Selling a set of tires on Kijiji and the wife folded them to fit on a storage shelf in the garage. They were not fully folded as there was no pressure holding them; they were just bent to fit in the shelf space.

I don't want to sell damaged goods. Is there any point in mentioning this

So if I understand this correctly, they're wire beaded tires? And they've been folded? If that's the case, I wouldn't want them as the wire will never be the same and might cause clinching issues on the rim. IF they're foldable tires, no problem.

Marathon Plus.

That's a wire bead tire. Sorry for your loss

I think it depends on how "tightly" the tires were folded. I have purchased wire bead tires from online retailers and the tires arrived folded without any issue. And really, how else could tires ever be shipped? I don't think people would pay the shipping for an oversize box to ship (say) a 29x2.4 tire if the tire had to stay full size.

They look perfect. There is no way to tell if any damage was done visually?

Go to your local bike shop and get a worn wire bead tire from their dumpster and try to break or bend the bead. I have cut up old tires to make a variety of things and even hacksawing the bead is an effort. Test it, and then make your own conclusion(s).

If I understand this correctly, the guy cut the wire bead and tire still stayed on rim.

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/rinard/tirebead.htm

To a buyer? No.
To the forum? No.

Mike, it's possible to "fold" a beaded tire into a smaller circle for storage or shipping. As long as the wire beads do not get flattened the tire should be fine.

Bike tourists and sometime bike shop mechanics would "fold" wire bead tires to fit into a more compact space. This "folding isn't folding, at all. It is compact looping, so that the wire bead never kinks.

Skip to 1:25 for wire beads.

The best technique of folding a tire is the same as folding a bandsaw blade. Woodworkers and machinist are good at this.

This is the technique that you want to use.

I will admit that we are off topic, but I did want to point out to anyone that thinks you cannot fold wire bead tires, you can.

Bingo. Unless you can see where the bead got bent (feel it as you slide your fingers along the bead) then there is no issue. Back before folding tires were a thing, properly "circled" wire bead tires were shipped all the time with zero issues.

+1 to post 11 above, spot on. If you have kinked the wire bead, possible problem, but steel is quite resilient so might just straighten out fine. Folded in a triple-loop like a bandsaw blade, no problem, that's how I brought a spare tire on tour (funny size front wheel on recumbent, would be more difficult to find replacement in the boonies).

The guy came and picked up the tires. I showed him how they were stored and told him I'd knock off $20 and he was good with that.

Considering the guy in the link I posted cut his wire bead on purpose and it still held the rim it should be fine. I couldn't even find a kink in mine

OP ->

You know how hard it is to bend stranded steel wire, so it holds some shape using just your hands? I am pretty sure no damage was done, your wife is absolved of wrong doing

BTW what replaces these steel wires in those foldable tires?

Used to be kevlar, I can attest to very low stretch and no creep, I am using kevlar line as a substitute Deltech cable on my folder. Kevlar can deteriorate in UV light so is often painted black. More common these days is UHMWPE, such as AmSteel and Dyneema, but I don't know if that is used on folding tires. It's come way down in price so is now used for everything from boat lifelines to standing rigging (both in place of stranded stainless steel cable), logging ropes, even commercial fishing lines and nets.

When did folding Kevlar beads become available?

I have a tire I’ll never ride, an old 20mm Panaracer new in the box, from around the mid 80’s and it’s foldable Kevlar.

Some people seem to think that folding tires are new tech, but they’ve been available for 40 years or longer.

Ironically it's not hard at all to put a kink in a wire bead or a bandsaw blade trying to do this

If the bead wasn't kinked, it's likely not a problem.