eBay: Up the Swanee?

[Canuk]

Been scouting around for some parts to complete a C Record Colnago build and prices have really hit the floor (even for rare stuff like 50th anniversary). 1st gen C Record derailleurs which were 4-500 a year ago, seem to be struggling at 200 now. My pal paid only 380 euro for a fair condition Colnago master last month, unthinkable previously. End of an era for sellers?

My son sells BMX and trail bike vintage and new kit and he's saying that the market is almost completely flat. Previously he was making enough to fund his travel habit but almost nothing, very few sales at all in the last 3 months. And he lists a lot of stuff (my garage is full of it!), so not an inexperienced or new seller.

Is it competition from other platforms (Facebook Marketplace etc), or is that no one has the cash (or the confidence) to make luxury purchases anymore?

 

[Lucidone]

I think all of the above and the concern that HMRC now may take more of an interest if it's looking like an income stream.

 

[Cloverleaf]

That and people have less spare cash, or are less willing to spend cash on discretionary items, and so those sellers with stuff they've been able to inflate the prices on for the last few years are having to reduce them to more reasonable levels so that they can actually sell anything. No bad thing IMO.

 

[rentedmule]

I have almost completely stopped buying from US sellers on Ebay. Maybe decreasing interest in US goods is affecting the wider market (or US buyers are also less interested in international buying)?

 

[Russell]

Retro/vintage part pricing was a bubble. Now the bubble has burst and it’s back to normal pricing again… and about time too.

 

[bagpuss]

Judging by some of the prices asked I don't think some sellers have caught up .
Plastic drinks bottle £115 aluminium for £150 +
Lots of other madness £ 180 and up for a musette.
Some who have sunk a good deal of ££££ into all this stuff must be wondering when the market will pick up .
Personally I don't think it will. Demographics is the clue . Most of the younger generation aren't interested in any of it

It's a hobby and it should be a cheapish one at that .
I have devalued my own collection by at least 50 % .Thankfully apart from 2 frames I never got carried away .

 

[Dave_H]

It’s not just retro - second hand bike market generally is really poor. As has been said above, it’s a ‘first world’ hobby and those are always the first to be impacted when times are tight.

Look at the modern bike classifieds such as on Singletrackworld. Not only are people not buying, people aren’t selling much either. I guess things are being kept until worn out rather than being upgraded early. Have said that … new stuff is so good that even the cheap stuff is hugely effective so why upgrade?

 

[bagpuss]

Over supply ,lack of desire/ demand.