Today I'm in my garage working and organizing, ad I hear a vehicle roll by, then a mild break sound then a reverse. A fellow in a truck rolls down the window and asks if I buy bikes (he saw my fleet in my garage I guess). I say it depends on the bike. He then asks if this is my business, to which I say 'nope, it is just a hobby'. After chit chatting for a bit, he gives me the ol' "I have a bike, what's it worth?' line, with no pertinent details, other than its a girls bike. I give the ol' "I'd have to see it in person to get a better idea" response. He gives the ol' "Some bikes restored are worth thousands of dollars" line, and I responded with 'yes, but that's only a few , and they have to be immaculate."He says he might swing by later this week to show me. Okeedokee I think, not expecting anything to come of it.
Fifteen minutes later, I' in the bathroom, and I hear a knock on the door.. its the guy .. "I brought the bike!". Its a Sears flightliner. I explained what it was, that the girls version is worth less than a men's version. It is a straight bike; the rack is cool, but the tank is missing, all the rubber is shot, and the metals are mismatched replacement pedals. I wasn't trying to grind or BS the guy; I just wanted to explain the facts to him (like they do on Antiques Roadshow), so he doesn't run around thinking he has thousand dollar bike. The one thing I was really eyeballing is the metal bicycle license plate from the next town over from us. After very minimal negotiating (Him: How much would you pay for it? Me: I would pay $XX for it. Him: Would you give me $XX + $Y for it? Me: no. Him: okay.) I had the bike in my ownership.
Fifteen minutes later, I' in the bathroom, and I hear a knock on the door.. its the guy .. "I brought the bike!". Its a Sears flightliner. I explained what it was, that the girls version is worth less than a men's version. It is a straight bike; the rack is cool, but the tank is missing, all the rubber is shot, and the metals are mismatched replacement pedals. I wasn't trying to grind or BS the guy; I just wanted to explain the facts to him (like they do on Antiques Roadshow), so he doesn't run around thinking he has thousand dollar bike. The one thing I was really eyeballing is the metal bicycle license plate from the next town over from us. After very minimal negotiating (Him: How much would you pay for it? Me: I would pay $XX for it. Him: Would you give me $XX + $Y for it? Me: no. Him: okay.) I had the bike in my ownership.
