I honestly don't worry about cost-not because I have money to burn but because:
A) I seldom buy new parts. When I can find a 'mostly working' bike at a Thrift Store or Yard Sale for $20 or less, I get it-then strip down all the useful stuff and get another 'nearly there' bike in perfect running condition, keep some for later. If I need fancy carriers or panniers, I grab some $1 or $2 totes, purses or computer/camera bags and mount via Zip Tie Express. I don't consider roughly $25 a month onerous even for me.... And did I mention the many, many, many uncountable thanks that I owe this Forum for
teaching me how to do stuff like this?
B) People in this neck of the coast have far more money than sense (See Previous Post above). As of this week, somebody let me have a Kent Ridgeline for $10...I was expecting to do some work on it, but there was literally nothing wrong with it that oil on the chain and a back wheel adjustment couldn't fix. I'm a bit short in the inseam to ride it comfortably so I clamped on an 'old man' padded seat and a handlebar mirror from a $5 'hit by a car while parked' Special and donated it to the Post Office for those "Oh God my Car Is In the SHOP" days. Later that evening, I found the exact same bike at Wally Land 'on sale' for a mere $300.....
Oh, and don't forget my recent " $1700 when new" Recumbent Delta Trike I picked up for a mere $325 because nobody could
open their Freaking phones and find out it just needed a Chain Idler.....AAAAAAAARRRGHH!! Even though I am insanely happy with the purchase I am irrationally angry at the utter lack of sense on display at that Storage Auction...
Then you have the other end of the Spectrum where an 'Antique Emporium' has a clapped-out Rustoleum-and-rust Special where not a single part works and the frame itself may be unsound...for $200 Plus. WHY?
WHYYYYYYY????????
C) I don't count the cost of my Labor (i'm having fun!) and I don't expect to make a living at it. If I did, i'd be disappointed indeed-the tastes of the American Public are not mine. The True Believers, Fitness Gurus and Eco-Warriors grab expensive Carbon Fiber or Titanium, and are either knowledgeable enough to do their own repairs or keep Local Shops afloat-the Trail Riders do the same with their Full-suspension Multi-gears and High-impact rims. Both of the above know what they have and don't let them go until either the bike is broken beyond repair or they can no longer ride.
This leaves the Casual Riders-and the Poor. The Casual Riders either buy Wally World Specials, get bored, let them sit up and then get rid of them (where I find them at maybe 90% off, heh heh) or they are Rich Idiots who offer far too much for the latest Shiny (Again, Previous Post sums it up). This leaves the paycheck-to-paycheck folk who want their kid to have a decent bike but really don't like the Sticker Shock on cheap Chinese cruisers...or who have no car to drive. I can't make a profit selling to the Working Poor-and why would I even want to? If I have a spare and it isn't some weirdo Art Piece then I just tell them to Pay It Forward...
If I wanted to make a living at this i'd have to learn to speak fluent Danish and grab a Passport.
As is, I get to see a formerly 13 year old neighbor ride my first Build-Off (The White Rabbit) to her first Freshman Class at ECU, watch my cousin re-gift his 1970 Schwinn to his son (who Actually Gets It where Classic Bikes are concerned) and get an e-mail from an old friend about his 1980 Emery's fourth set of tires and the resultant "OH MY GOD your Heart Disease is GONE!" from his Cardiac Physician...I wouldn't trade money for any of the above. Having said that, maybe if the Post Office slows down a bit more i'll grab some cheap parts do an 'Art Deco meets Doctor Seuss' project and see if another Rich Idiot finds me...