Part out or sell whole?
 

I've acquired this 1972 Falcon Special Model 76 with Campy headset. But it has all these decent mixed components (dura ace friction shfiter, sugino mighty competition chainring...) Is it generally better to sell a bike whole or part it out? By better I mean economically more $$.

Depends on how you value your time.

Hmm.......If the build is all over the place it's probably better to part (If it's good stuff). My preferred method is sticking it in it's appropriate box if it's good stuff and holding it for a rainy day. But then again, I think most stuff is good stuff.......I guess that's why I have so much stuff (mostly junk). Better not listen to me!
Seriously though. I'd just sit down and do the math........Complete bike = X amount of $ against the projected price of the frame and components separated and sold individually. There is the hassle of labor to remove, clean and listing the stuff too......
Case in point:
I can get $150 for a complete ridable crappy bike boom ten speed all day long. The second I remove everything and clean it I get $50 for the frame and can't sell most of the parts (lesson learned). My fancy pants Italian bike on the other hand is a whole different story. Campy this, Modolo that, Cinelli, Galli, Omas, etc........Best believe I will get more for it parted than complete.
Long story short.......Depends on the cumulative value of said parts (including extra labor) versus the value of the complete bike. Tough call. Like to gamble?

this is what i have. maybe you can help me decide.

frame: 1972 Falcon Special, San Remo, chrome fork, chrome front lugs, chrome ends, campagnolo dropouts
headset: campy (not sure what model)
stem: 3ttt
handlebars: cinelli giro d'italia
brake levers: suntour superbe
crankset/chainrings: sugino mighty competition
front derailleur: shimano 105
rear derailleur: suntour cyclone
friction shifter: dura ace
front wheel: super champion laced to sunshine pro am hub
rear wheel: rigida laced to sunshine pro am
seatpost: 3ttt
seat: right now vetta, but brooks incoming.

I think you will get more money parting it out, but you'll have a bunch more work to do it.

Please post pictures.

I have only seen a few nice Falcons.



http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3198/...f95b9b21_b.jpg

Nice Falcon:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8983160@N08/548312109/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8983160@N08/548312091/

Dang, that is nice. Here's mine, also CyclArt paint. Other than paint and cleanup pretty much as found: was originally a medium metallic blue.

I recently parted out my Columbus SLX/Campy C-Record/CDA Tommaso. Delta brakes, etc, had it all. The reason I parted it out was I had wrecked it and had the bulge thing going on in the down tube. I figured if I sold it as a complete bike, somebody would be wanting a deal because of the frame damage. So I stripped it totally, the parts brought a lot of money, but it was a lot of work, both the disassembly and cleaning, managing the ebay sales/shipping, etc. In this case, I think it was worth it, and I even sold the frame locally on CL with full disclosure of the damage, but it is a pretty big hassle. And even still, there is still a seemingly inexhaustible supply of various bits/pieces around, it is sort of like those slaughterhouses in Chicago where they use everything on the pig except the squeal.

hm. I will post it on CL first to see what kind of offers I get, and if its not to my liking, I will part it out. I have all the time in the world. no work right now. crap ass economy :(

btw, you guys have very beautiful falcons. seems like cyclart does some good work. i'm not sure if i want to pay $400 for a new paint job...pix soon i promise.

I got the Cat 2 paint from Cyclart, albeit more than 10 years ago now, so the prices have increased. We did "closest match" for the paint, the original was actually slightly more orangish. Would not want to have to pay the bill for a paint job now!

falcon on ebay
 

I don't know if this is of any help, but a Falcon sold recently on ebay for about $600. It seems to have been in really good shape and with a complete gruppo (early Shimano 105) as opposed to a mish-mash of stuff. What condition is your bike in? What is the lowest offer do you'd be willing to accept? How much is your time worth to disassemble, clean, list, ship, etc.? I recently sold a Univega Gran Turismo, all original components, one user, excellent shape, for $150. If sold for parts I might have been able to sell for $200 but my labor would have come to fifty cents per hour, so I consider the $150 a good deal. On the other hand, I purchased a vintage De Rosa in not so good shape, frame and components were all in poor condition, for really cheap and then sold for parts because the offers I got for the whole bike were pitiful... I got my money's worth out of that one when I sold the Campagnolo gruppo as a whole. I suspect you're better off selling your Falcon whole.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Falcon-C...QQcmdZViewItem

Here are some pics I took today. I'm not sure what to say about the condition except that there are some paint chips. There are no dings, but 3 spots of light surface rust which I will take off. The components are in working order, and the tires & tubes need to be replaced but still hold air very well at 110 psi.

http://picasaweb.google.com/quanmunist/1972Falcon

all though in many cases parting out something will bring more money I just hate to tear something old or classic apart for parts. I fool with 2 wheel tractors some (david bradley and gravelys) and many times have sold them whole to some one who would restore them for less money than I could have got for the parts
or bought something for parts and end up fixing it too!

Looks like a nice frame with some reasonable Japanese components on it. The seatpost looks like a 3ttt, not incredibly desirable but different and somewhat unusual.

I don't know what to say about parting it out, except there seem to be 2 types of vintage bike people; those that part them out and versus those trying to piece them back together.

Personally, I like to see an old bike remain a bike rather than a bunch of parts.

Sell it whole to someone who with love it as is, why not?