Do u ever sell a bike u made?

[El C]

I have some bikes that I don´t use anymore and I´m ready to let them go.
How about you? Can you sell a bike? How do you price them? Do you get what you want?

 

[Dizzle Problems]

I sell a lot of bikes. its a loaded question.
By bike you made, are you saying a custom built frame? Or a bike you've assembled with existing parts?
If its a bike you custom built the frame, it really depends on how someone else perceives it. I've never sold a custom built frame, so thats out of my wheelhouse.
However, if its a bike you built on an existing frame, it can all depend. I've noticed custom builds have a harder time selling, and parting out is usually the way to go.
In the past when I've wanted to sell a bike I've built, I will typically take off parts I want to keep, and rebuild a more 'normal' bike and sell it complete.
I sell 95% of my bikes through Craigslist. And I base price on what I see similar stuff listed for locally, what I have into the project vs what I got it for, and what I think I would pay if I were on the buying side.
I maybe a little different then most though, as I stock pile parts I don't really want or need so if I come across a frame, or partial bike, I can build something ridable just to sell.

I'm noticing you are in Finland though, so I'm not sure what avenues are available to you to sell locally. And shipping to the states would be potentially unreasonable.

 

[Starnger]

I am selling bikes quite often, and even managing to earn on that lately.
I check the local prices out (considering the condition of course) and set mine a little below that, it helps the bike to go. The fact we do not have many good cruiser bikes for sale at all here in Poland does help

 

[Fv2]

Never sold one, but somebody stole one I built.

 

[RustyGold]

Perfect justification for a 'do not like' button .

Jason

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Yes, I have sold a few...

I regret them all, every one I spent months planning and then building, and I put a lot of me and my personality in to them, but at the same time, if I had not sold them, the next one would not have happened and so on, and so on...
Plus I have nowhere to store them all and they would never get ridden, this way they get used and seen and taken to car shows etc...

As for pricing, that is entirely subjective, if I tried to charge for my labor that would never sell, if I add up all the parts and steel and paint, I probably break even or there abouts with most builds, some have made a bit of money due to just having left over parts, others have lost a bit due to custom gear used...

 

[Duchess]

I didn't understand it until I was older, but when asked about which of his cars was his favorite, Enzo Ferrari replied, "The next one." He was unsentimental about his past vehicles and famously despised his customers as he only built road cars to finance racing. I thought that was ridiculous with all the amazing cars they built (before his death, now . . . meh), but I get it now—he looked ahead to the next challenge, life was lived in the present and the future, not the past.

Not to hold him up as an enlightened figure as he was a difficult person to deal with (to put it lightly) by all accounts I've read, but I get it. I haven't sold my bikes, but it's not out of sentiment. I'd keep the ones that are of good use, but if someone offered me a fair price for the others, they'd have them and that money would go into the boat building fund, then maybe my own car if I could find someone to build the chassis, then . . . I'll probably be dead from old age by then.

 

[The Renaissance Man]

My build off bike Quoise was sold before I started building it!

 

[HuffnPuff]

For me, this one was about the build, not the riding. I don’t often ride to cruise, and have a number of other bikes better suited to their purpose. Besides, I need to make room for the next build.

 

[Bike Bum]

I don't sell anything. I still have my first bike I got back in the 70s. Remember, the one who dies with the most toys wins.

 

[Bart52]

I don't sell anything. I still have my first bike I got back in the 70s. Remember, the one who dies with the most toys wins.

I'll help you win. Between the bikes and paddlecraft, I have too much stuff and no room for another project I want to do. So you buy my toys, that gives me less and you more, you WIN!!!

 

[handyandy1100]

So far I have not sold any builds. What I've been doing is ride them around awhile and then they become spare parts for other builds.

 

[order99]

I seldom deliberately sold any of my bikes. I have been known to give away a few though.

My lovely old 1970 Schwinn single-speed cruiser went to a cousin when I had to move from Goldsboro to be nearer to my Grandparents...my precious 1980 Emery was given to my neighbor when I went to Newport...my spare-parts 20" springer with Apes went to my new neighbor's daughter because she 'SQEEEEEEEED!!!!' every time I drove it past (and any 13-year-old girl should be able to indulge in either a pony or a bicycle).

I have sold a total of two bikes-one purposely and one by accident.

The first was a nice bike getting thrown away by a man with more money than sense (he was arguing with a Wal-mart employee about his right to use their dumpster, I offered to stuff it in my car, everybody was happy!). I HAD planned on riding it after a handlebar change and a padded seat-until I found out that I had a 1994 Haro BMX on my hands and so I left it 'as is',placed it on Ebay and paid my rent that month.

The other time I was experimenting with a medium-wheelbase recumbent bike, getting the hang of brazing with MAAP gas and guessing at the proper geometries...I had just added some brakes and a coat of almond paint, took it out for a test ride (it was...different)-

-and then some guy in a BMW skidded to a stop in front of me and this 40-something dude ran out like he was about to kidnap me! As I recall, our conversation was a bit surreal, went a bit like this-

OH MY GOD WHERE DID YOU GET THAT BIKE??!!??

Well I just finished the frame, i'm still testing my geome-

I WANT IT HOW MUCH ?

Uh, you know it's still a single speed right? I'll be adding an internal hub once I know my brazing holds but it's hardly fin-

I'll give you $350 cash as is, it's just what I need!

Seriously, it's just two kids frames-wait, WHAT? Are you on something Mister?

Okay, $400 but THAT'S IT, i've got to be in Virginia by tonight, do we have a DEAL? C'MON!!!

I...it...sure, why not? Let's see if that Beamer has room for it...

(Later, walking the mile back home with cash in hand) Okay, seriously what the Blue Heck just happened? Was this some kind of a Reverse Mugging? Is Candid Camera coming back to TV? Is some Alien Traveller in disguise halfway to Sirius with a " unique Earth Vehicle"? WHAT???

Anyway, I guess that counts as a sale, so...sold two bikes in my entire life.

 

[NoControl]

If I sell one of my bikes, I rarely make a profit. I'm simply happy to have my hobby support itself. Once in a while a killer deal plops into my lap, and I'll buy it just to flip.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

OH MY GOD WHERE DID YOU GET THAT BIKE??!!??

Well I just finished the frame, i'm still testing my geome-

I WANT IT HOW MUCH ?

Uh, you know it's still a single speed right? I'll be adding an internal hub once I know my brazing holds but it's hardly fin-

I'll give you $350 cash as is, it's just what I need!

Seriously, it's just two kids frames-wait, WHAT? Are you on something Mister?

Okay, $400 but THAT'S IT, i've got to be in Virginia by tonight, do we have a DEAL? C'MON!!!

I...it...sure, why not? Let's see if that Beamer has room for it...

(Later, walking the mile back home with cash in hand) Okay, seriously what the Blue Heck just happened? Was this some kind of a Reverse Mugging? Is Candid Camera coming back to TV? Is some Alien Traveller in disguise halfway to Sirius with a " unique Earth Vehicle"? WHAT???

 

[BartRidesEternal]

6 years later, I wanted to revive this topic:

Thinking about selling a few bikes.

The reason mainly is to get space for framebuilding tooling. This opens up portals to even more awesome bicycles.

I find the hardest thing on selling builds is that nearly no-one can appreciate the effort, love and ideas you put into a bike. In my country cruiser bicycles really aren't that popular.

For example, if I sell my buildoff 18 bicycle which has a rusty look but rides (and is lubricated) nearly better than a new bike. Most mortals can't look through that... which means I am forced to sell it below a price I actually hoped for.
Don't get me wrong, I am aware that you don't get the hours back, its a hobby for that reason.

But if I spend 500 bucks on bike parts and it is like new, or better than a factory-new bike, I don't really like it when people offer 100 bucks...

I feel like I needed to share this since selling some beautiful bikes is kinda hard when you put a piece of your soul into it.

"In able for us to grow, we need to let go pieces of the past" - unknown philosophical person

[EDIT]
I meant to close with a question: Do you experience the same?

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

parting them out is the only way you'll come close to getting your money back. I've been selling off my rat bike collection for a few years now and am only getting about 25% of my money back. At some point I finally come to grips with the financial loss and let them go. I hate to see them unridden, and I can use the room.

 

[Captain Awesome]

parting them out is the only way you'll come close to getting your money back. I've been selling off my rat bike collection for a few years now and am only getting about 25% of my money back. At some point I finally come to grips with the financial loss and let them go. I hate to see them unridden, and I can use the room.

Same

I’d rather they at least have a chance of being ridden. It’s not about the money it’s about the space at this point

 

[BartRidesEternal]

parting them out is the only way you'll come close to getting your money back. I've been selling off my rat bike collection for a few years now and am only getting about 25% of my money back. At some point I finally come to grips with the financial loss and let them go. I hate to see them unridden, and I can use the room.

Thanks, I get it. I thought the interest in these rat bikes was larger in the USA, since the people are more farmiliar with Ratrods.
The area I live in, people generally don't like anything that is 'outside of the standard'. I sell most bikes to people that live in the larger cities.

Same

I’d rather they at least have a chance of being ridden. It’s not about the money it’s about the space at this point

Thats true Captain.

 

[Pondo]

I haven't sold any of my builds yet but I'm out of space so I'm in the same quandary. I don't expect to get back what I've got in them so I'm going to mostly try to recycle them into future builds.