Kobe 

I am pretty much out of it too. I will only pick up something that fits me, fix it up to ride awhile and then sell it.

I don't think the reward is there anymore for fixing up lower end bikes. I could spend $25-$30 on new parts and 4 hours on labor and sell the bike for $50 more than the DKO's. Their business model is obviously better than mine. I just have no desire to just flip bikes. The reward for me is to actually improve and restore what I have found, but I am not about to give away my services.

wrk101

+1 I learned from others on this list to move up the product line.

+1,234,576 Cost to rehab a turd is as much, sometimes more, than the cost to rehab something nice.

+10 I have a load of donor bikes that need to go to the co-op right now. They have such crazy hours, its hard to coordinate it.

+10 DKOs make as much or more, and do ZERO work. But I enjoy working on bikes, so I will not go that route.

+100 C/L? Be prepared for scammers, lots of them.

oddjob2

How do you guys define "low end"? I am not burned out yet, but have only been doing this for 2.5 years. In that time I've sold approximately 100 bikes.

I stay away from virtually all Schwinns, the big box bikes, and anything earlier than mid 1970s vintage, but have done well with both road and mountain bikes. Road bikes have been mostly Trek, Peugeot, Motobecane, Raleigh, Cannondale and a few Centurions and Bridgestones. The occasional Puch or Bianchi will move pretty quickly. I am testing the market for some other Japanese bikes like Miyata, Fuji, & Panasonic, but I'm not sure yet whether there is any cache for them. Nishikis have been sloooow movers.

Mountain bikes I market have included Trek, Raleigh, Cannondale, Specialized, older Diamondbacks, and Bridgestone. Again, other than Bridgestone and Raleigh, I avoid the offshore branded bikes.

I find dealing with women easier (perhaps due to my charm and good looks - LOL), as long as the bike looks great and is set up properly. Many bring their mate/partner with them as an expert. Actually, when both show up, it goes quicker than, "I have to check with my bf/boyfriend."

I buy consumable parts in bulk to drive shipping costs down. Cables and housing by the 100 count box, brake pads by the box, and small parts by the bottle full. If there are deals on saddles, tape, or grips, I stock up on those as well. Low cost and available parts inventory is key; and here I am waiting for 5/32 bearings for Helicomatic hubs.

dddd's comment above, about being in an urban area or college town, are spot on. I have had a customer contact me from Denver and customers that have driven in from Brooklyn and Phili. In Ann Arbor, they've come from as far away as north of Flint.

The sellers that drive me nuts are the ones who continually need to reschedule 3-4 times, then when they finally show up, expect to cut a deal. NFW!

In the ADK, where less than 60,000 people live amongst 6 million acres (and probably 10 percent are in a NY or Federal correctional facility), although I haven't tested the waters, there just aren't enough people to have a market. But the weather has been awesome while the rest of you sweat!

Amesja

Schwinns in the Chicago area seem to move well -and not just the higher-end ones. The name used to mean something here because they were made here I guess. Some models can be quite sought-after and turn a pretty penny when fixed up -especially the cruisers. There is a whole community of Schwinn-o-phile cruiser fanatics in Humboldt Park. They snap up the really nice Pee-Wee classics to tool around in low-rider style. That sort of thing tends to drive up the prices.

GordoTrek

i made out with about 14 bikes from my local police auction, all for 20 bucks, plus some donations in the parking lot, 13 of them were turds, but i sold 4 of the turds right away at 10 bucks a peice, some people don't know the value of a good bike they just see the rear shocks and they think its expensive, im just finishing up the 86 nishiki century mixte i got from the auction hopefully that will fetch around a 150 bucks... we'll see

i gave the rest of the turds to my local coop... they were very excited for them...

Catnap 

first reply in this thread sums up how i feel exactly. probably why i lurk but don't post here much.

dwellman

I've flipped laptops*, never bikes. I think I was lucky to sell the one bike I ever sold for slightly more than I paid (for the bike plus parts). Looking at the boxes of laptop parts I've had to recycle over the years, can't imagine the amount of time and space it would be if those were bikes. You have my sympathy.

*Thinkpad T series are the best for this.

mainstreetexile 

It's kind of a toss-up. I've found that there's a sweet spot around $120-140 that people will spend on a road bike without even thinking about it that much. Selling nicer bikes and frames at higher prices has taken longer for me, and the target audience is a little more narrow.

Over the last year or two though, I've only been buying bikes that fit me (or my girlfriend) and that I want to ride. I just don't really have the room or inclination any more to fix up crappier low-end stuff and then deal with people on craigslist to sell them.

oddjob2

I see so many goofy offerings like this Schwinn turd for $350:

https://annarbor.craigslist.org/bik/3103342528.html

Has anybody on this forum sold anything similar for such a ridiculous sum?

miamijim

Anything below Shimano 105
Anything below Campy Record
Anything with steel wheels
Anything with cottered cranks
Anything without downtube or STI/Ergo levers
Anything without Reynolds/Columubus/Tange or in house high end tubing like Miyata
Anything without F&R quick releases

wrk101

It took a while for it to sink into my thick skull, but I finally realized the wisdom of Miamijim's advice: $100 margin minimum, over what you paid for the bike and any parts, and don't mess with older hybrids and mtbs. This is for flips of course, as keepers, get whatever you like!

I've been slowly moving myself upscale product wise.

4Rings6Stars

+ Anything I wouldn't want to ride regularly myself.

Fixed your list and added to it...

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

I just mail all the bikes I don't want to Sierra Leone. In return they send me Blood Diamonds to help keep my conscience clear

big chainring 

I've thrown in the towel several times. Then I find a few deals and I am back at it. It's just for fun and to make some grocery/gas money. And I get some nice bikes to keep for myself. Cheap fun hobby most of the time.

Turbo231

I think this sums it up. When people start to flip bikes, they start low...first, because they are cheap, but second, because there is a learning curve. As experience is gained, you move up in the bike you deal with or decide its not for you.

The max I pay for a low end bike is about $5. Helps to mention you're "recycling" bikes, which if you keep it out of the junk yard is exactly what you're doing. I've found local Facebook "Buy and Sell/Bidding Wars/Wanted" are excellent places to source and sell these kinds of bikes. I agree with most however, if I was shorter on free time, this totally would not be worth it.

Odin99

i stated with lower end bike - but that wasn't much fun. i don't flip too often anymore, but occasionally I'll pick up a ridiculously low priced modern or classic bike on CL. probably only half a dozen in the last year. ave price i paid was probably around $350.

Flying Merkel

I sold a 5-speed version of one of those for $140.00 about three years ago. It's not a turd, nor is it a $350 bike. I told the college student that I sold it to that after she doesn't need it anymore, she will be able to resell it for what she paid for it, maybe a little bit more. The Collegiate was heavy but will last forever with minimal maintenance.

Schwinn lightweights aren't big collector's item, but folk are asking premium prices for them.

I love low-end decent mountain bikes & hybrids. Come September, students buy them fast. Trick is to get them cheap enough in the first place. They go for about $140-$160.

Only when I can find a worthwhile bike to buy do I flip. I prefer to call it refurbish and sell because most of the bikes I sell get stripped to bare frame.

robtown

I flip in cycles I build an inventory, stress out until I work them down, then stress some more without a project. I did very little selling or flipping from October until March but have done a lot since April. The primary reason is to raise funds for a recumbent trike.

The sweet (price range) spot in my large Metro area is $120 - $180. Selling for $200 - $300 takes much more effort, and higher $ becomes tedious. Given that it takes $30 - $40 (tires, brake pads, cables, saddle, pedals, bar tape, chain - pick any four on average) to get a bike into acceptable condition I can't spend much to buy it.

In general I stay away from female frames (but not mixte), cruisers, BMX, and MTB. I don't buy cotter-ed cranks or one-piece cranks and usually avoid 40lb bikes, steel wheels, steel drop bars, and bikes with missing parts, rusted, or in poor condition. Other detractors are 27" wheels, stem shifters, bolt on wheels, claw style RD, and suicide bars. If the bike is free, very cheap, has potential donor parts, or I have needed replacement parts I may buy anyway.

I aim for $100 average. Sometimes a bike turns out to be a pain to work on - which often equates to additional expenses. Other times it's hard to sell. In those cases I don't feel that bad if I get $40 of $50 profit. In some rare cases I break even or lose $20. Many times I'll recoup some costs by selling a take-off or using it on another build. Sometimes you have to know when to throw in the towel and strip the bike for parts and recyclable aluminum.

gurry

The herd over here is quite thin now that I discovered that riding a bike is way better than wrenching on one. Picked up a bike at the local Police auction and it took a lot of time to fix up. Ended up giving it to my Niece. Would have lost money trying to sell it.

miamijim

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZGmeg23ICQ

teetime

Yes.

jamesj

hey you flippers getting rid of stuff can you look for a seat clamp im needing.


-james

mazdaspeed

I don't buy bikes for the purpose of flipping them unless it's easy (and I mean easy) money.

frantik

i stopped flipping when the supply of cheap bikes ran out last summer and i started driving a pedicab. i miss the thrill of the hunt the most.. the late nights greasing hubs and adjusting them to be perfectly tight when the quick release is closed.. not so much

bigbossman 

I ran it as a profitable hobby expressly to fund the bikes I wanted for my personal fleet. Once I acquired them, I stopped flipping. I still have boxes of parts, several wheel sets, and 4-5 frames hanging around.... but I haven't felt up to building one for flipping in over a year.