Beatcad, I know exactly what you mean. I've got a close group of 4-5 friends, plus the local ratrod guys who live within an hour or two of here, and I'll give these guys the shirt off my back.
I'm always a big fan of helping out the hobby, especially when it's a kid getting into it, someone building their first bike, someone who has very little means, anyone needy, someone building a "tribute" bike or recreating a bike lost through tragedy or years...
Be honest with me, and I'll be straight and generous with you. I will always make deals, give away stuff, throw in extra parts, or point you to my "Free" pile. Even things I charge (in my mind) full price for, I'm charging what I think is a fair price. Somewhere between yard-sale and the low selling price on a public format like Craigslist. (And I have sold/donated/installed a few of my wall-hangers over the years on the rare occasions that the right bike came along needing one-of-those...)
Can you probably re-sell and make money off my stuff? Yeah, you probably could. I hope you won't, or at least I hope that you're buying stuff to use rather than resell with profits in mind. I know I've mispriced a few items that I didn't quite understand their value, and they've sold quickly for what I asked for them (skiptooth chains in the package, Brooks saddles) but that's ok. They went to people who wanted to finish up bikes that needed them, so it's cool that they got a good deal.
I have sometimes had dealers try to buy up all I've got of certain things, or pester me for more that I haven't shown anyone. In general I've resisted any efforts by people like this but if it's someone I've never met before, I have no idea if they're a dealer or a hobbyist like me.
I've met some great people in this hobby and certainly part of the fun and excitement of it is opening that barn, that box, that closet, finding something rare at a tag sale or estate sale and holding your tongue till you get home and yell WOOHOO! Am I still psyched 15 years later that I found a Stingray at a yard sale for $5 with original rims? Heck yah! Am I jealous of my friend who picked up a 30's Hawthorne with toolbox tank last year? A bit.
It is always satisfying to make a little money on a bike or a part. To me, much more satisfying than squeezing every last nickel out of a purchase by parting a bike down to the bearing balls. I have very little respect for people buying desirable collectible bikes (or automobiles, or any other collectible) only to part them out. I have bought items from some of these people and paid their price, to finish a project, so I suppose you can call me an enabler (or an addict?).
Obviously none of us know the others here or elsewhere in the hobby well enough, at least 90% of the time, to know whether someone does this for a living, for a hobby, for the thrill or whatever, and also we don't know if someone is really being honest about their intentions. But it does ease my mind to do business here, either buying or selling, knowing that very few people here are looking for the quick buck or a resale. Now, that doesn't mean that I won't myself buy something cheap, put time into rust removal, or sandblast and repaint, or other refinishing, and sell it on for a higher price. I think that's called "Restoration" and I doubt many people have a problem with profiting from one's own ingenuity and labor.
However, the flip side of that or the opposite of that, is someone you've probably come across, and I will name him- Craig, from Schwinnstore on Ebay as well as the couple of other screen names he uses. He trolls the forums, looking for deals on desirable bikes, acting like he's just a collector looking for that certain thing. All of his purchases are promptly placed on Ebay for ridiculous asking prices, in badly written ads that have a lot of this,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, in them. He also constantly sells repro or generic parts listed as "fits Schwinn" with unclear descriptions. It's designed to sucker in the inexperienced on both ends: the naive seller who thinks his dad's old bike is going to a good home, and the person restoring a vintage bike who thinks he's getting something genuine.
I urge people to not do business with this person, as I think he represents what's wrong with this hobby. I don't care what he offers, he will never get a thing from me.
(Ok, climbing down off soapbox. Gotta go paint a 71 Stingray frame anyway.)
--Rob
beatcad said:
i've been burned a few times like this on the interweb. once even worse, but i've also had some really great experiances and transactions.
here's another situation....
maybe i dont trust anyone. maybe i've been burned, maybe i've become bitter.
i've given away parts(car/motorcycle/bicycle) to my really tight bros. if they want or need something that i have i'll give it to 'em without thought, but.....
in the last few years i have given parts away with a disclamer/caveat. i'll say you can have it if you're gonna use it. if not give it back.
i've had wallhanger parts for years and i give it to a pal and 2 months later it hangin' on his garage wall.
if yer my real good friend you can have my stuff, but ya gotta use it or i will, or sell it.
is this to far off the original post? i hope not.
