ultraman6970
02-09-2011, 09:09 AM
If you are looking used frames and need to figure it out pricing (for selling or buying), you have to consider a few factors that are quite obvious.
1 brand, some brands are more appealed than others, not the same a good built from an unknown builder than a super mass production colnago for example. Sad, but the colnago will win over the time.
2 model, some models will be more famous than others, for example a 70s colnago probably worth more than a 90s- early 2000s aluminum model for example. Some models are super rare, other ones are super common.
3 CONDITION <-- the most important factor to me, an old bike with its paint and chromed TIC TAC condition is different than find the same frame all rusted and needing NEW chroming and a new paint job. The downside of this is that owners selling try to ask mickey mouse numbers based in the bike's brand and model and don't realize than the item is in pretty bad condition. A re chroming job easily can go from 500 to 1000 bucks, a single or two colors paint job can be done at home for about 100+ in materials (not talking about spray rustoleum paint ok?). In my opinion to spend 1000 in a rusty frame needing from a lot of work don't worth it, specially when for sure to get the frame right will be a lot of cash. Paint and dents are easy fix, chroming is not ($$$$$). Personally that's why I got my lemond, frame, paint and chroming was mint.
4 average market price of same type of frames/bikes, always look CL, Ebay or even ask in the forums.
5 how economy is doing, economy is bad as hell right now, so ask 1500 for an item is just silly, nobody will pay the money, we have good examples in this forum with stuff everybody thought was going to be gone after 10 minutes and had been sitting there for 3 to 6 months already, even though the price is right. Ebay and CL are full of overpriced junk, everybody knows that.
6 Consider also that people with over 1600 dollars in the pocket will might be willing to get new stuff (NOS or NOS/BNIB)than used stuff. This is pretty clear in carbon fiber bikes being sold, u can find frames/bikes sometimes 3000 bucks used, personally if i had 3000 bucks I would go to the store to get a brand new one, specially if new is like 3500. Non sense get used when the gap between new and used is so close.
7 Who used the bike, this is important because a crappy old bike that was used maybe by hinault when he was junior might cost a lot as collectible than the same bike in the market, being the market price just 2 cents.
8 That you paid a lot for a bike doesn't mean you have to sell it at the same price u bought it, specially after 4 to 5 years. CL is full of this ones.
9 Offer and demand, a super rare bike will be more valuable than something u can find in your nearest pawn shop or are being trashed everywhere. For example the old 70s-80s collegiate and super store bikes, some people love them but they built so many of them that is just nutz to see them being sold for 150 to 400 bucks sometimes. Wouldn't pay more than 50.
10 Sentimental value/attachment to an item, that the super unknown master builder u knew since you were 10 y/o and that built a super cool frame for you back in the day, doesnt mean the bike is valuable at all today. Most likely the market will pick its value. So if you think its value is a three zeros number that doesn't count in real life, nobody knows the guy, so probably take 1 zero and cutting the number by a 3rd or a half for sure is the right market price.
Clear examples of what I'm saying are in Craigslist and Ebay. For example a guy here is trying to sell a bianchi aluminum all campy like for 1500 bucks, the down side is that is a 2k1 bianchi you can get anywhere, super small size and the campy stuff centaur 9. The bike has been sitting there for the last year. He refuse to part it out also. Clearly he is trying to get his money back and that is not going to happen because for the same money u get a new one now and maybe in carbon. Will be more than too late if another year passes because it will worth less and less.
Another man is trying to sell his 80's bike made in chicago by somebody, well used dura ace group. Asking price? 1600. Awesome built I give the guy that but the bike is too big and nobody knows the builder, market price? maybe 700, great sentimental value, low market price. Have been in CL for at least 6 months.
I think i covered almost everything,
cheers.
ps: 11 is a good one also, those practices are seeing very often lately.
ps1: anybody said sticky???
1 brand, some brands are more appealed than others, not the same a good built from an unknown builder than a super mass production colnago for example. Sad, but the colnago will win over the time.
2 model, some models will be more famous than others, for example a 70s colnago probably worth more than a 90s- early 2000s aluminum model for example. Some models are super rare, other ones are super common.
3 CONDITION <-- the most important factor to me, an old bike with its paint and chromed TIC TAC condition is different than find the same frame all rusted and needing NEW chroming and a new paint job. The downside of this is that owners selling try to ask mickey mouse numbers based in the bike's brand and model and don't realize than the item is in pretty bad condition. A re chroming job easily can go from 500 to 1000 bucks, a single or two colors paint job can be done at home for about 100+ in materials (not talking about spray rustoleum paint ok?). In my opinion to spend 1000 in a rusty frame needing from a lot of work don't worth it, specially when for sure to get the frame right will be a lot of cash. Paint and dents are easy fix, chroming is not ($$$$$). Personally that's why I got my lemond, frame, paint and chroming was mint.
4 average market price of same type of frames/bikes, always look CL, Ebay or even ask in the forums.
5 how economy is doing, economy is bad as hell right now, so ask 1500 for an item is just silly, nobody will pay the money, we have good examples in this forum with stuff everybody thought was going to be gone after 10 minutes and had been sitting there for 3 to 6 months already, even though the price is right. Ebay and CL are full of overpriced junk, everybody knows that.
6 Consider also that people with over 1600 dollars in the pocket will might be willing to get new stuff (NOS or NOS/BNIB)than used stuff. This is pretty clear in carbon fiber bikes being sold, u can find frames/bikes sometimes 3000 bucks used, personally if i had 3000 bucks I would go to the store to get a brand new one, specially if new is like 3500. Non sense get used when the gap between new and used is so close.
7 Who used the bike, this is important because a crappy old bike that was used maybe by hinault when he was junior might cost a lot as collectible than the same bike in the market, being the market price just 2 cents.
8 That you paid a lot for a bike doesn't mean you have to sell it at the same price u bought it, specially after 4 to 5 years. CL is full of this ones.
9 Offer and demand, a super rare bike will be more valuable than something u can find in your nearest pawn shop or are being trashed everywhere. For example the old 70s-80s collegiate and super store bikes, some people love them but they built so many of them that is just nutz to see them being sold for 150 to 400 bucks sometimes. Wouldn't pay more than 50.
10 Sentimental value/attachment to an item, that the super unknown master builder u knew since you were 10 y/o and that built a super cool frame for you back in the day, doesnt mean the bike is valuable at all today. Most likely the market will pick its value. So if you think its value is a three zeros number that doesn't count in real life, nobody knows the guy, so probably take 1 zero and cutting the number by a 3rd or a half for sure is the right market price.
Clear examples of what I'm saying are in Craigslist and Ebay. For example a guy here is trying to sell a bianchi aluminum all campy like for 1500 bucks, the down side is that is a 2k1 bianchi you can get anywhere, super small size and the campy stuff centaur 9. The bike has been sitting there for the last year. He refuse to part it out also. Clearly he is trying to get his money back and that is not going to happen because for the same money u get a new one now and maybe in carbon. Will be more than too late if another year passes because it will worth less and less.
Another man is trying to sell his 80's bike made in chicago by somebody, well used dura ace group. Asking price? 1600. Awesome built I give the guy that but the bike is too big and nobody knows the builder, market price? maybe 700, great sentimental value, low market price. Have been in CL for at least 6 months.
I think i covered almost everything,
cheers.
ps: 11 is a good one also, those practices are seeing very often lately.
ps1: anybody said sticky???