need some input on pricing my bikes

[jimcav]

oh never mind, concensus is the market will determine it, etc
thanks
jim

[thwart]

Jim, I think most of us feel uncomfortable about taking advantage of someone in financial straits.

Your bike and wheel prices seemed appropriate to me---neither too high nor a heckuva bargain. But remembering it is a buyer's market currently...

Offers accepted seems a good way to do it, to me, anyway.

As someone with too many bikes---but only one really pricey one, I can only imagine how painful it must be to part with a Crumpton or a Vanilla...

[justinf]

I think it speaks volumes that not many of the items you have recently listed have sold, despite a proliferation of ads. It is a buyers market currently, no doubt about it. Most sales seem to be 50% of retail or so. Good luck with your move, Jim.

[brians647]

Yeah, I second Thrwarts advice and comments. Can you wait for some of the more prized/highest priced ones 'til spring? Percentages of seasonal increase are the same, but dollars-wise they'll get more if you can wait at all. And maybe you'll get lucky on a quick sale and be able to salvage one or two.

[jimcav]

actually i have sold 4 bikes (2 road, 1 cx, 1 mtb) and one frameset, 5 wheelsets, a crank, brakes, 3 saddles, 2 pairs of shoes, one powermeter, 2 bibs, 3 jerseys/jackets.

which may cover what i need to do to the house. however, the market is falling and it looks like we will be lucky to walk away from this house, leaving our downpayment behind.

no one is taking advantage of me. i love bikes, ride them to work, and overindulged my passion to be sure--i was on a quest for the pefect rides for me, just happened to find several i loved--always anticipated selling a few at some point (just not all at once in the winter), the timing of moving and the housing market nixed my plan to pay off most of the debt i have related to bikes and the basement remodel.
I just wanted some honest advice on pricing the bikes--probably this spring, when cycling interest is higher. this forum is the closest thing i know to a KBB for bikes. If i had a tarmac or trek i'd just check ebay, but i don't have mass production bikes so it is tough to know.
if it is 50% of retail, that is good.
i'd rather sell to someone here than a nameless entity who will likely part out my bikes in the spring or summer on ebay.
thanks to all
jim

[djg]

Although I've bought and sold this and that, I don't know that I've been following used bike prices to have a decent idea about what it is that specific things might go for. My intuition is pretty simple. The fact that you've not sold the bikes after several weeks of listing them here suggests that they're priced too high -- at least for this venue. Maybe it's a seasonal thing, but I'm inclined to think that you should drop the prices significantly (I dunno, maybe 20%) or try another venue. Ultimately, you might have to do both. It's nothing to do with what's more or less fair, it's just a question about what it is that folks feel like paying for used high-end bikes. In that regard, selling your Meivici is just like selling a 1999 Sienna minivan, which my wife and I did a few weeks back. We looked in the paper, and we looked on-line, etc., and we knew what it was somebody was willing to pay for our particular 1999 van when somebody pulled the money out of his pocket to pay us.

I wish you well with this. Honestly, you need one good road bike, in good working order, to ride. If you need money, the rest are just things waiting to turn into money -- what you might want for them is sort of irrelevant as is what you paid (sunk costs, gone beneath the waves). It's just about what somebody will pay, and so far the asking prices have not helped find anybody willing to pay anything. I wish it were otherwise for you, but it doesn't seem to be that way.

Edit: reading your post ... heck, if you've sold 4 bikes and a frameset already, maybe you're on your way and doing just fine.

[jimcav]

the other bikes, i had more comparisons for value--ulteam, waterford, giant anthem, spicer CX, and a frame sold for a friend. same with wheels--there are always wheels on ebay.
the remaning bikes are different. some here have the same make/model. i've heard the arguments before about buying a "custom" not made for you, but as i can fit stock, i don't need custom for geo. i buy based on the ride and artistry in the bike assuming i can fit the cockpit. for every 3-10 guys or girls who would not buy a bike from a boutique builder unless they were measured and all that, there has to be 1 or 2 who'd like the chance to ride one without it costing what it costs.
anyway, i'll likely wait a month, by then should have most of the stuff done on the house, or at least know the final cost, and also have a realtor give us the realistic sales price.
i'd be pleased to leave here with my bikes, but i think that is not being realistic
thanks
jim

[dave thompson]

Mmmm, Spectrum Ti Super Custom.

[93legendti]

Your bikes are too big for me...

I thought your prices were too high. We have seen bikes from the same builders as those offered by you fly out of here. I would search the Classifieds and see the prices and configurations that led to sales. Your size seems more common than mine and I sold 10 framesets here in the last 18 months.

Also, my perception is that it is easier to sell a frameset, grouppo and wheels seperately--you probably will net more if you sell that way. Good luck.

[Len J]

while Justins 50% of retail is a good rule of thumb.......I have found that it is less than that from about October until March & it rises to slightly above that from March to June and then levels at that from July thru Sept.

It's about demand.

Len

[TACSTS]

I kind of think it's harder to get your return of 50% on custom bikes. I know for one, I would probably never buy a second hand custom bike, even if it looked like it would fit me well, unless it was a screaming deal. Why? Because to me, and to a lot of others I think, custom bikes are at least 50/50, the experience/the final product.

I've looked at some of your wheels and other goods for sale and sure they are a significant discount from retail, but it doesn't seem like they are priced low enough to make the discount worth the risk of 1)used goods 2)no warranty/manufacturer support. I mean on a set of carbon wheels, I'm not going to be willing to pay very much for a used set not knowing how they've been used, and knowing that if they failed on me in the first mile I rode them, I'd be SOL warranty-wise.

I hope you do eventually sell what you need to get your finances in order, but I'm thinking you might want to drop your prices a bit if you really want the items to move. Good Luck.

[rdparadise]

not that I need another bike but what size frames are these? I may consider the Vanilla as I would like another nice steel ride.

Bob

[stormyClouds]

Your bikes are too big for me...

I thought your prices were too high. We have seen bikes from the same builders as those offered by you fly out of here. I would search the Classifieds and see the prices and configurations that led to sales. Your size seems more common than mine and I sold 10 framesets here in the last 18 months.

Also, my perception is that it is easier to sell a frameset, grouppo and wheels separately--you probably will net more if you sell that way. Good luck.

I have to agree with 93legendti on this one.
My experience selling the higher end stuff is that there are 2 different kind of buyers.
1. The person who knows exactly what that they want a specific frame, size, etc.
2. The person who isn't really looking for anything in particular but sees something that they really like for a perceived bargain, impulse buys it, and hashes out the details later (fit, how to afford it, etc).

You can sell for more to #1 but it may take a lot longer because there are way less of them out there.
You have to sell for less to #2, but there are tons (of us) checking the board all of the time and making quick decisions. Looking at how many views you have had with your ads, it's pretty clear that the majority of the board's population has reviewed your ads and that says something.

I would say if you have the time, you can stay where you are at and eventually find some #1's. Or if you need the dough right away, drop the prices where you don't want them and let the mayhem ensue.

[Fixed]

Your bikes are too big for me...

I thought your prices were too high. We have seen bikes from the same builders as those offered by you fly out of here. I would search the Classifieds and see the prices and configurations that led to sales. Your size seems more common than mine and I sold 10 framesets here in the last 18 months.

Also, my perception is that it is easier to sell a frameset, grouppo and wheels seperately--you probably will net more if you sell that way. Good luck.
i always listen to this cat
cheers imho

[Jeff Weir]

93legendti has it right. Price them to move them. Frames, components, wheels, split it up. What does it matter who buys the stuff? Or if they break it up later? If you want to sell, then give yourself the largest audience you can find. Nothing wrong with putting it on ebay with a reserve price.

[Ken Robb]

I have bought some used custom bikes. In each case I was able to get the build specs/design parameters so I knew what ride characteristics to expect. For me to buy a custom bike without this info it would have to be so cheap that I would feel there was very little risk that I wouldn't be able to resell it at close to what I paid.
As to the kitchen work: If you are just talking about a freshening up for no more than $2,000 it may be worth it but it's unlikely that you will recoup the expense of a complete re-do as buyers will usually discount the value of the work for them. "Yes it's lovely tan tile but I would have chosen white." etc.

In a slow market selling a run-of-the-mill home is best done by being the lowest price for similar homes. Note: You don't necessarily have to list at the lowest price. If your agent is good and well-respected he can talk to other agents who are active in your area and tell them that you are "very motivated" and will welcome all offers for a clean deal. If he has a rep as a straight-shooter with his peers they will be likely to believe this info and push their buyers a little to take a shot, even if they think it's out of their price range. This can work well for everyone. The seller thinks his agent is a hero negotiator whenn they get a contract at what seems to be below-market(who knows what market is in a sinking market?). You haven't contributed fuel to the fire of decreasing values by starting a round of everyone lowering their list prices in a contest to under-cut each other. With luck, you sell it for all you can get in today's market.

Keep in mind that your list price can't be HIGHER than the competition. Gee I'm glad I retired last year. :) :beer: :banana:

[jimcav]

that is the rub,
we've only been here a short time compared to the others in our neighborhood selling now. based on their current prices (and i'm assuming they won't sell for that) we will loose some of our downpayment, and i expect it will get worse, not better. so i am trying to do some things to hopefully make ours more attractive than the others, because the price is going to be tough. this is based on talking to a a couple that had to move from our neighborhood last year, and their experience with doing things vs offering a carpet or paint credit.

thanks
jim

[jimcav]

which i was hoping to avoid that just based on the time involved to list and ship stuff--especially all the inane ebay emails, but i'll start doing that in march.

I will see in march how the market looks, no need to drop prices yet. I think they are an excellent deal for what they are givne the components and use, if you like the specific make/model, not so much if you are just trolling for a steel, ti, or carbon bike.
in the meantime, my bikes should fit the 56cm crowd well. the spectrum will also work for a taller person, but being a compact design i can ride it fine. i still wobble on the 2 i really want to keep--so i'll try to work on that for a month.

thanks
jim

[Firenze]

This Ottrott, asking price here was $3,850.
http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=39472&highlight=ottrott
Just sold on eBay at $2,325. I am guessing that is somewhere between 25% and 35% of the new value. Seems fairly typical to me.

Used anything rarely sells for anywhere near what the seller expects. Exceptions are for well known sellers and well documented items. Custom bikes are a tough one to sell at any time but especially when there is snow on the ground - imho.
Best of luck,
Arch