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Wow, that's quite a piece of work. It also looks like they did a "gender bender" conversion on the front half, welding in a "man bar" top tube. This is one of those pictures that makes you wonder about the story behind the thing. Who did it and why? How much did it get used?
 
Yeah - I think you DID post it already. After I posted it, I saw that there were two earlier posts of this one, and in one of them a few months ago, we was trying to get $1000 ! ! Yeow. I think you have to say "rare" at least and "like new" twice in the listing for that. Sorry for double posting, but at least now I know I wasn't imagining it. :)

double postings _ no worries.. I think I do it on my own posts even. love your comment about 'rare' and 'like new' multiple times....for that kind of dough. :giggle:

I just hope I don't click on the ad to see he 'sold' it..when I 'm practically giving these things away just 8 miles north of there....lol
well, there's a sucker...ahem..I mean a person for every bicycle out there.
best,
franco
 
Giving them away just north of there? Gee, I got to get to know you. :) I'll PM.
 
So, it's not one particular ad that's bugging me tonight, but whole series of them that all have the same quirks:

1 - How many ads in your local CL are selling mountian (spelled mount-i-an) bikes, and what are they, bikes for mounties? It's like a paratrooper bike, but for mounties instead of paratroopers? There's a local guy who is selling something like 20 mount-i-an bikes. I would think that somebody sends him notes to correct his spelling a couple times a week. I have not done so myself, because I know if I want to skip his ads, I can place a boolean expression "-mountian" to filter out his ads.

I'm almost over that, though. The one that's bothering me lately is:

2 - The large number of "bicycle bike" and/or "bike bicycle" ads. First of all, it's in the special section of Craigslist devoted to bicycles, so you don't really need to use EITHER word, bike or bicycle, in your ad. It's much more helpful to say that it is a brand new, custom, vintage, Schwinn, only used twice, than to remind the reader that it is a two wheeled vehicle. The very first time you use the word bike or bicycle, it is already redundant, since the ad is in the bicycle section.

My guess is that people who use both words in their titles like, "Vintage Huffy Girl Bike Bicycle Schwinn," are thinking that they should use both words in case someone is looking for a vintage huffy girl schwinn, so they will be able to find the ad whether they use the search term "bike" or "bicycle" when they do a more specific search of the bicycle section. You would not want an eager buyer to miss your ad because they were looking for a bike instead of a bicycle or vice verse.

Right?

The real tragedy is that they are probably missing out on a sale because they used "bicycle bike," and the one guy who would have been willing to pay $500 is searching for a "bike bicycle," and he will never see the ad.
 
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In my area people see bike and post motorcycles, to lazy to scroll down alphabetically I guess.
 
And then there are the great photos:

This one proves that the bike is a collector's item two ways. First, the bike is shown IN a collection. It is a collection that has been sitting here long enough that it is slowly sinking into the ground, if you look at the wheels on this bike. Second, it says "Collector's Edition" on the frame of the bike. It was made for people who collect hand-pedaled bikes. The ad was titled "Special Need Bike." I'm puzzled though - the bike has both pedals and hand pedals, so what is the special need? Is it for blind people? People who have a special need to pedal with all fours? People with only one arm and one leg... but they make it "ambidextrous" because otherwise there would have to be four different models to cover left leg, left arm; left leg, right arm; right leg, right arm; right leg, left arm? This also allows it to be marketed to folks with one leg and two arms. Maybe it's made for people with a special need to have the weirdest bike in the hood? A need to COLLECT weird bikes?

collectoritem.JPG


Then you get the pic of the bike in the box. The box in the dark. The box in the dark, in duplicate, in case it was too hard to see, you can try looking at the same picture again.

nicepix3.JPG


Of course, some people have an unfair bias against bikes that look fat. You have a better chance of selling a bike that looks skinny:

nicepix5.JPG


Either that, or this seller was trying to make sure to get the bike's FACE centered in the pic.

And then, there's Matthew's Post, who posts a pic of his cell phone screen, so you'll know he uses a I Phone.

The bike has a Shadow conspiracy FRONT wheel set, he's not sure what the back wheel set is.

Does it really say he wants to meet at an S&M bar?

YES - this was the only "photo" in the ad.

nicepix2.JPG
 
Falstaff: Do you also get a lot of motorcycle trailers? We get those, and lawnmowers for some reason, and sometimes a complete yard sale with a bike in it. (Give me a hint, man, do you know how to quote posts in this board? I keep looking around the screen for a "quote" button... I must need new glasses, I can't find it.)
 
Falstaff: Do you also get a lot of motorcycle trailers? We get those, and lawnmowers for some reason, and sometimes a complete yard sale with a bike in it. (Give me a hint, man, do you know how to quote posts in this board? I keep looking around the screen for a "quote" button... I must need new glasses, I can't find it.)
To quote click reply at the bottom of the post.
 
Found this on Houston CL for $ 150 OBO. Can probably get for around $ 125. Nice bike but hideous paint job. 1958 AMF Roadmaster.

IMG_0940.JPG



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