Because we prefer that you come out and see what you're bargaining for, before you start a negotiation.

I don't get "super offended" by on-line negotiation attempts - assuming they are polite. I usually ignore them, though.

I offer tuned bikes for a bit more then what it costs to tune them. When I have 6 or 7 people responding I have no trouble letting someone waste there
time to get to my place and make an offer and turn them down. Doesn't really answer the question. However there is big visual component to bargaining
(turning to walk away, going over the high points of what I am selling, etc).

1+

I've used CL a few times, but not for bike stuff. For me, CL Rule #1 for bikes is "Just say 'no'". I'm not a flipper - if I'm buying, I'm buying to use it - and my interest is in fairly high-end stuff. For that, I find I much prefer eBay. There's far too much cr@p to sift through on CL, and far too much flaky behavior from far too many CL users, for my taste.

There are much better deals to be had on CL though, especially in high-end stuff. The flakiness is just the downside to saving money.

Obviously. But if you know that the CL bike can in no way ever be worth the price that the seller's asking for, why bother looking? That's when you shoot them an e-mail politely asking if that's a firm price or not.

Agreed, never negotiate by email, if someone has a better offer or willing to pay the asking price, then you've wasted your time. I always ask " would your entertain an offer", if the bike has only the price without the OBO. Do like the American Pickers do, justify your offer by picking the faults of what you are buying, makes it easier for the seller to understand where you're coming from and not trying to rip off.

It's a lost cause, IME. I can't recall a single time I was able to reason with someone who had grossly overpriced a bike. It's a very difficult thing to do - in person, or otherwise. I was able to do it on one memorable occasion.... memorable because I spent a lot of time and soft skills negotiating a satisfactory price, and then someone came along and paid the asking price before I could get there.

It is ALWAYS best to do it in person, with cash in hand. It will be a gamble, but if it is a bike you REALLY REALLY want, that is the only way to do it. Face-to-face. And you HAVE to be willing to waste your time, and walk away.

On the other side of the coin, a lot of CL buyers think that vintage bikes are only "worth" $50 or so, and are not real delicate in expressing their opinion. Ultimately the market determines worth, and lots of bikes get sold for significantly more than some folks think they are worth.

Meh. I don't sell much on CL, but when I look, I always assume c-t. The old bike catalogs usually listed frame sizes that way, so it's good enough for me.

People who know the difference understand this. People who don't aren't that fussy about fit.

+10 on not negotiating over the phone or email.

in that regard last fall I was selling a bike and some mensa called and asked me what would be the lowest price I would take. My response was, "what is the most you are willing to pay?" At that the guy called me an a**hole and hung up. He didn't have a blocked number so I called back, thinking to lay into him but instead used a stuttering/wavery voice and said "that wasn't very nice", dude went silent, then I had a good laugh after I hung up.

Im gonna have to use this.

Every frog praises his own pond - all sellers are convinced they have a gem.
Every buyer wants to cut your legs out from under you.
Never be afraid to negotiate.

There WILL BE a lot of random email responses, hustles and scams.

REAL buyers give a phone number.

No bike will be sold or bought, without doing so face to face. Get there.

When someone asks me what would be the lowest price I would take... I usually ask, "What is your budget?" I like to hear what they have to say.

Reminds me of a local posting where some guy was trying to sell a Fuji Pulsar for $1200 as a "rare" and "top end" bike. Just to tweak him, I called up and told him I had the $12.00 and wanted the bike. He was really upset when I told him my offer was closer to the true value of the bike than his price.

Leading to a new CL rule:

There really IS a sucker born every minute.
Two things that are truly universal: hydrogen and stupidity.
No sense even trying to deal with an example of either axiom.

- The person that needs / wants your $100 bike will also want you to drive an hour to meet you at the Metro
- The non specific email that asks if your item or bike is available will be followed up with a spam involving a check and shipping or agent
- The person who really wants the bike but won't be back in town for a week often is the one who buys your bike after 3 other deals fall apart
- That you, the expert, will often drive away with a great deal on a bike w/o close inspection not to discover blatant flaws until later examination
- If the Craigslist pictures are beautiful the bike might be, if they look ok the bike probably isn't

Back when I was racing cars for fun, I quickly learned the value of a fistful of $5 bills. Twenty five dollar bills looks a lot more impressive than a single hundo. I've used this to good effect for CL trades, showing up with a big wad with portraits of Geo. Washington.

If you ask $325 and built in the $25 haggling amount and will let it go for $300... sell it to the guy that e mails you first and says, "I will be right over if you will take $280", because if I didn't price it right or it's a slow time of year, it will sell in a week at $265, most likely.

Credit this to Thrifty Bill I think... If it's a good deal,(or underpriced) and no phone # on the ad, e mail and type, "I will buy the bike, call me @cxcxcxcxccx". Don't ask anything. Be an easy transaction for the seller.

Man.. I didn't want to start a new thread just to complain about CL, so I'll just post it here.... I was first to email a guy about a bike yesterday, the guy acknowledged that I was first and that I could have first look at the bike. He listed it for $400, it's actually worth more like $800-$900 though. Knowing it was a great deal, I pressed to meet asap to buy it, but he couldn't meet until today. Then.... it happened, the other CL potential buyers blew my deal. First, they offered more.. $500... $600.... $700.. each time, the guy emails me back saying he has better offers. I continue to reply "offers are just offers until you have cash in hand. I have cash and will buy it, lets meet asap"

Then the so-called 'honest' buyers (so the guy called them) informed him that the bike was worth more like $1000 and that he shouldn't sell it to me or anyone else for less. These 'honest' buyers screwed my deal. I've never done that, if I missed a good deal, I missed it, but I'm happy for the guy that did get the good deal, I never try to blow it for them. That guy would have been happy with his $400, and I'd have been happy with a bike if everyone else hadn't inserted themselves into the situation.

Anyway, the guy 'revised' his post saying that he was told it was worth much more, he updated the price to $1000... and within 15 minutes it was flagged by everyone he's pissed off with his bidding war over the thing.

So generally, we talk about rules and etiquette for CL sellers, but there should be some for buyers as well.. rant done.

Yep, sellers often go for the easiest transactions. Ask a bunch of questions, ask for more pictures, or whatever, and if it is a good deal, many sellers will just skip your request and move to the next potential buyer. If you want a score, make the transaction as easy as possible for the seller, head on over now, with cash and finish the deal.

So yep, I use a really short email: "Bike sounds just like what I want. I will buy it now. Give me a call at xxx-xxxx, and I will head over now to get it." This is despite the seller telling me nothing about the bike, no picture, no size, etc. Sure, the bike sounds just like what I want. LOL on that one. This is thrifty bill code for: "Even without much information, I know this is a smokin' hot deal, so I will take it!!!!" I don't worry about details. If I can get a $200 bike for $25, what else do I really need to know??

I never disclose what a bike could potentially be worth until I'm handing the cash and loading it up. And that's only if they bring up the crazy amount of emails they had gotten.

That's how those great deals work. If I can't buy it that day I consider it gone because someone will offer more or the do-gooders will have the seller thinking he's sitting on a gold mine.

I have chased after a couple of bikes that were overpriced. In one situation, I was nice to the guy, just told him that while his bike "might be worth the asking price, but it just wasn't in my budget." So we parted ways. Two weeks later I got a call from the guy, he really needed to sell the bike, it was the middle of winter, so how does $XXX sound? Well it sounded pretty damn good, so I hustled over there and bought it.

I try to never offend the seller on their price, instead, I put the offer in terms of what I can afford, and I gently point out any MAJOR defects they may have overlooked. I don't point out every scratch or flaw, that can come across as insulting. On one such deal, I showed the seller that their bike's front fork was bent. So with this damage, to me, it was a parts bike, and I offered parts bike price. He took it. Many/most sellers do not want to sell defective stuff, and if you can gently demonstrate the defects, they will adjust their price. If not, I move on.


I listened to one really nice guy that explained to me that his 1970 Schwinn Varsity orginally cost him over $600 (he bought it new). I just nodded my head, passed on that deal, and bought the Terry Despatch from him instead, that he thought was worth very little. "I really can't afford your really nice Varsity, how much for that other bike?" "Oh, the kids bike? Its not worth much, how about xx?" "Sure".


I've gotten enough good deals over the years, that the few wasted trips are not an issue to me.

True, but "Do-gooders" is not very appropriate moniker for them:
They are the people who would rip the last discounted muumuu out of your mom's hands at the bargain table.