post 23278934)

Man came in w 2 pristine bikes. These were his wife’s.

stumper:

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...977a65a67.jpeg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e8a5e40a9.jpeg


Tossed the hated RD with the big top pulley that grabbed dirt.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7b8b61d66.jpeg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e312965d1.jpeg

Originally Posted by base2 (Post 23268980)

I

Simply managing and disposing of the onslaught of BSO's and Bike Boom garbage in and of itself was a full time job. Let alone inventory recovery of anything even remotely valuable or salvageable for bike repair.

Maybe you should get involved in actually running a Co-Op before you pass judgement on how/why the prices are what they are. I lasted 2 years. Making magic from nothing is hard work.

Here's me on the local station. I'm in the green shirt.
https://www.fox13seattle.com/video/1111188

Originally Posted by Robvolz (Post 23279395)

they were donated by a former volunteer.

he said his wife said "no new bikes unless he gave up two."

So he gave up hers.

Originally Posted by Mad Honk (Post 23321201)

Yesterday was a good one at the co-op for me. I found a vintage cycling item that came from our friends at Vetta during the early 1980's. The Vetta cycling box. A cool plastic box that mounted on a rack and held personal items. Also lock-able so things would stay safe. A picture as found, with a few goodies inside.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a7e668acdb.jpg
The box as found. The co-op folks thought it was a piece of junk and were going to toss it out.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0c61e8327a.jpg
What was inside the Vetta Box; a NOS front derailleur, a complete NOS bottom bracket, a pair of levers, two tubes and a couple of bells.
And they were going to throw it away! The box had one key for the lock and some attaching hardware. A trip to the locksmiths and a second key now makes it even better! And it only cost $3 after 15 minutes of work to make the key fit correctly. Smiles, MH

Originally Posted by mhespenheide (Post 23325357)

^ maybe cut out a section of closed-cell foam to add more padding to the bottom of the box?

Originally Posted by RCMoeur (Post 23321217)

Great score!

I used to have one of those. Great concept, loud execution. Even with a secure fastening to the rack, tape, weatherstripping, and an interior liner, that thing rattled worse than an ornery snake surrounded by hungry wildcats. I eventually passed it on to someone else. I can't blame all my permanent hearing loss on the Vetta box, but...