Places to sell a Vintage lightweight?
 

So aside from here, ebay, and Craigslist, where does one sell a nice vintage bike?

The Classic Rendezvous mailing list. Lots of members there interested in buying vintage bikes. http://www.bikelist.org/mailman/list...ssicrendezvous

A detailed description, preferably with a link to good pictures is recommended. Also, state the price you want; no fishing for offers. And all postings must be signed with your real name, city, state and country, or you'll be booted off the list before you know it.

Consignment at a high end LBS is an option if there's one nearby that has a lot of floor traffic.

Other than the CR (and similar lists, like BOB), I can't really think of anything other than old school stuff like running an ad in you local newspaper. I can understand not wanting to fool around with Ebay, but I'm sorta wondering what is the matter with Craigslist? Free, tons of people are constantly scanning it, you can set whatever terms you want, maintain your privacy, and on and on... I'm not a CL advocate/enthusiast, but it seems like their solution is better than what existed previously, trying to sell niche items locally, so I'm thinking maybe you have some other goals with your sale?

If you have The Recycler papers in your area that would be another option. I've had my best luck selling to local folks with cash in hand. PG.

I forgot to note that I used their FREE on-line ad version. This service allows you to put in more info than the print ad does and allows you to up-load four photos of your bike. Works great for me. PG.

Craigslist is great, but I gather it's less effective for those who aren't in or near major metro areas.

I bat about .250 so far selling stuff on Craig's List.

I will note that when stuff is fairly priced, it sells in no time on CR.

Simply pick the nearest big city market and list it there if your local CL audience is small. For the right bike, buyers will travel.

I agree with this. 90% of ads on Craigslist are the same overpriced items listed over and over again. Stuff priced to move disappears in hours, and stuff priced realistically sells in a day or two.

+1 on Craigslist. Put in a picture or two of decent detail, include a price, and include at least a close-enough location. Don't forget the size of the frame and none of this "it should fit someone between 5'8"-6'0" tall" stuff.

Craigslist works for me in both directions. I don't keep track of success ratios though. I sold a 1980's Centurian on it a year or three ago, priced fair to my thinking, sold in a day or two. Sometimes I'll just use their email, sometimes I'll post my cell phone number without an email link, just depends on what I'm selling or giving away.

When I'm selling these days, it generally boils down to craigslist or Ebay. I'll go ebay first typically for things that either need a wider market than my local craigslist (Wash. DC, which is huge) provides and/or the shipping isn't a hassle or so expensive that it eats into margin. Generally speaking, Ebay will usually get your highest price since it potentially easily reaches a worldwide audience.

Here are how recent sales of some of my stuff broke down among the two venues:

Craigslist: Bulky, low buckage kids stuff (stroller, car seat, crib, etc), golf clubs, bikes (whole/frames).
Ebay: Bike parts, guitars, guitar parts, clocks, woodworking tools.

I actually rather prefer ebay, since you spend less time on phone calls, no-shows, face to face salesmanship, and default to that wherever possible. I think a lot of other people make similar decisions, which skews craigslist towards items where shipping is a hassle, generally objects that are fairly large in relation to their dollar value. My one attempt at selling a high dollar/size ratio item (a very nice guitar) on craigslist was pretty unsatisfactory, got virtually no responses, then sold it on ebay in no time for more than I listed it on craigslist.

I think that craigslist gets similarly used by buyers in a resulting feedback loop - people look there for lawnmowers, old vacuum cleaners, etc, and go off to ebay for items that have a higher value density, or are rarer, or for a wider selection. However, because of this dynamic, you actually stand a better chance of obtaining an item at an undermarket value than on ebay, where pretty much everything usually closes at or near market value. While I've been satisfied with the bikes I've purchased on ebay, I've gotten much better deals on craigslist, but it also has been more time trying to catch the deal falling through the cracks there.

Obviously, there are plenty of examples to the contrary, this is all just some generalities I've observed/experienced.

Swap meets are another possibility, especially if you have a few bikes to sell. I just opened up a new window, and look what I found:

http://cyclingscience.org/spring2007swapmeet.htm

I knew there must be a swap meet in the San Diego area... I don't know what percentage of their buyers are interested in vintage, but I guarantee that at a swap meet there will be some.

EDIT: I know also that outside of the Trexlertown velodrome swap meet near Allentown people wanting to sell a single bike stand outside with one bike and a sign, and I think they may even allow people to walk around as a buyer with one bike to sell/swap.

Cool, thanks for the ideas! Craigslist hasn't generated much for me, though it's my normal go-to. Could be the economy I guess, but I've got a pretty darn nice bike with amazingly good shape full Campy Super Record and at 1,400 which is very fair, I haven't gotten any serious offers. I think CLs might only be good for the very well known makers.

Road Bike Reviews classifieds are $2 per item, bikes included. I scan them all the time. No bidding, and you set your price, negotiate via email. Not a bad place.

nm

I vote Craig's List. I put one older vintage bike up on it last Thursday, and it sold the next day. I put another of my older road bikes up last Friday and it sold on Saturday. And its free to boot.

Bobish bikes is an interesting site for selling vintage bikes

Otto ...Oooh, the C-word..(Centurion)... I may just have to run over to Carrboro, I've got an Ironman I just don't have the energy to go at.

I have had as much luck selling to people who see me riding my bikes as anything. The Shogun flip-flop went local $300; then again, I stopped at a perpetual yard sale today, 1963 Schwinn cruiser sitting there, rusted but complete. No one home. Instead of stealing the bike, I left my card. She called back later, asked $200, said she had an offer of $150. I told her to find that guy, get his money, then move. :D