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Where to find bikes!?
I am combing Craiglist every day in Dallas...I really haven't messed with ebay much except just to see what the market is doing on particular bikes. Where else do you guys find your bikes? Garage/Estate sales? Goodwill? What has been the best producing?
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CL offerings are commonly overvalued and the few good pieces at modest prices disappear in a New York minute.
better venues are flea markets, garage sales, charity bazaars, junk yards/dumps and bicycle co-ops. many independent thrift stores do not do bikes because of space limitations. bicycle offerings at the big chain thrift stores are pretty limited. more interesting are the processing depots for the big thrift store chains. they often have daily auctions. the amount of material which comes through is simply staggering. |
For you, Austin! :D
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This forum is a great place, but you have to put an ad for a wtb. And be prepared to be specific in size, budget and riding purpose. I've noticed a lot of people here don't advertise, but are willing to sell. Best of all people here know the true value and aren't asking crazy prices.
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As mentioned, yard sale bikes are best bang for buck but many of them are overpriced because the owners look up similar bikes on ebay and price them that way. I have also seen bikes like old Schwinn sprints in poor condition where the yard seller says that "someone came through earlier and told me that it was worth $200".
I'm convinced that any decent bike donations to the big thrift stores are picked well before they hit the floor. My best advice is to get the word out to your friends, co-workers and family that you are looking for bikes and to call you if they see any at yard sales, etc... once you are known as the local bike guy, bikes will find you. |
Originally Posted by Flyboy718
(Post 17561507)
I am combing Craiglist every day in Dallas...I really haven't messed with ebay much except just to see what the market is doing on particular bikes. Where else do you guys find your bikes? Garage/Estate sales? Goodwill? What has been the best producing?
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Originally Posted by jj1091
(Post 17561603)
Metal recycling/salvage yards are a good place. I had one near me where I could pick up virtually any vintage bike for less than $30. Got vintage 70's Chicago Schwinns, Fujis, Peugeots, Raleighs, you name it. Went there every week and found something, most for $20. They had over 300 bikes sitting in their yard all arranged in nice sections. Then, one day I went, and nothing was left. They scrapped all 300 bikes. Still looking for another yard...
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It seems to vary region by region....... the bikes that the OP got links for in his original thread would show up on craigs list in my area at 2 to 3 times as much asking.
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Honestly I am surprised there are any bargains anywhere on anything when it only takes a matter of minutes on a computer to search out what a fair market value is. My only really awesome deal on a bike was at a yard sale last year where I bought a Raleigh Super Course for $10. The couple having the yard sale were not old, out-of-touch types either but 20 somethings. I walked away feeling like I stole the bike, thinking it would have taken them maybe 10 minutes on their smart phone to realize it was worth so much more. It is the whole premise of the various pawn and barn-find shows that nobody knows what their junk is worth, as if nobody's ever heard of Ebay. I guess laziness is a strong force.
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I've got some very nice deals from my friendly LBS, a local family-owned operation, where I'm probably known as "that guy".:)
Whenever they take something "old" as a trade-in they tend to ask me if I'm interested when I walk in. Which I make sure I do from time to time. It probably does help that I buy all my consumables through them. |
See My Ten Speeds for ways for acquiring bikes. I lived in Maplewood, NJ, and word got out that I was the bike guy. People just donated bikes to me. It was overwhelming. Basically, get the word out that you are looking. People will at least send you leads.
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I've had excellent luck on CL, but I live in a dead market and often as not the gem will be listed as "Old bike - $50." No photo (or a bad one) and the seller doesn't even know what brand/model it is. If you ask them politely they will go out to the garage and check. Sometimes they come back and say something nice like "Rally Competition, oh, maybe that was Raleigh" or "Cent-u-ron Iron-something."
And that's when you say, "I'll be right over." My local newspaper also has a free want ads section for items under $200, and I've scored three really nice bikes there as well. I've been keeping my eyes peeled, checking these places almost daily for the last four years, and have found a lot of bikes worth picking up; usually for $50. That seems the going price for an "Old bike" in my town. |
Welp...I just picked up my first freebie! Guy that works for me says he has an old Schwinn back when they were made in the U.S.A. says he will give it to me tomorrow. All he knows is its burgundy.
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Originally Posted by wrk101
(Post 17562252)
This is more and more the case.
I am a semi-pro/amateur picker, I pick just about anything from musical instruments, to tools, to shoes and clothing, to outdoor gear, to furniture, you name it. As such, I go to a lot of garage sales and a lot of thrift stores as well. I have a huge advantage over most people looking for bikes, I am agnostic on brand, size, style, era, etc. Anything decent at an attractive price and I will be a buyer. Last year, I made at least 500 thrift store stops, probably quite a bit more than that. In all those stops, I found a TOTAL of 3 decent bike deals, which I bought. None were my size. I spent a total of $110 on these three bikes, so far, I have collected $600 in proceeds on them, and I still have one more to go. So they were all a very good deal. Last year, I went to more than 300 garage sales. Out of those 300, I found two bikes, neither one my size. Made $250 on those two. When I see bikes at thrift stores or garage sales, most are kids bikes, and most are Walmart or similar "quality" level. Very few decent bikes. At thrift stores, when they do get decent bikes, they are gone in ten to fifteen seconds, no kidding! At the better thrift stores in my area, pickers line up an hour before the stores open and POUNCE on any thing decent... I just got really lucky on the three I found, as I refuse to wait in line out front, or camp out all day waiting for stuff to come out. If you are going to go the thrift store/garage sale/church sale/flea market route, you better be looking for more stuff than bikes. Otherwise, you will quickly burn out and give up. As far as deals on Craigs List, you need transportation, the ability to launch any time of day on a deal, the ability to judge deals by lousy ads with poor descriptions, crappy pictures and so on, and the budget to pay for the deals when you spot them. FWIW, most of the deals I find on C/L are NOT in my local market, but instead other markets anywhere from 100 to 200 miles away. I find most of my deals via CL...but...diligence, being able to judge quickly...and move quickly...or be patient...there is ALWAYS the next deal... |
Oh...and...my wife and I like to do "road trips"...over a weekend...pick a direction, search the CL's on the route...and just go have a good time seeing part of the country...and harvesting bikes! Last week, I had to be in Orlando for a business meeting all week...so...
I left the weekend before...and, as I left, I searched from Atlanta to Macon to Gainesville, FL to Orlando...on CL...made a list of possibilities and started sending emails. Then, as the meeting went on, I prepared for the return trip...same list of cities...I ended up with five bikes...and, like @wrk101, I am size/brand agnostic...so I pick them, usually part them out...and fund what I want from them. Oh...the five bikes? Not smoking deals...but deals I can make a bit of scratch on...with keeping one of them for my son... (1) Centurion Ironman Expert - $100 (2) Bianchi Campione D'Italia - $200 (3) Nishiki Olympic Sport - $60 (not the best deal, but the guy was a school teacher...sometimes a bit of charity makes you feel good as well) (4) Fuji Team Fuji - $100 (5) 1978 Raleigh Super Course (yes, those of you that know me know that I could not turn this one away...actually drove a bit out of the way for it) - $125...in very good shape from the original owner! This is the one that will probably go to my son! So...as Bill stated in his post...diligence and an ability to know the market is key... Oh...and I stay away from the "crap" bikes! Take too much space...and do not add value! |
Originally Posted by daf1009
(Post 17562290)
Oh...and...my wife and I like to do "road trips"...over a weekend...pick a direction, search the CL's on the route...and just go have a good time seeing part of the country...and harvesting bikes! Last week, I had to be in Orlando for a business meeting all week...so...
I left the weekend before...and, as I left, I searched from Atlanta to Macon to Gainesville, FL to Orlando...on CL...made a list of possibilities and started sending emails. Then, as the meeting went on, I prepared for the return trip...same list of cities...I ended up with five bikes...and, like @wrk101, I am size/brand agnostic...so I pick them, usually part them out...and fund what I want from them. Oh...the five bikes? Not smoking deals...but deals I can make a bit of scratch on...with keeping one of them for my son... (1) Centurion Ironman Expert - $100 (2) Bianchi Campione D'Italia - $200 (3) Nishiki Olympic Sport - $60 (not the best deal, but the guy was a school teacher...sometimes a bit of charity makes you feel good as well) (4) Fuji Team Fuji - $100 (5) 1978 Raleigh Super Course (yes, those of you that know me know that I could not turn this one away...actually drove a bit out of the way for it) - $125...in very good shape from the original owner! This is the one that will probably go to my son! So...as Bill stated in his post...diligence and an ability to know the market is key... Oh...and I stay away from the "crap" bikes! Take too much space...and do not add value! |
Originally Posted by wrk101
(Post 17562404)
At that price point, you WILL miss out on some great deals. Would you rather double your money on a $50 bike, or on a $500 bike?
Short on funds? Find deals on bikes that don't fit, clean them up, sell them, and repeat. In a few months, you will have a nice bankroll allowing you to move up price wise. My collection started with a $10 bike from a garage sale. Cleaned it up, sold it two days later for $100. The next weekend, I found another $10 bike, did the same, and sold that one for $125. The proceeds from those two transactions provided the seed money I have used ever since. I have not yet had to tap into family finances since that first $10 bike purchase. Are there still decent $10 bikes out there (not great, but not Walmart crap either)? You bet. I went to a garage sale last year that listed two bikes for FREE. I was there before it opened, got the two bikes and bought a couple of other items they had (which were also good deals). The bikes were two step through Schwinn Collegiates. Not super awesome bikes, but cleaned one up and sold it for a nice profit. Still have to finish the second one (good reminder to get back on it). I've also sold a few of the "as is" bikes as barn finds. Not life altering money, but it added to my bike fund. Sometimes fixing up such barn finds can cost you more than the finished project is worth. |
Originally Posted by wrk101
(Post 17562404)
At that price point, you WILL miss out on some great deals. Would you rather double your money on a $50 bike, or on a $500 bike?
Short on funds? Find deals on bikes that don't fit, clean them up, sell them, and repeat. In a few months, you will have a nice bankroll allowing you to move up price wise. My collection started with a $10 bike from a garage sale. Cleaned it up, sold it two days later for $100. The next weekend, I found another $10 bike, did the same, and sold that one for $125. The proceeds from those two transactions provided the seed money I have used ever since. I have not yet had to tap into family finances since that first $10 bike purchase. Are there still decent $10 bikes out there (not great, but not Walmart crap either)? You bet. I went to a garage sale last year that listed two bikes for FREE. I was there before it opened, got the two bikes and bought a couple of other items they had (which were also good deals). The bikes were two step through Schwinn Collegiates. Not super awesome bikes, but cleaned one up and sold it for a nice profit. Still have to finish the second one (good reminder to get back on it). I've also sold a few of the "as is" bikes as barn finds. Not life altering money, but it added to my bike fund. Sometimes fixing up such barn finds can cost you more than the finished project is worth. This is VERY wise thinking... |
Wait a second here, Flyboy. Didn't you just buy a bike? :lol:
Gabba gabba we accept ya, we accept ya, one of us! |
Originally Posted by J.Oxley
(Post 17562510)
Wait a second here, Flyboy. Didn't you just buy a bike? :lol:
Gabba gabba we accept ya, we accept ya, one of us! |
For me, it was all about CL and this forum.
Read the forum- learn stuff. Read Randy's site- learn stuff. Keep checking CL. Get a good idea of what you're looking at so you're not oogling a bottom of the line bike and tempted to pay 10x what it's really worth. First, it seems that the cool bikes just aren't out there- so you figure everyone on the forum is lying to you. Then, it seems that EVERYONE else but you gets all the deals. And then you score one, and then another and then you figure out what you really want. I'm not afraid to pay for what I want, but I have limits on what I wish to pay for what. Good luck! |
Back around 1986 or so I bought a brand new Fuji Del Rey at a County Police auction for $60. It's still one of my favorite rides. Got a nice Trek 400 for $0 when a friend upgraded to a new bike. Have bought many bikes on Craig's List. Least ever paid was for a Univega Safari. Most paid was for a Centurion Elite. There's also a bike store here in Atlanta that specializes in selling vintage stuff. I really respect these guys. They grab up every decent bike they can get their hands on from CL. Then, they jack up the price $100 and put it right back on CL. I also agree completely with daf1009. Some of the best CL deals are in small towns far away. I've seen pictures of bikes hanging in barns in N GA for $75 that would easily bring $175 in the Atlanta Metro area.
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Thus far I've been almost exclusively CL for bikes and CL or the co-op for components. When I'm lucky enough to get out for a weekend ride I'll stop at any yard sales I pass and check for hidden treasure. Found a Centurion DS Ironman at one, but the guy wouldn't budge from his $175 price tag even though the rear brake was absent and the rest of the bike needed a serious going-over. One day I'll stumble onto someone with a "hmmmm, looks like P-I-N-A-R-E-L-L-O" deal.
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I shave my head, but I have two 70+ Year old friends that run a barber shop. They talk more than the ladies do. I've gotten 3 bikes through their customers. Everytime someone breathes the word bicycle, they give me a call and let me know what's up for grabs. I have also stopped people that I see riding a bike I want and inquire, it never hurts to ask. The bottom line though, is to figure out what you want and look for those bikes. It's ok to be picky. The more you get the pickier you will become.... And remember the next deal is always just around the corner.
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1-Drive to Austin.
2-CL. Learn to look for less-informational ads with poor pictures. Ex: "10-speed" or "road bike" You're looking for a seller who simply wants to get rid of the bike, whether it belongs to him/her or not, or just tired of having it around, things like that. Unfortunately, stolen bikes also fit into this category, so watch out for a "too good to be true" deal you roll up on. 3-CL. The boonies. Look for ads in places a bit of a drive away. 4-Networking has been covered. Can't say enough about that. Simply can't. It works. Get the word out. Company bulletin boards are great, if they still exist. Seems like every other person has an old bike they want to get rid of. Once in a while, you find a good one. 5-Other cyclists, especially middle-aged men with new bikes. Seriously. |
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