Well, yeah,..c'mon start crackin'... gotta make 'at least' enough to go out and drag a couple of new ones home to strip down and rub with grease remover and sandpaper till your fingers are sore......
BIKE FLIPPERS, what's your opinion?
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Well, yeah,..c'mon start crackin'... gotta make 'at least' enough to go out and drag a couple of new ones home to strip down and rub with grease remover and sandpaper till your fingers are sore......
I have come to the conclusion bikes in my area (all of them) are worthless and not worth the aggrevation to beg people to buy for 5.00. I have tried numerous FB yard sale sites to try and buy/sell them. NO luck. Posting and reposting ads for nothing. I have tried selling this group of bikes individually for 10.00 each and now I even tried ALL for 20 bucks. Absolutely no interest. Its not worth the hassle.CL is certainly a joke. Theses a very nice Cranbrook on there now for 20.00 guy has reposted a dozen times begging anyone to buy it.
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I read somewhere "stay away from kids, women's, 24", and newer bikes". While there are obvious exceptions to this, I am gonna take this advice, especially until I get more knowledgeable. Now to find me a bluebird at a gargage sale for $20...
Rat Rod
Owner & Founder
Deals like that have spoiled me in the sense that I won't even go look at something or invest money in a bike to flip unless the profit margin is pretty high. I just don't have the time or energy these days to spend on the whole process unless the profit is right. That's pretty much kept me out of the flipping game for the past several years due to how popular that activity has become.
The flippers in the DFW area that are well known in the hobby and on Craigslist can be good or bad. The bad ones are the guys that lowball people, make up stories about their plans for the bike and then lie to their buyers about the history of the bikes. There are a couple of these turds in the area that for whatever reason feel the need to lie about everything. Apparently some of these guys had a 100 different BMX bikes as kids because everyone they flip was "their bike growing up."
The good guys hit garage sales and flea markets and pick up their inventory cheap, clean them up and make sure they are in good working order and then make a reasonable profit on them based on market value. There's several of those type on CL here and they probably make a pretty decent income at it.
The flippers in the DFW area that are well known in the hobby and on Craigslist can be good or bad. The bad ones are the guys that lowball people, make up stories about their plans for the bike and then lie to their buyers about the history of the bikes. There are a couple of these turds in the area that for whatever reason feel the need to lie about everything. Apparently some of these guys had a 100 different BMX bikes as kids because everyone they flip was "their bike growing up."
The good guys hit garage sales and flea markets and pick up their inventory cheap, clean them up and make sure they are in good working order and then make a reasonable profit on them based on market value. There's several of those type on CL here and they probably make a pretty decent income at it.
Rat Rod
Owner & Founder
A few rules to follow in the flipping game to maximize profit...
1. People like nice clean original bikes....you'll be lucky to recoup customization costs.
2. Learn what bikes bring top dollar....cruisers don't normally fall into this category unless they are prewar bikes.
3. Ebay is really the best venue for maximizing profit. It's rare to make big profit off of local CL sales.
Most folks in the hobby just need to look at it from the perspective of having fun with old bikes and if they happen to break even or make some profit then they are doing good. If all you ever do is lose money on the stuff then you really need to consider how much enjoyment it's bringing.
Well, I hope to fit this description. I basically do only garage sales, usually finding box store bikes that they don't want. I like to pay $20 or less, or in the rare instance it's a TREK or name brand, I will pop for more. I don't buy off CL, as sellers all want to get as much as I would charge, and they are in junk condition.
I clean them up, fix flats if necessary, replace a few parts if I'm not getting in over my head, adjust everything so that it stops, shifts, and rides as well as it can be made to perform, (they are box store after all). I figure out about what the bike sold for new and price it at 1/2 that. I have Very Few on my junk pile that I have had to keep, and they provide the odd part when needed. 1/2 price is attractive to most folks shopping CL who don't want to spend full price +tax.
On CL, post good descriptive pictures, not some blurry image taken of the bike laying out in the yard or in the garage with a very distracting background. People want to see what you have for sale. Avoid personal stories, just describe the bicycle. Be clear, I always add "Being Sold: Used As-Is , Cash Only, Local pickup Only". Be able to monitor your email, phone calls, and especially Text. Respond quickly, they are probably looking at other ads. Don't get all uppity when they ask if you still have the bike --- they always do -- Say Yes and offer to show it to them at their convenience. Works every time!
It's not "a pretty decent income", but it's generally worth it to me to do this. All the bikes I own and want to keep were paid for by these small profits.
I used to try to do this with old bikes, but they are getting few and far between, and owners want full price for them. Nothing wrong with that, it's just not for me any more. I will keep the old bikes I have and like.
I did not grow up with BMX like Ratrod, I don't know them, so I leave that segment to him and others.
One Hard and Fast Rule:::::: Never buy a kids bike and expect to flip it:::::: There are millions of them out there and CL is full of them for $20 and less.
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Opps.... forgot to add one thing. Since the TV shows like Pickers and Pawn Stars.... everyone wants to deal on the price, so always price a little bit higher than what you actually want to get. You can then "deal" on the price. It makes the buyer feel good, and there's nothing like a happy buyer.
A.S.BOLTNUT
He who dies with the most toys ,still dies No Fear
Wish i could tell you my Secrets 
Remember, the profit on flipping bikes is made on the buy, not the sell. Too many people that want to re-sell pay too much and wonder why they can't flip them. If you're buying to keep, pay what you need to. If you're buying to flip, it's gotta be a bargain or there's no meat on the bone for you. It's tough to walk away from a great but over priced bike, but remember: flipping is a business venture-Buy Low Sell High.
So True! It's worth exactly what you paid for it..... until you find someone who will pay more.
I hate that those shows such as "American Pickers" have made everyone in America think every piece of junk is valuable.
Where I'm coming from - No deep pockets - most stuff on epay priced to dear for me. I got started in this with a $45 ratty JC Higgins off the Craigslist.
IDK how anyone would make money filpping bikes around here.
A local St. Vinnies had 2 rows of old Malwart bikes - Kids and adults priced @ $7 to $13. I know its February in Wisconsin but bikes were cleaned and serviced, only saw 1 adult mountain bike and a kids tricycle go out the door last Saturday, Same or worse condition bikes on our Craigslist listed for $30 to $50 and don't seem to move at all.
IDK how anyone would make money filpping bikes around here.
A local St. Vinnies had 2 rows of old Malwart bikes - Kids and adults priced @ $7 to $13. I know its February in Wisconsin but bikes were cleaned and serviced, only saw 1 adult mountain bike and a kids tricycle go out the door last Saturday, Same or worse condition bikes on our Craigslist listed for $30 to $50 and don't seem to move at all.
How about all of the reality TV shows in general? 
I've seen the show American Pickers...occasionally, but, I don't own a TV haven't watched it for 12 yrs + now.
You know...the term "Flipping" really took off with the the Real Estate Craze in the 80s Hell...every other person was 'flipping' houses on Nantucket Island where I lived. (all over the country)
Way before A Pickers, there.. were Vintage and Unique Antique websites, such as Etsy..where I actually have a store and sell vintage wares (shameless plug thewhitepelican.etsy.com)
BUT what's misleading about these shows...and, there's even a bike guy or two on YouTube...is the 'profit' they estimate. That's what pissez me off.
EXAMPLE: Guy buys 3 'so-so' mountain bikes from Goodwill...says 'blatantly'....and 'casually'..."I'll get probably between $200 -$400 each on Craigs List"
Where? What Planet?..This is what gets people excited with magical thinking till it's time to sell, and they realize that if they 'make' $30 bucks off of an
(ahem)
investment and a resale...hey...that's doin' pretty good.
"Yo, have I got a bike for you...it's bettr'n new and twice da Price"
I've seen the show American Pickers...occasionally, but, I don't own a TV haven't watched it for 12 yrs + now.
You know...the term "Flipping" really took off with the the Real Estate Craze in the 80s Hell...every other person was 'flipping' houses on Nantucket Island where I lived. (all over the country)
Way before A Pickers, there.. were Vintage and Unique Antique websites, such as Etsy..where I actually have a store and sell vintage wares (shameless plug thewhitepelican.etsy.com)
BUT what's misleading about these shows...and, there's even a bike guy or two on YouTube...is the 'profit' they estimate. That's what pissez me off.
EXAMPLE: Guy buys 3 'so-so' mountain bikes from Goodwill...says 'blatantly'....and 'casually'..."I'll get probably between $200 -$400 each on Craigs List"
Where? What Planet?..This is what gets people excited with magical thinking till it's time to sell, and they realize that if they 'make' $30 bucks off of an
(ahem)
investment and a resale...hey...that's doin' pretty good."Yo, have I got a bike for you...it's bettr'n new and twice da Price"
All this bad talking 'rusty gold' is making me a bit...self-conscious .
Jason
btw: RustyGold is a fairly lame handle, but, I was trying out tapatalk and couldn't think of anything clever, or interesting at the time. Good thing I didn't use 'American Picker'
.Jason
btw: RustyGold is a fairly lame handle, but, I was trying out tapatalk and couldn't think of anything clever, or interesting at the time. Good thing I didn't use 'American Picker'
Rat Rod
Owner & Founder
All this bad talking 'rusty gold' is making me a bit...self-conscious
Jason
btw: RustyGold is a fairly lame handle, but, I was trying out tapatalk and couldn't think of anything clever, or interesting at the time. Good thing I didn't use 'American Picker'
No worries...I like the term...sums up what most of us on here like to find anyway.
