on selling my Gunnar Sport

[eddief]

I am surprised this frame and/or fork have not sold yet. Seems as if a nearly close to new, finely tigged steel from the likes of Richard Schwinn and Waterford should be gone. Like 35% off the new price. Am I missing something? I know probably no opinions out there, but thought I'd poach the subject.

[A1CKot]

I don't know. I have had almost exactly zero interested in my R33. The used bike market seems to be very weird.

[jds108]

Some folks may be looking for a higher percentage discount... I have a lot of stuff that I'm not using but not choosing to sell because I don't think I'll be satisfied with the sales price. So it goes.

[martinrjensen]

That's probably it. Stuff really is only worth exactly what someone will pay for it at the time you want to sell it. If there's no interest in it right now, it's currently overpriced no matter what you think it's worth. The buyers set the actual worth of something. It's of course easy to hang on to something if you don't get what you want for it but bottom line, if it doesn't sell, it's either overpriced or not advertized well enough or both.Some folks may be looking for a higher percentage discount... I have a lot of stuff that I'm not using but not choosing to sell because I don't think I'll be satisfied with the sales price. So it goes.

[fourflys]

Some folks may be looking for a higher percentage discount... .

pretty much nailed it here I think... when selling something used, you generally need to be prepared to take about 50% of the new cost regardless of condition... if you think about a Gunnar frame, the cost new is around $900 currently so if I was looking at a used frame that was around $650... why wouldn't I just pony up another $250 to have brand new?

no idea if these prices are close to the ad, just talking in general on your percentages mentioned...

[handsomerob]

$800 is a very competitive price point. Look hard enough and you will find some pretty solid complete bikes.

Also, there are a boat load of quality tigged steel builders out there... And most in the know see Gunnar as a value brand. It is the Toyota and Waterford is the Lexus. I put up a Campy equipped Waterford built Salsa La Raza for just $195 more than you are selling a frameset and got VERY little interest.

[Louis]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f7/Simple_supply_and_demand.png

[bobswire]

Edmund (EDL) had a great Gunner Roadie that took him awhile to sell, built in 2006 56cm in excellent condition. He ended up selling frame/CK HS/Alpha Q Fork for $480.
I would have bought it had it been a 54-55cm.

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=103813&highlight=gunnar+roadie

This is it after new owner built it up.

http://i46.tinypic.com/14nzk7b.jpg

[chwupper]

I think certain marques just don't have a lot of sizzle. Gunnar and Waterford are in that category. Fantastic bikes. But have you seen the websites recently? Not good even for late 90s standards. Richard Schwinn is great at customer service (having exchanged lots and lots of emails with the man). But creating cachet, not so much...

I don't know how well Indy Fab or other, hipper bikes sell these days... Probably for more and more quickly?

Full disclosure: I ended up buying Edmund's Gunnar Street Dog (third hand, for notably less than he was asking) and love it to absolute pieces.

Fuller disclosure: I'm even thinking of going up to Waterford for the factory ride on June 9th.

[JLP]

Yeah, I agree with the others. I have a Gunnar Sport that I absolutely love, but you are asking too much. I got mine new from Richard with a color I picked and a custom Waterford fork for not all that much more.

Also, while you might get close to your asking price on a good day on ebay, this place has a different vibe. Most people here intentionally set prices a bit low and then throw in a thing or two extra when they ship. Then when you sell something, you return the favor.

This doesn't happen all the time, but usually that's been my experience.

[esldude]

Ride a Gunnar Roadie myself and think them very good bikes. But I think second hand you end up getting just about 50%. You might get a touch more say 60%. More than that I doubt you will get any interest.

As someone else said, some brands have more of an aura, or pizazz factor in people's minds for whatever reason. I think Gunnar is a good solid bike and those who know them think well of them. In the general used market place they aren't custom and aren't quite as big a name interest-wise.

[echelon_john]

Times is tough. Downsizing is the new acquisition. Frugal is the new cool.

Not kidding-I just think selling---most selling---is into a stiff headwind right now.

[Ken Robb]

since you asked: it has no aesthetic pizazz even though it will make a wonderful riding bike.

[eddief]

it is the old black which is the new black. everything goes with it. think of the red bar tape, red cable housing, red A23 wheels :)

since you asked: it has no aesthetic pizazz even though it will make a wonderful riding bike.

[Louis]

Eddie, it's clearly worth more to you than it is to others, so you should keep it.

Louis

[tiretrax]

1. Many people shopping here, it seems to me, want things for free, or nearly free. Some have bragged about how they cried poor student and got an additional discount from the absurdly low asking price.
2. People are correct in stating that Gunnar is seen as a value brand. I just bought a coupled Gunnar with case for the cost of the couplers and the case - the price at which it was offered.

I don't know why they aren't better respected. Great frames. I don't think it's that there are too many steel bikes out there - there are lots of carbon bikes and ti bikes that aren't selling for more than 50% of their retail price.

[jr59]

since you asked: it has no aesthetic pizazz even though it will make a wonderful riding bike.

I looked at this bike, and decided on something else.
I'm sure it's a great frame and rides out very well. The pics as shown seem flat and have little sizzle. Since the price was so close to what it would be new, I passed.

Eddie, it's clearly worth more to you than it is to others, so you should keep it.

Louis

Agreed!

1. Many people shopping here, it seems to me, want things for free, or nearly free. Some have bragged about how they cried poor student and got an additional discount from the absurdly low asking price.
2. People are correct in stating that Gunnar is seen as a value brand. I just bought a coupled Gunnar with case for the cost of the couplers and the case - the price at which it was offered.

I don't know why they aren't better respected. Great frames. I don't think it's that there are too many steel bikes out there - there are lots of carbon bikes and ti bikes that aren't selling for more than 50% of their retail price.

I also think this is very true.

[Gummee]

I have a Crosshairs and love it. ...but its steel in a day of carbon. Its also the 'budget' line of Waterford. IOW not the 'cachet' of say a Sachs, Indy Fab, Seven, Rock Lobster, Strong, Landshark, or...

All add up to meh. IF the deal's good enough, I'll pony up the cash.

Good luck! I'm not selling my Crosshairs till I NEED to

M

[daker13]

1Some have bragged about how they cried poor student and got an additional discount from the absurdly low asking price.


Seriously? I would've thought that brag brings down a world of hurt here.

[eddief]

yes, the Sport I am selling is plain black. The paintjob is gorgeous. The tigged joinery is as good as any zoot builder; ie as good as it gets. And I do get that in the world of custom handbuilt this is just a relatively straight forward do it all sport bike. I also completely get the market analysis. I am one who would consider saving 300 dollars to get a near new frameset with 2 nicks in the paint.

[fourflys]

1. Many people shopping here, it seems to me, want things for free, or nearly free. Some have bragged about how they cried poor student and got an additional discount from the absurdly low asking price.


I've got to say I've never seen that...

To the Op- Gunnars are awesome bikes and I really hope you get what you need for it...

[Ken Robb]

It might be worthwhile to build it temporarily with red tape and cables plus a neat saddle. Red tires might help too. Of course while cable housing is cheap the cost of the other items might kill this idea unless you already owned them or could later use them on a bike you were keeping.

My black Kirk was livened up a bit by blue cables and tires.

[Earl Gray]

You should have never posted a pic of it built up.

If building butt ugly, fasterbackward bikes is what drove Serotta into the ground, there should be no surprise that you can't sell that.

Or it could be that you are very lacking in marketing skills.

[eddief]

how do you really feel about this?

You should have never posted a pic of it built up.

If building butt ugly, fasterbackward bikes is what drove Serotta into the ground, there should be no surprise that you can't sell that.

Or it could be that you are very lacking in marketing skills.

[fiamme red]

It's just not a sexy frame. It needs an Italian name on the downtube and a splatter paint job. :)

[tiretrax]

I've got to say I've never seen that...

To the Op- Gunnars are awesome bikes and I really hope you get what you need for it...

Look at what sells quickly - firesale-priced items (i.e. <50% of retail). Anything that takes a long time to sell is priced at 50% of retail, or higher. There are a few exceptions, such as DI2 and a few frames that are in high demand (Moots, for example).

[eippo1]

It's also the used market right now. I ended up selling my Tarmac Pro Sl3 2011 for about half of msrp even though I barely had 500 miles on it. People just aren't looking unless it's a screaming deal. I ended up lucking out in selling it because a local racer crashed his frame set and needed a new on in a hurry.

[fourflys]

You should have never posted a pic of it built up.

If building butt ugly, fasterbackward bikes is what drove Serotta into the ground, there should be no surprise that you can't sell that.

Or it could be that you are very lacking in marketing skills.

dude, really? this post serves no purpose in an otherwise useful and civil thread so far...

[ahmose]

It might be worthwhile to build it temporarily with red tape and cables plus a neat saddle. Red tires might help too. Of course while cable housing is cheap the cost of the other items might kill this idea unless you already owned them or could later use them on a bike you were keeping.

My black Kirk was livened up a bit by blue cables and tires.
+1 to this.
Gunnars are great bikes. However, if it was me, i would just order a brand new frame from Waterford with the color of my choosing for only an additional $250 with all the warranty, never worrying about shipping damages etc..

[jds108]

You should have never posted a pic of it built up.

If building butt ugly, fasterbackward bikes is what drove Serotta into the ground, there should be no surprise that you can't sell that.

Or it could be that you are very lacking in marketing skills.

Really? I had to go look at Eddie's classified ad. Looks fine to me. I hope this post is just a result of an unusually bad day, because IMO both the tone and content aren't up to snuff.

[Louis]

You should have never posted a pic of it built up.

If building butt ugly, fasterbackward bikes is what drove Serotta into the ground, there should be no surprise that you can't sell that.

Or it could be that you are very lacking in marketing skills.

This is uncalled for and just plain mean on several levels.

Let's hope you never have problems selling something at a price you think is reasonable.

[Joachim]

You should have never posted a pic of it built up.

If building butt ugly, fasterbackward bikes is what drove Serotta into the ground, there should be no surprise that you can't sell that.

Or it could be that you are very lacking in marketing skills.

Wow... Who took your stuffed animal in the daycare yesterday?

[John M]

yes, the Sport I am selling is plain black. The paintjob is gorgeous. The tigged joinery is as good as any zoot builder; ie as good as it gets. And I do get that in the world of custom handbuilt this is just a relatively straight forward do it all sport bike. I also completely get the market analysis. I am one who would consider saving 300 dollars to get a near new frameset with 2 nicks in the paint.

All true. The thing is that with the economy being what it is, lots of shops are selling last years new stuff at 30-35% off of retail--and that is with full warranty, free tune ups/service for some period of time, and the advantages that come with buying local.

Except for a few select brands, used is used, and selling price (even for good as new) is likely to be 50% off at best.

Nice frame. Good luck with the sale.

[dustyrider]

Something that hasn't been brought up, but probably should, the gunnar is kinda on the large side. Most of the bikes I see that come through here are 56cm and under. I'm a 58cm and tend to notice this.

Side note:
I don't know why any of you are surprised by Earl Grey's comment(tempted to leave out the 2nd r but I don't want to stoop). He immediately made my ignore list and I'm pretty new here.

[Matt-H]

Nothing to really add to the already constructive thoughts and suggestions being tossed around here. But, I will say that a good friend just purchased a Gunnar Hyper X and loves it. He has had quite a few nice frames and for whatever reason he is really digging this one. Welds are nice, too.

Also, I would deal with eddief again without hesitation.

[brownhound]

$800 is a very competitive price point. Look hard enough and you will find some pretty solid complete bikes.

Also, there are a boat load of quality tigged steel builders out there... I put up a Campy equipped Waterford built Salsa La Raza for just $195 more than you are selling a frameset and got VERY little interest.

Similar conclusions about a used Salsa: over $1000 for a Salsa is a lot, frankly. It's simply not a cache brand and you can get a new one for about that much.

Edmund (EDL) had a great Gunner Roadie that took him awhile to sell, built in 2006 56cm in excellent condition. He ended up selling frame/CK HS/Alpha Q Fork for $480. I would have bought it had it been a 54-55cm.

Link to two St. Louis guys trying to sell Gunnar Roadie 54s framesets in pacecar blue and pink panther pink for $600 and $400 respectively.

http://stlbiking.com/forum/index.php/topic/30508-2010-54cm-gunnar-roadie-custom-paint/page__hl__gunnar__fromsearch__1

I don't know how well Indy Fab or other, hipper bikes sell these days... Probably for more and more quickly?

Speaking of, PSA of a 56" IF for $900. For a full bike. http://chicago.craigslist.org/nch/bik/3037474698.html

Something that hasn't been brought up, but probably should, the gunnar is kinda on the large side. Most of the bikes I see that come through here are 56cm and under. I'm a 58cm and tend to notice this.

No doubt. Remember this is a sized product, not something that everyone can use (e.g., a car). You not only have to find someone in the market, who thinks it's a good value, is comfortable buying a used product, likes the look, AND that fits a 60cm. I'm a 54cm, so I have no sympathy for your height and the benefits it otherwise confers. (Just kidding -- I wish I fit a 60cm.)

All in all, I'd be skeptical of paying more than 50% on a used product.

[Gummee]

It's also the used market right now. I ended up selling my Tarmac Pro Sl3 2011 for about half of msrp even though I barely had 500 miles on it. People just aren't looking unless it's a screaming deal. I ended up lucking out in selling it because a local racer crashed his frame set and needed a new on in a hurry.

I sold a Roubaix with 105 on it for $940. Couldn't get anyone to give me the time of day at a more reasonable (to me) price.

Bought a Full Tilt Boogie with the $$. (long story)

M