babyboomer

I have a 2004 Trek 5200 that I would like to sell. I would be interested in suggestions on the best way and/or places to advertise. So, in addition to Bikeforums.net, are there any other suggestions?

I-Like-To-Bike

Lower your asking price or be prepared to wait for somebody who thinks your price is right.

Velocivixen

I list bikes on local craigslist. I give specifics regarding seat tube & top tube length, wheel size, overall condition (ready to ride, needs work, etc). I sometimes make suggestions like "could make a great commuter", etc. Don't price on emotional attatchment of the bike. Be realistic, because almost any bike shop will sell at least a model or two at reasonable prices plus add 6 months free tuneups or something, so if your price is high then buyer would be just as well off getting a new bike from a shop.

Maelochs

Velocivixen offers really helpful advice re: tube lengths. Also be sure to give a parts list. I see a lot of bikes online I Might buy but unless I know exactly what parts I would be getting I do not know what I would want to upgrade, swap, reuse ... all of which impacts value.

Check Ebay and Craigslist for similar bikes of similar quality before setting your price. No matter what the bike is actually worth in a vacuum,. it's real worth is on the market where it will be sold, and if that market is depressed, people will not pay more than what the prevailing market generally asks ... in other words, expect to get less than you Really want, but of course don't giver it away. If you are patient price it at the upper end of the range, and wait for someone who wants that particular bike. otherwise, price it mid-range and it will move more quickly.

As Velocivixen mentions, the person buying the bike you love so much will also love, but not until they have bought it and ridden it a while. Understand that to most buyers, it is just another bike on a list of several they are considering.

tedder

What are you asking? Where do you live?

Some communities have great resources to sell bikes.

CliffordK

One thing about E-Bay auctions.

I rarely bid on an auction that is listed in having a "reserve price". I think of it like shill bidding, and I will not bid against the seller. So, I see an item with a low starting price and a reserve bid, I won't bid on it, and I won't add it to my watch list.

Either have a reasonable start price, or start the auction at $1 and see what happens.

Feedback is important. If you have no E-Bay history, also expect your auctions to be shunned. Likewise, 99% of the auctions take PayPal. Don't insist on cash unless it is a local pickup.

If you are using "local pickup" on E-Bay, then it also limits 99% of the buyers.

Craigslist is good for local sales of hard to ship items, and saves both the buyer and seller the shipping cost.

As others have mentioned, be realistic on the sales price. This site will put things a bit in perspective.
2004 Trek 5200 - New and Used Bike Value

I think they are a bit low, but it varies from city to city. Without knowing much about the bike, maybe test the waters around $850 or so, but also accept the fact that it could be significantly lower.

babyboomer

I've received several responses which contain good advice! However, it occurs to me that I might not have posed my question properly. I'm not seeking advice on how to sell as
much as where to sell. So far I've gotten more of the former and less of the latter. eBay is only my first venture, but I'd like to consider other markets as well.

Regarding the response from the person who compared a reserve price to shill bidding, I Had never Looked at it that way. I can see how someone might take exception.

fietsbob

see if the local bike shop will take it in on consignment people come in all the time looking for used bike deals.

It sells, and you get paid - consignment cut, & you dont have to see people at your house , who may have nefarious plans..

babyboomer

I'm asking $1000 (although the reserve on eBay was higher to account for overhead costs). I live in Southern California.

babyboomer

I would consider such an arrangement. So far I've only asked a of a couple of shops. Neither one of them will sell on consignment. If I decide to go that way, I'll definitely look into that.

fietsbob

Better return than outright shop Buy.. Here if the sale goes towards a new bike the whole thing is a credit

Shop owners choice to do it that way or however..

tedder

bbb says it's worth about $600, assuming Ultegra spec.

babyboomer

Yes, I've done the research. I've seen those quotes, and others as well. I've been offered $725 by a reseller. Additionally, it's been appraised by someone often consulted by insurance claims adjusters for that purpose! I suspect that $1000 is the high market value for this bicycle, but I'm in no hurry to sell and I'm willing to wait.


The bike is a custom build under Trek's ProjectOne program. Except for a custom paint job and upgraded wheels (X-Lite versus Lite), the specifications are almost identical to a basic 5200. However, the original component group (Shimano 6500, I believe) has been upgraded to 6700. But I'm not trying to sell the bike here. If I choose to do so, I will provide all of the specifications at that time.

Homebrew01

The only thing worse than a reserve price, is a seller who won't tell you what the reserve is. Better to just set the base price at your "reserve" price so everyone knows.

Wherever you list, having good pictures, honest description, without a lot of fluff promotion work best. Just the facts.

When someone tries to hype a product as being so wonderfule, awesome, amazing, my eyes glaze over & I skip to the next item.

Looigi

Sounds like a personal problem. You pay price that's acceptable to you and you get the item. Whatever mechanism or tomfoolery that got you there is pretty much irrelevant, isn't it?

Paul Barnard

I sold my last road bike on a local club forum. You don't have to be a club member on most local forums to join the forum and post. I wouldn't advertise anything for $1000. $950 has a different psychological impact.

bmthom.gis

I've sold plenty of bikes on CL. Take lots of photos, close up of different parts and angles. Provide measurements, give a general "this is a 56cm bike, and will fit someone between 5'9 and 6', give or take."
Clean it up - selling a clean bike is easier than a dirty bike
Make sure everything is in working order, or be prepared to accept a lot less. If you have a flat tire, replace the tube.
Be realistic in your asking price. I usually undervalue bikes I sell and they go quickly
I like to stage my photos somewhere more interesting th an in front of the garage door. If it's a mounting bike, I'll put it on some dirt/rugged terrain. Show a potential buyer a different phot shoot than everyone else and let their imagination take over. Even on bikes I value right at or o ervalue, I've still sold everything in less than a week.
If it is a truly high dollar bike, post it to facebook for sale geoups, or bike groups. I would do tht before ebay to avoid ebay fees.

jimmie65

Try Craigslist, but be prepared to wait.
Also, save yourself some headaches and handle all communications via email until you know someone is serious about buying the bike. Ignore "Call me" or "Is the bike still available?" emails - they just waste your time.

Nachoman

Hey, I see you've got a Holland Exogrid Jet. Thats awesome! I ride an older, non exogrid Holland. Anyway, if you live in San Diego, selling your 5200 for that price may be tough. I see them come and go, pretty regularly, on craigslist for about half that price.

babyboomer

Is there no privacy?! :-)

Nachoman

lol. not when you post on a public forum and you list your bikes right under your user name. wink wink.

CliffordK

You can call it a personal problem if you wish. I am generally a last minute bidder. I've found the reserve prices are often unrealistic and I've just decided that it isn't worth my time if the seller is trying to HIDE the true start price.

I also have noticed that the second and third time an item comes up for sale and doesn't reach the reserve, the bids are almost always lower as more potential buyers loose interest.

Here is my representation of different E-Bay auction types.



The seller's nightmare (and buyer's dream) is auction type A, where for some reason an item doesn't pick up a lot of attention, sometimes selling for a very low start price. It may be too rare of an item (in which case, a buy-it-now and wait and wait auction would have been appropriate), or not good enough of a description. Or, perhaps it is just junk. Or maybe the seller's feedback profile is insufficient to convince buyers that the seller is trustworthy.

The best auction is type F, with a low start price, generates a lot of interest, and a bidding frenzy at the end. Often the end result is higher than one would have set with a reserve or a buy-it-now value. No doubt this type of auction is stressful for sellers that watch their auction prices. And there may be some unscrupulous sellers that bail on an auction and end it early before the frenzy starts.

Type D is the rapid rising auction. A lot of interest early, then interest falls off as potential bidders think the price is going too high. It may not quite reach the same levels as the bidding frenzy auction, unless there are a couple of very interested bidders.

Type C might have too high of a start price. It may or may not sell, but it just doesn't generate the interest of those auctions that have lower start prices.

Type B are the reserve auctions. They may or may not meet the reserve. I think hiding the true start price discourages a lot of bidders, so they often don't generate a lot of interest.

Type G are the buy-it-now auctions. Depending on the item and the price, they can take hours, days, months, or years to sell. It is useful for a few types of auction including common items which the seller wants to sell in bulk (like derailleur cables). Keep price & shipping times (US vs Asia) in mind. Also for those rare or obscure items where you just have to match the right buyer, and want to avoid the opportunistic buyers picking up expensive items for pennies on the dollar. Price the item too high, and it will literally NEVER SELL.

veganbikes

Everyone has made decent points but one great thing that will increase value is making sure the bike is fully tuned up, cleaned and lubed and ready to go. A lot of folks put bikes on CL that they just didn't want to work on but are asking prices that would constitute a good fully functioning bike that doesn't need anything done to it. Frayed cables and dirty bikes don't sell as well.

jfowler85

That's not going to sell, even in socal.

The only reason to buy a used bike on ebay: it's a good deal and seller pays shipping. Clifford's above graph seems generally accurate to me; I've been buying/selling on ebay since the good old days when adding an item picture set your auction apart from the list of everything else.

Trade it in for a Lynskey.

mstateglfr 

Craigslist. Its 10x easier to complete the transaction compared to ebay since its local.

And I see you mentioned you are willing to wait for someone to buy it since your price is so much higher than comps- that, to me, just means you are want to sell it to someone who doesn't know any better. Pretty lame.

You mention xlite wheels, and this lists xlite wheels. 2004 Trek 5200 - New and Used Bike Value
I am not a huge follower of BBB, but...

I would look at this for what it is- an 11 year old CF bike- not exactly something that's collectible.

Considering its updated to full 6700- Part it out.
- Clean every component like your life depends on it and list the full groupset on ebay and on craigslist.
- list the wheels separate, but offer to include them with the above groupset for a price.
- list the frame and fork.