Need Help Identifying unopened bicycle boxes
12-04-20, 08:18 PM
#51
Full Member
if the OP bites on this....
I'm going to post the Golden Gate bridge on ebay as the worlds largest MUP. Send me $ 99.95 and local pickup only.
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12-04-20, 08:44 PM
#52
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I live in the SF Bay Area and although it’s been a long while I have been approached w this exact “deal” a few times.
12-04-20, 10:25 PM
#53
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I actually don't know about Japan, as the wholesale cabbage thing is often a Korean phenomenon, where they sell cabbages in the cities, after buying from farmers out in the countryside, at a bit of a profit for people to make kimchi, the staple Korean pickle.
Those guys always deal in cash, though, and once they've driven away, returning anything you bought from them is not possible.
12-04-20, 10:36 PM
#54
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But to get back on track, if there are safeguards in place, you cannot really go wrong with a $10 bike. It's worth more, and the auction will probably go higher.
Still, even you can get some for that price, you will need to pay for delivery or arrange for pick up, have storage space ready and be prepared to flip any bikes that don't fit.
They are likely fairly pedestrian bikes of the cheap alloy frame xc mtb type that is ubiquitous worldwide, so flipping them may take time, especially outside of Japan with current limitations on shipping. There is no easy airmail from Korea right now, for example, and all packages are surface only, unless you use DHL.
Still, even you can get some for that price, you will need to pay for delivery or arrange for pick up, have storage space ready and be prepared to flip any bikes that don't fit.
They are likely fairly pedestrian bikes of the cheap alloy frame xc mtb type that is ubiquitous worldwide, so flipping them may take time, especially outside of Japan with current limitations on shipping. There is no easy airmail from Korea right now, for example, and all packages are surface only, unless you use DHL.
Last edited by PDKL45; 12-06-20 at 01:14 AM.
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12-07-20, 12:37 PM
#55
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Guys sold electronics out of their trunks for decades her in Los Angeles. A friend was offered a pickup truck load of of machine equipment, "brought in for a trade show but too expensive to ship back so I will sell it too you for 10%"
12-07-20, 01:06 PM
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What's with all the questions? There are 1000 movies and a million books written regarding "Confidence Men". Do I need to explain that to you. From Jack and the Bean Stalk to so-called patent medicines in the 18th century to multitudes of internet scams today.
Guys sold electronics out of their trunks for decades her in Los Angeles. A friend was offered a pickup truck load of of machine equipment, "brought in for a trade show but too expensive to ship back so I will sell it too you for 10%"
Guys sold electronics out of their trunks for decades her in Los Angeles. A friend was offered a pickup truck load of of machine equipment, "brought in for a trade show but too expensive to ship back so I will sell it too you for 10%"
12-07-20, 03:02 PM
#57
Member
Hucksters (boxsters?!?)
Can you open a box before paying for it? It might be full of junk, or bricks, or some other items of similar weight.
This whole thing reminds me of the old scam where a guy drives up in a van full of boxes, all supposedly containing high-end car speakers, or TVs, or stuff like that. "Supposedly" the whole van full was some sort of leftover stock ordered by mistake and the guy just wants to get rid of them for a too-good-to-be-true price. Cash only, of course, and "pay quickly before the boss catches me!" He might even have one box already opened so you can see the speakers or TV or whatever. Then the guy drives off with your money and you're left with a cardboard box containing a couple bricks and a bunch of bubble wrap.
This whole thing reminds me of the old scam where a guy drives up in a van full of boxes, all supposedly containing high-end car speakers, or TVs, or stuff like that. "Supposedly" the whole van full was some sort of leftover stock ordered by mistake and the guy just wants to get rid of them for a too-good-to-be-true price. Cash only, of course, and "pay quickly before the boss catches me!" He might even have one box already opened so you can see the speakers or TV or whatever. Then the guy drives off with your money and you're left with a cardboard box containing a couple bricks and a bunch of bubble wrap.
12-08-20, 07:42 AM
#58
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Google 'white van speaker scam.' Up through the 00's this was common on the eastern seaboard of the US. Personally I was approached in NC, MD, and PA with the scam. Once you could google the speaker brand with your smartphone while the guy waited, the jig was up.
12-08-20, 01:52 PM
#59
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RUN - don’t walk away?
__________________
Remember: Real bikes have pedals.
...and never put a yellow tail on a Red, White and Blue kite!
Remember: Real bikes have pedals.
...and never put a yellow tail on a Red, White and Blue kite!
12-09-20, 08:12 AM
#61
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12-09-20, 09:57 AM
#62
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Bid on the high wheeler bikes! Who doesnt love a good Penny Farthing for $50usd?
This thread is wild- made even more so since it appears legit.
I would 100% be willing to buy 2 boxes of something for $40usd. I have spent more on worse, and thats when I knew what I was buying!
This thread is wild- made even more so since it appears legit.
I would 100% be willing to buy 2 boxes of something for $40usd. I have spent more on worse, and thats when I knew what I was buying!
I'm always wary - wouldn't the seller be better off at least opening them to give a better idea of what's in the box? Even an unbuilt model X or Y bike will sell for a lot more than a mystery box.
Of course, if there are bikes (or parts) in there, you can't really lose money at $10 a box. I've no idea about Japan but the price of bikes is really high at the moment due to covid and the impact on supply/demand.
Of course, if there are bikes (or parts) in there, you can't really lose money at $10 a box. I've no idea about Japan but the price of bikes is really high at the moment due to covid and the impact on supply/demand.
Everyone's freaking out on the unopened boxes. But, if the seller has them stored somewhere remote from his office, the hassle of driving there, opening individual boxes, photographing bikes within, resealing the boxes and uploading the images to an uncertain buyer is much more hassle than it's worth.
It looks to be a Russian site listing Japanese auctions. I would assume the Japanese site has fraud protections, as well as OP's credit card company. It's not like OP's buying a closed box from a little truck advertising "Mr. Hashimoto's Mobile Bicycles, wholesale cabbage and non-fake Chinese iPhone store."
I would go for it.
It looks to be a Russian site listing Japanese auctions. I would assume the Japanese site has fraud protections, as well as OP's credit card company. It's not like OP's buying a closed box from a little truck advertising "Mr. Hashimoto's Mobile Bicycles, wholesale cabbage and non-fake Chinese iPhone store."
I would go for it.
His told me over the phone he had a lot of the boxes so I will be camping his profile to see if a road or mountain bike box gets listed and goes for cheap.
On the plus side, it seems like many people pressured the guy to open the boxes because he ended up relisting the unbought ones after opening a few and taking photos. Green colored penny farthing logo turned out to be adult mamachari while the red logo was kids mamachari (Mamachari with mickey mouse and such). While bridgestone city bikes are amazing, I already have one and they are so common it wouldnt be worth the hassle to flip.
Cant seem to post the links since they are in Japanese. Im getting an error message saying the characters are not allowed. You can find the guys profile on Yahoo Auctions Japan, his profile name is momigi2016.
I felt like sherlock holmes did a lost in translation for a while there, was a fun feeling even if no bicycle in the end yet. The hunt for my first non-mamachari bike continues. Not that I dont love my Lococo.
12-10-20, 11:56 PM
#63
12-11-20, 07:29 AM
#64
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Because the scam is to either sell fake units, or to claim units are worth way more than they are in order to make it seem like a good deal i.e. telling you a $50 speaker is worth $500 so you think getting it for $100 is a bargain. If you know what it's actually worth (or should look like), then the scam falls over.
12-11-20, 08:53 AM
#65
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Because the scam is to either sell fake units, or to claim units are worth way more than they are in order to make it seem like a good deal i.e. telling you a $50 speaker is worth $500 so you think getting it for $100 is a bargain. If you know what it's actually worth (or should look like), then the scam falls over.
12-11-20, 12:56 PM
#66
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In one instance I know of, the seller showed high quality stainless steel kitchenware. When the buyer opened the box, it contained the lowest possible grade aluminum pots and pans.
12-11-20, 02:00 PM
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Ow that’s a scam...and Googling would not have helped. You gotta have some street sense buyin’ stuff off a truck on the street.
