First World Problems

rocky mountain

Devout Dirtbag
Hi

What do I do? I have three retro bikes that I want good homes for. Do I sell whole or do I break into bits and sell ? The latter may yeild more money, but they will be in various bits living on on other bikes. However it seems a crime to break them up.

First is a Muddy Fox Courier Womens Mixte; the only thing replaced is a brake cable and it has very few miles. Everything is there, but its a small frame and not a mens frame. If so it would sell like nobodies business!

Next is a Peugot Womens Racer; used, but put in the shed in the 1980's by my aunt and forgotten about. The fixie crowd would go wild about that and rip everything off!

Finally a Claude Butler, with Campag chainset and nice suntour thumbies.

And finally an original Kryptonite lock made of flat steel and a normal lock; who would buy that?

All decent thoughts considered!

Cheers
 
wuldn't you jsut make a for sale thread with for selling for $XX or breaking and then see what people will offer for the parts?
 
T'boo Ted":1ao2cj0v said:
wuldn't you jsut make a for sale thread with for selling for $XX or breaking and then see what people will offer for the parts?

Yeah - I could be interested in parts of the Mixte possibly, subject to spec/condition...
 
Thanks for the replies and I am thinking! I am not sure about doing a sale or break up. The courier is I believe as clean as they come and rare; do we have a UK MTB Hall of Fame like in the states?

I want it to be a clean sale; the ideal thing would be someone with a mens courier frame and its then a switch over. The Mixte could be a great little single speed.

I did post an earlier picture when I found the bike, so if you look at my profile.
 
well your first post says "Do I sell whole or do I break into bits and sell", if you don;'t want to break it you don't have to, you just offer that you could and see what happens.
Either way you probably really need to make a for sale thread as the way this thread is going, it more like a "i'm going to generate interest without making a forsale thread"
 
Either way you probably really need to make a for sale thread as the way this thread is going, it more like a "i'm going to generate interest without making a forsale thread"[/quote]

I could just sell on ebay or here yes, but there is a 'hidden' attempt here to generate a discussion about whether you break up these bikes, especially ones that are mintish or try and keep them whole. http://mombat.org/MOMBAT/bike_list.html dont even have a Muddy Fox

Anyhow they would generate their own interest if for sale without me bothering to do this.
 
Looks to me more the thread a newbie makes just to sell bikes and hopes someone will jump in with a "send me some pics I might be interested"

The bikes you mention are not big money bikes and the "good home" thing, I've never really believed that. People sell for cash, not visitation rights after the bike has gone.
 
KDM":12uy92yt said:
Looks to me more the thread a newbie makes just to sell bikes and hopes someone will jump in with a "send me some pics I might be interested"

The bikes you mention are not big money bikes and the "good home" thing, I've never really believed that. People sell for cash, not visitation rights after the bike has gone.

I joined here in 2007, some 5 years before you did, so not a newbie. Please read my posts and consider what I have said. I raise the issue of do you break it up or sell whole and the ethics of that given the 'rarity'.

Like I said, first world problems, given the attitude of the replies I may give them to a bicycle charity in the third world and given the quality of them, they will last and to some people who may appreciate them and use them on a daily basis.
 
Re:

There's some really good 'recycle' places cropping up now, I have one a few miles away, where they take the bikes and have a workshop where local kids with problems, ex servicemen, etc, can learn how to mend and service stuff properly, get a skill, etc etc.

They would sell on good ones after a proper service, or split for bits. They're great places and it's worth striking up a working relationship with them, especially if you're likely to be wanting parts or even whole bikes in the future for your own retro requirements.

Personally, I'd donate them to somewhere like this or as you say somewhere that will send them on to the third world, I wouldn't get too hung up on trying to sell them complete or have the discussion about splitting for parts, it's pretty much impossible to sell run of the mill stuff on here at the mo, and I notice ebay isn't much better....

Good luck, whichever way you decide to go! ;)
 
Back
Top