Selling your bike equipment

[saab2000]

I am selling one of my bikes. This is not about that in particular. But I have rarely sold much of my stuff. It just builds up and I have really got too many bikes now, as well as wheels, handlebars and other components.

My question is about how to do it best. I guess that most people here have a number of bikes and probably try new things with some frequency. If you get rid of things, how do you do it? Where do you advertise? How do you decide what is a fair price? I have seen some ads for things which were wildly overpriced.

I have placed an ad here in the classifieds and at RBR as well. I have a fair amount of stuff that I could really imagine getting rid of and I was just wondering how others do that?

Just a simple question and I am not to advertise here. That would be a no-no.

[Dave]

I've sold two complete Colnago C-40's, a slightly used frame and many small items on Ebay with great success.

If you don't get any bids, your starting price is too high, or the item is merely one with no potential customers. I got no bids on a C-40 during it's first listing, so a dropped the price only $100, relisted it and got $300 more than asked. Just took awhile for potential customers to come around.

Items with very much use are often worth very little. The things that sell best are nearly new items that were just the wrong size, like a stem of the wrong length, or a saddle used for only a week and found unsuitable.

I gave up trying to sell a couple of nearly new Italian threaded 118mm spindle (road triple) ISIS bottom brackets, because I never got any bids.

[spiderman]

i've 'used the life' out of something
and give it away when someone mentions
they want or need this or that
but can't afford it...
...if they insist on paying...
...it's always 'pay what you want'...!
anyone want to come by for a visit??

[Too Tall]

I am like you my friend...lots of stuff accumulating. This past yr. I resolved to sell, give and toss most of it before spring :) Ebay and folks I've met are wonderful. Like the man said, don't try to make your nut on an item. It WAS just sitting around doing nothing before right? So price it to sell. There's a firesale at TT's, first come first serve. BEWARE of the Watch-Poodle. Trespassers will be gummed.

[mad_mark]

I was looking in the garage last night, there is three boxes of stuff in there, some of it used, most of it new. I even have a couple of sets of wheels sitting on hooks gathering dust that have never seen the road. Why did I buy it all? Well it seemed like I was going to use it at the time, just never happened. Some of the cranks there aren't the length I now use, bars aren't the same under my hands as others (which would throw me off when I switched bikes), it's an ongoing thing. I resolved recently to get rid of at least some of it, but Ebay would be my last resort. Mostly I'd just want to see it go to a good home.

That's my thought on the whole thing anyway.

Mark.

[93legendti]

Use eBay or use this Forum's classified's. I have used both.

[PBWrench]

TT - Also use the classified section of roadbikereview.com. I've bought and sold bikes and components through the site -- very small fee for the ad.

[Keith A]

It depends on how quickly you want to sell the items. If you are not in any hurry, then I would try the classified section here and on RBR (as you mentioned) and also the rec.bicycles.marketplace. Give both of these a little time and see if your parts (bikes) are sold. Then whatever you have left over, take it to eBay. If you just want the stuff gone, post it with no reserve and a low starting price and it will be sold.

[Lifelover]

As a buyer only I have used all of the above mentioned sites to locate deals. I generally feel like this forum and RBR are much safer avenues. That said, I have bought more items on ebay than any other and they have all turned out ok.

The thought of going though the process of selling anything causes me a great amount stress so I'm not sure which route I would go. If I was just trying to clean house I would start here. If I were looking to get as much $$ as possible I would use ebay and set a reserve but have a very low opening bid price.

What you selling :)

[dave thompson]

I like buying and selling on this forum because I "know" most of the forumites and there is a certain amount of trust I place in them. Sellers on this forum usually have a much more accurate description of their goods and a tendency to 'trust' the buyer to pay if the item is sent before payment arrives. The buyers usually experience better prices here because of the 'brotherhood'. At least that's the way I feel. As a seller, I've offered my goods here much cheaper that I have on other classified sites as I would like to see it go to ' a good home' and be used or enjoyed by someone I "know". And when I want something, I'll place a WTB ad here first. There has been more free goods and services offered here than on any other site that I've come across.

[Keith A]

Amen to what Brother Dave said!

[colocraig]

I have sold lots of "leftover" bike items on EBay from the 70s and 80s that I had when I had a bike repair and wheel building business. In general, I've gotten LOTS more than I would have expected. I've found that "like new" items that include the original box and paper work bring in much more than the new price back then - especially campy stuff. Also gotten good prices for used tools and old Campy catalogs and Sutherland repair manuals. It is important to take good photos of each item and to set a low initial price - they will usually be bid up to a very satisfactory level.

[cinelli]

I have bought and sold a lot of stuff online. eBay is, by far, the best marketplace to sell your merchandise. You run into the occasional "non-paying bidder" and have to deal with a lot of ridiculous e-mails, but the exposure you get on eBay is second to none. Educate yourself on the nuances of selling on eBay and you will do fine.