Hoss Cartright

How I ended-up here and why I'm still here, and why I tend to now, simply 'lurk'.

I grew-up in the bicycle business (Grandfather worked at a Schwinn shop for years, then had his own shop in the 1960s and early 1970s, and I worked there after school and summers) I rode bikes like crazy, grew-up on Schwinns then high-end Euro bikes, did a lot of touring and weekend short trips with my friends in our teen years in the early 1970s.

But, I got a drivers license in 1973 and then that first motorcycle and an ElCamino and like many of you may know, the pedaling was all over. And I really never thought about bikes until 20 years later. Because of this, my knowledge of bikes was frozen in time. Then in the early 1990s (before eBay) I started to buy and hoard Schwinns of all kinds. (Mostly Yard Sale finds)

Then in 2009, I finally got on a health kick and was power-walking four miles every day and lost 85 pounds in eight months. But due to some painful Plantars Fasciitis in the left foot, I pulled my "wall-art" Paramounts off the wall, tuned them up, and transferred from power walking back to the hobby of my youth, riding road bicycles! Since my memories are frozen in the 1970s, I have no interest in the newfangled carbon bikes.. I like lugged steel bikes and I like Campy stuff. (But I do have a couple of older Cannondales and some Shimano equipped bikes)

So, I found that this forum is a wealth of information and even though many posts I read are not related to my interests, I often find out something new, or a suggestion or solution that gives me a new original idea that does apply to my specific needs.

This forum is a giant brainstorming extravaganza. And yes, I have had some of the more opinionated persons make comments on my posts that I found to be offensive.. So, I tend to be more reserved than I was in the beginning, and I know the limits of what is and what is not acceptable behavior in this hobby...

For example;
I now know that buying bikes that are being sold "too cheap" by novice sellers is an especially grievous cardinal sin.. (But my hobby started by buying lots of Schwinns at garage sales. So, Even though I pay the asking price, I still can't quite understand this concept and theory that this is so very wrong, but I respect the right to an opinion. (In this post, I am expressing my opinions, I hope this is OK?).

And I found that "flipping" bikes is extremely offensive to some members.. Even though I thought it was actually a "trading-up" method. Wherein a person flips a bike and makes a profit to buy an even better vintage bike? But I was also so wrong about this.. Therefore, any smokin' deal buying and subsequent flipping I perhaps might do in the future will certainly be done in a manner that would be 100% secret from this forum) Of course, I never do that any more as it is so terribly wrong.

Anyhoo.... I found this forum a few years ago, then this C&V section seemed to be my natural place to hang out. And at first I made a lot of posts, and at the same time I learned a bunch of stuff that I never knew, and refreshed my 1970s memories.

For this, I want to thank all of you who have helped me with your experience and knowledge.. I do also participate at about the same level in the Schwinn Collectors Forum. But as my interests are in high-end road bikes, this forum is more suitable for my general needs.

Thanks again, keep up the good work, fellow vintage aficionados.

And yes, I have posted photos of my cat... Sorry, way off topic!

eschlwc

who's offended by 'flipping'? show yourselves!

JJScaliger

I wish flippers had their own separate forum...

gomango

Thanks for the post.

I'm pretty much back to lurking on this forum as well.

I wouldn't worry about flipping for a second.

I sure don't, as every nice bicycle I own has been financed through a countless number of prior transactions.


While I only own one true vintage at the moment, I still like reading about them here.

eschlwc

and water fountains!

Lascauxcaveman 

I confess, I am an unintentional flipper; I just happened to find a string of $30-50 bikes I simply could not say 'no' to.

I assure you, I never resold any of them for more than they were worth (as if that's even possible in my market )

I hope I will never offend anyone by making a profit on my hobby again. Aw heck, who am I kidding? I'm constantly trading up, and having fun doing it, no matter what anyone else thinks.

Chrome Molly

I'm not sure that anyone here views flipping as offensive. It's a little different thing; the immediate financial appreciation vs longer term qualitative appreciation. I have no issue with either, but have determined that my hobby time is best served trying to find vintage stuff that performs increasingly well (growing functional snobbery), is my size, and is at a price I can justify. The financial flip sometimes occurs, but it's a bit hollow for me without a new and different qualitative appreciation as compared to the rest of the fleet.

I have no issue paying the kid $100 for the DA equipped Columbus framed bike that he paid $25 for. When it doesn't quite fit despite my hopes, I have no issue unloading it for the $500 (still less than it's worth on the Bay). To me that's flipping, but not for the profit itself. The built in margin is assurance that my money is well spent, and my wife will not kill me.

Flippers that do it for financial reasons only still appreciate the bike and are part of the fantastic knowledge base. Some of them have personal collections that I'd love to have.

David Newton

I clicked on this thread for the cool title "a lurker speaks".
Hoss, you owe us a "bike story" after that intro.
I don't get your impression that there is a general disdain here for buying low and selling high. Maybe there are a few commies here about, but we are not inundated.
Having one of the picky members post their picky opinion in your thread just entitles you to be snarky in one of theirs, you have to roll with the punches.
This thread needs pictures...

cycle_maven

I (and my wife) just wish I were a flipper. I buy quality old bikes for low coin and fix them up, then I can't bear to sell them. I had to stop at 12. No more space.

nlerner

I don't find flipping bikes offensive; I'm just not interested in reading about it, and about half of the threads in BF C&V seem to be about values, deals, or gathering info in the interest of the flip. That's why I don't participate much any more, but don't cry for me, Argentina.

The Golden Boy 

I'll throw in a couple of bux here...

One- posting anything is going to piss someone off. If you want to play, you have to have some sort of a thick skin. And there are just forums that it's impossible to play with that group. And there is a point to where someone can be a "butt-hurt drama princess."

Two- Ethics. It's a *****. However far you or anyone wishes to take it-

Three- Take what you want and leave the rest. Use your ignore list.

Four- If you use this place as a resource and don't put anything in, revisit that "ethics" thing.

Five- You can be right. You can be wrong. If you're right, it's not bad to stick to that. If you're wrong, it's not bad to admit it.


EDIT- this is all a "general" thing- not directly pointed at the OP or any specific poster or anything.

fender1

I am offended by cat threads. They are very hard to flip.

gaucho777 

Hoss Cartright, with all due respect, I can't help feeling this thread is a bit of a bait & switch with a backhanded compliment. The message is "thanks for the helpful information" but it seems the primary motivation for this thread was venting over a (imo, mistaken) perception that forum members don't think you should buy low and sell high. I don't fault you for that at all. I flip bikes occasionally (not a lot, but enough to support my hobby) and do it with a clean conscience. Now don't be such a stranger!

SJX426 

I lurk. Then I get sucked into the subject and just have to say something! Sometimes I am dead wrong or don't remember correctly an someone will straighten me out. I appreciate it. Sometimes I actually get a response, either a quote or mention or an PM. I have a couple of new "friends" as a result of being here and I appreciate every one. If all I ever did was read and not contribute, I would feel guilty, of what I am not sure. Doesn't matter.

I have not had the impression you have about flipping. I have done one or two but it is not my thing. Now if you talk to wrk101, you will learn everything you need to know about it but he is also a great resource of opinions of what works and doesn't based on a vast amount of exposure to all levels of bikes. Like cycle-maven, I just can't let go. I find a nice part or bike at an unusually low price and just cant let it go easily.


Bottom line, contribute. Like you I had a 30 year hiatus from biking and now I feel like I have to make up time! This forum has helped in more ways than I can articulate. Join the discussion, we want to "hear" from you too.

KonAaron Snake 

+1 - I care more about the bike than what someone paid for it. I don't recall ever posting what I paid for something outside of personal advice because I'd assume most people don't care what I paid, nor do they need to know what I paid. If the only reason for me to care about the bike is what you paid, I'm just not interested; there's already Pawn Stars for that. Dallas's Norman isn't more or less awesome because of what he paid.

I try to buy low and sell high, but I don't low ball someone who is already offering a great deal. If they're asking $100 for a Colnago, I think it's tacky to offer $80. I actively dislike those stories.

JJScaliger

I think some clarification needs to be made about what and who are "flippers."

As an example, I don't consider people who buy a Colnago, ride it for a year and then sell it to fund a yearning for a Sachs or whatever to be flippers. If you're buying a bike in your size intending to ride it or restore it then you're not a "flipper".

If, however, you buy bikes to kick dirt off of and resell on a regular basis, then you are a "flipper." It doesn't mean you're a bad person, but if you want to talk about the trials and triumphs of 'flipping" then I think you should go do it on a separate forum.

And yes, I am a pinko commie!

kc0yef 

Interesting I wonder who will actually risk a response Hoss?

OldsCOOL

Hi Hoss, been a while (I recall your handle). You shouldnt lurk so much. And yes, we all have opinions. All.

RobbieTunes

I was going to skip the thread, until I saw Hoss started it. He's fine with me. This forum has it's ups and downs, ebb and flow, and all the goodness and crap that comes from people. However, it's against the law, in most cases, to go around shooting people, so we just have to deal with it, no matter how much we'd prefer the alternative. I learn a lot here, and I find myself regurgitating it to novices, and sometimes, yes, getting the feeling they are sitting there crapping in my nest with their mouths open, waiting for their next morsel.

The switch from "get off my lawn" to "take your free parts and get out of here" wasn't that hard, it just costs more. Still, the garage is gaining space.

-holiday76

Also been mainly a lurker for some time. That said, if anyone is offended, whether, it be about flipping, or aggressive overuse of commas, thats their problem. Feck em.

gomango

...and there you have it.

Dave Cutter

I wouldn't call myself a flipper. But I have bought and sold a few bicycles. Some bicycles I bought... fully intending to later sell them. And yes.. I also was in hopes of making a profit. But still I don't think I've ever flipped a bike.

I have bought some very under-valued bicycles. $20 bicycles listed on CL are really just one step from being thrown in an apartment complex dumpster... in many cases. So the "seller" got a small amount of cash for their trash. And I get the pleasure of owning, riding, and wrenching on a C&V bicycle that I desired to own.

But owning bicycles requires space. My wife and I discussed the problem of "bicycle space". Her initial thought was to build or have built a workshop-bicycle building. The workshop would allow me to wrench-on and clean old bicycles. Then the remaining space could be used to store (although the correct word may be hoard).

So instead I came up with the idea reselling. I repaired and cleaned one bicycle I hung on my office wall for over a year. Then I sold it for a profit. But before I sold it I got to show it to, and share it with, friends and family. I fully enjoyed that bicycle. Other bicycles I owned... I didn't keep as long. But all have been a pleasure own, wrench on, learn about, and ride. And when I sell the bicycles they are fit and ride worthy and very reasonably priced.

But they all get sold... sooner or later. And so far, at least, I've yet to lose money from my hobby. Today I even picked up a new Trek with some of my "bicycle money".

eschlwc

'flipping' occurs in multiple markets, not just bikes. and it doesn't matter what you do with your purchase if you bought it to sell. if you buy a house intent on flipping, invest half its price on additional investments, and sell for any amount, you are a flipper.

the reasons i flip bikes is to wrench, learn, resurrect, create, and ride. i think it's an art. but it's also flipping. sure, it's different than the guy that does nothing to his bikes but profit, but it's still flipping flipping.

Bicycle Addict

A bicycle addiction should in my eyes be funded solely by bikes . . . I buy as low as I can and in minimum make back what I paid, sometimes there is profit and if it is not needed in the house I will buy some bits, to finish my list of ongoing's.

I think we are all here for a collective reason . . . bikes, you should not be made to feel bad about flipping(if you have?) . . . I don't, never will. My wife sees my bikes as a very positive thing, I load them on auctions for what they owe, sometimes a bidding war will start, I have at this point updated my auctions out lining that the bike may not be worth much more than the bids that are in, sometimes it still goes crazy.

Keep in mind above all else that we flippers(Stand proud boys ) may be flipping bikes but, we are also bringing our practical knowledge to the bikes, in some cases saving bikes that would otherwise stay unrideable, deteriorate further then years later end up at the dump.
Is that not the most important thing?

I learn alot here and then take it to work and teach it to teenage soon to be come bicycle addicts, they in some cases are more C&V than me. So many conversation's, debates, sulking, enjoyment, bikes just keep on giving man.

pastorbobnlnh 

But I will--- I will:

@nlerner I'm offended that you don't post that much any more. Your wit, clever responses, and quick jabs, is what I lived for everyday. I've been in therapy ever since you switch academic institutions.

BTW, Where is your side kick, @southpawboston? Haven't seen him around lately either. Off "random neurring" some place, I'm guessing.