Your best "pick up" line....not what you think

[NewOrleansFlyer]

So you see an old soldier or a faded damsel in somebody's yard. How do you approach them to give it to you?? I rescued a 1951 Columbia this spring after driving by it (yard art) for years. Just walked up and asked for it.
I just spotted a rusted trouper behind someone's garage...I'm going after it this afternoon...I'll let you know how it comes out.

 

[snydur]

"hi i collect and restore old bikes would you like to sell that ______ bike?" if they say yes and its worth it i give them 10 bucks more than its probably worth. usually they just say take them or that they have more somewhere else.

 

[outskirtscustoms]

I normally go up and say, "I was just riding by and your bike there caught my eye, What are you wanting to do with it?" let them answer then if they don't say take it with you I ask if it's for sale. If no I ask if they have any other bikes that could be for sale.

 

[55ColumbiaBuilt]

I have learned that if you start with "I'm a collector of.......", then the person you're talking to starts to think that you know something that they don't....like what they have is, um, VALUABLE!! If they get that in their head "American Pickeritus" sets in and they want the bank for it. I usually like to make my appearance on one of my fixed-up rides and show it off and tell them about it. I then stretch the truth a little and tell them that my brother wants me to build him one...and the one in their front yard is just what he's looking for! When they see the nice job I did on the one I'm riding, they might be more inclined to let theirs go knowing that it is going to get a good home....well, it's worked ONCE anyway.

 

[NewOrleansFlyer]

Outskirts...
I like your open ended question approach. Even in the towns here in Montana, people don't take kindly to somebody taking up space on their porch! I'll give it a try...

 

[outskirtscustoms]

I like my approach of "It caught my eye" because it doesn't say anything about the value of the bike like saying "I'm a collector" and lets you gauge how much THEY know about the bike, how much they are attached to it, and what price they put on it without letting them know anything about you other than their junk caught your eye.

I also like a line I use quite frequently on yard art bikes...They start talking about high value and I say "It can't be worth much, I had a $20 Mongoose stolen from my yard and this one has sat here for (Insert # of years you know it has sat there) and it's still here." Apparently it's not even worth stealing. :lol:

 

[wheelhorseman]

Not really a pick up line but i advertise in a local free penny paper to buy unwanted bikes locally. I tell them i use them for parts and bikes are a hobby and also to fix for our grandkids to ride (thats not a lie). I dont say anything about reselling. I dont really get a lot of response like you would think but it doesnt cost a thing to run the ad and you never know what you may get.

 

[outskirtscustoms]

Not really a pick up line but i advertise in a local free penny paper to buy unwanted bikes locally. I tell them i use them for parts and bikes are a hobby and also to fix for our grandkids to ride (thats not a lie). I dont say anything about reselling. I dont really get a lot of response like you would think but it doesnt cost a thing to run the ad and you never know what you may get.

I do the same on Craigslist. Netted a few nice ones that way.

 

[Carbon]

I have never just stumbled up on a deal, well except when I went to look at my 37 Schwinn Twinbar, I happened to notice a boys tank bike pushed back over against the wall with some girls bikes piled up against it. I asked if I could pull it out and have a look, when I pulled it out, first thing out of my mouth was, "Wanna sell this one to!" he said, sure, I said, will you take 50 bucks for it? He said, yes sir! So I ended up getting a sweet mid 50's Murray built Western Flyer with the nicest tank and chaingaurd i'd ever seen as well as my 37 Schwinn for 150, Score!! They are both now my absolute favorites. Most of the time I find them on local sites or here say, usually they aren't ever asking much for them so I just give em what they want and roll out. 8)