Thinking about doing the unthinkable: selling one of my custom bikes. Need help determining value.

Well, never thought I'd do this, but I've decided to part with my most recent build, The Kasual Klunker. As much as I like how my 1952 Schwinn Hornet turned out, I just couldn't fall in love with the original red paint. It's nice, don't get me wrong, but red is honestly just that one color I like the least, and I already have 2 original red-painted bikes that I plan to keep. Heck, that's not even counting all the bikes I've got that I plan to repaint! Plus, I've reached a point where I need to seriously downsize my collection, and Kasual Klunker, nice as it is, just isn't a bike I feel I'd miss all that much if I let it go. I'd love to build another bike like this sometime, but preferably in a different color.

Here's the thing: I've never sold a bike I've built before. I've sold and traded bikes as I found them, and I've parted out bikes a few times, but I've never sold or traded a bike I fixed up and customized. I don't really know how to price a custom bike. I know how much I've spent on this one though, and the total comes to about $150. Half that price is just from the Murray rat trap springer fork up front! Thing is, I'd also like to sell or trade the bike as it looks right now, but I'd also like to include all the original parts (that I have left) and the 2 cans of spray paint I had planned to use on the wheels with the bike. I don't really have a use for those parts and paint on my other bikes, and I feel it'd be better to include them with the bike they came from, as they could clean up and match the bike's color just fine.

So, what would you say this bike is worth? I'd like to figure this out as soon as possible, as I'd like to either sell or trade it at the upcoming bicycle swap meet in Haysville, Kansas on the 23rd, or on Craigslist and FB Marketplace beforehand so I have more room in my car for said swap meet.

One-eyed Sailor said:

I have no idea what it's worth but it is verrrrrryyyyyy cool. Best of Luck!

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Thanks dude! I appreciate it!

ifitsfreeitsforme said:

it's tough, isn't it? I've been selling my collection for fractions of their build costs recently. Start high.

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Yeah, though thankfully, out of all the bikes I've built so far, this one's the easiest to let go. One of the guys over on The C.A.B.E. said it could be worth $250 +/- for everything, which sounds reasonable to me, but I'd still like to hear a few additional opinions before I make up my mind.

ifitsfreeitsforme said:

that sounds reasonable. Maybe start at $300, let it go at $250.

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Yeah, that's what I'm thinking.

Ride 'em High said:

On Craigslist it really depends upon the market you list it in. I find lower prices near, (not necessarily in), big cities where options are many and far higher than in places like Florida or Maine where the options are few, but since I can only search up to a 1999 mile radius I don't see those listings unless I search multiple locations. Test it in different markets. For what it's worth, were I to collect I could imagine myself paying more than what was proposed above understanding the work that goes into it.

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I hear ya. Where I live though, people charge a pretty penny for bikes this age, and in rougher shape than this one, and I'm only a 30 minute drive from the nearest city, Tulsa. Granted, I'm not thinking of charging an absurd amount like most of what I see here around home, but I might stand a chance of getting $250 or so around here. Odds are I'll have better luck selling it through my dad's FB Marketplace account, though. I've got options, so I'm not too worried either way.

twojs.bike said:

I am impressed that you only have $150 invested. I doubt throwing in the paint or spare parts will help you get more money. CL has been slow for me recently. There just isn’t much of a market for used bikes. I would list for $225-$250 and take any offer over $150.

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I've gotten pretty good at finding deals on Craigslist, Marketplace, and even the occasional swap meet. I pretty much have to be, as I don't have the sort of capital to mess with high-end bikes and parts. Plus, I have way more fun customizing cheap "junk" bikes than I do collecting "high-end" original bikes and parts.

As for the spare paint and parts, yeah, I can see that. CL has been a bit slow for me too, but every now and then I luck out. Still, if CL doesn't work, I can always use Marketplace thanks to my parents. (It'd be nice if Marketplace was its own separate thing from Facebook. I could justify getting an account for just that.)

$200-$300 seems to be the general consensus across the forums. Thanks.

Okay, asking this here because the guys over at the C.A.B.E. keep bringing it up/suggesting it:

If I took the bike apart, kept all the custom bits like the fork, handlebars, fresh chain, wheels and tires, and just sold or traded the frame and all the parts that originally came with the bike (that I have left,) as one lot of parts or just as individual parts, would that be such a bad idea?

I mean, I'm sure I wouldn't make nearly as much money as I would leaving the bike intact and rideable, but at the same time, the whole reason I decided to sell the bike was because I simply don't want it anymore, not because I'm trying to make a hefty profit. I've already amassed more bikes that I can handle right now, and I've already got 2 original red-painted bikes I'm keeping anyway. I'm sure I can use most of the parts I threw on this Schwinn Hornet on another bike down the road, and I would like to hold onto them if I can. Heck, If I could get my hands on an original blue or green Schwinn straightbar, I'd just take that springer fork, handlebar and wheels and build that bike the same way I built this one!

Don't get me wrong, $200-$300 would certainly be nice to get for this bike, but I wouldn't mind making less money if it meant I kept the parts I wanted, while at least making my money back on what I don't want. So... what do think?

twojs.bike said:

I just turned 50 a couple days ago. I am not on facebook. I deleted my account about 10 years ago. Great decision. Was wasting hours on that hot mess. Don’t miss it. Never looked back. My opinion, avoid that site like the plague.

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I got a Facebook account almost 3 years ago just to join a specific group to help me figure out what sort of laptop I needed for my graphic design software, and then I dropped that site faster than a bag of hot dog poo! I would have kept that account if it came with instant access to Marketplace, but apparently, I need to spend MONTHS sharing all my information with Facebook, to have a chance of getting access to Marketplace. No thank you!

Thankfully, my folks allow me to use their accounts strictly for Marketplace, so I can buy/sell/trade bikes and parts through that.

Wildcat said:

I vote for keeping it in parts. If you stash the parts well, it will look like one less bike. I used to keep a dozen frames and parts up in the rafters.

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Well, I've stashed parts well, but those parts are overflowing now! Still, it would be easier to store a fork, a couple wheels, and some handlebars that it would be to store a full bike.

RustySprockets said:

I'd keep the springer and put the bladed fork back on, then offer the bike at $300. Maybe someone will bite.

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Well, I can put the original fork back on, but I won't be able to fit the handlebar stem back inside. The original stem twisted and broke when I first started taking it apart, and those chunks are still stuck inside the steerer tube of the original fork. Maybe someone can get that out, but I don't know how. The stem was nearly rust-welded to the fork. So, I doubt I'd get $300 for it.

Well, I disassembled the Schwinn, and put it back together as best as I could. Now how much is it realistically worth?