Old boys club?

[Radar]

Clearly wearing the wrong tie old chap.


Karma helps, but mainly just luck and timing.

Or blame your parents for sending you to the wrong school/university/regiment/socially inept genes

 

[michael franks]

I am a relative newcomer to the whole retrobike experience but I have noticed that collecting parts can be a stop/start process. For a while nothing you're after shows up and then all of a sudden it all turns up in a rush and you're skint again :?

 

[IDB1]

When you are looking for bits for your retro bike - is it who you know or is it an even playing field?.

It's not a level field.. the old boys network thrives here as it does in many walks of life.

Not knocking it, it's just the way things are.

 

[tintin40]

Does anyone ever read the wanted section?

yes.

You have to keep looking and be quick.

 

[drystonepaul]

It's not a level field.. the old boys network thrives here as it does in many walks of life.

Not knocking it, it's just the way things are.

Interesting comment Ian. A bit cynical though and I'm not sure that I agree with you.

As others have stated, there is a lot of luck and fortunate timing when it comes to finding the parts/bikes you're after. Finding the treasure is all part of the fun. It is more difficult nowadays as there are more people looking.

From my perspective, most of the bargains I have found have been purely by chance, and the stuff I find tends to get hoarded until it becomes useful. I rarely find what I need when I need it.

I'm sure some stuff gets sold/exchanged exclusively via PM on this and on other forums too, but on the whole I'm confident that the majority of deals on RB are fairly transparent.

Many have also found that by attending Retrobike rides and events you do tend to get a lot of parts found and deals done by talking with others face to face, as well as by digging through people's bargain buckets.
There's also a lot of karma and goodwill passed on at these events. This is possibly because the person who helps out often gets rewarded by actually seeing their parts being used by someone else on a later ride. It's nice to feel that you are helping someone out. It's a much better reward than just money.
Personally again, I'm more likely to let go of certain parts when I know that they will be used. I get to see them being used too, which is great.
It may also have something to do with avoiding the extra effort of postage though...

I don't know whether it would be fair for this to be interpreted as an 'old boy's network'. I'd prefer to call it a 'Retrobike rider's network' perhaps.

 

[mikee]

i think if your on here for any length of time theres a feeling of knowing
people even if you've not met them , then its virtual mates thing that happens
when you do meet these people ,even a drunken in a field type way
theres a bit of a bond that lasts ,thats the next level really the guys at BDW last year fit into this category for me as well as the macretrofamily
not saying its an old boy network but pressing the flash builds the
bridges

i will also add rob that you seem to be on here for the right reasons
and if i can help i will , but some folk have stuff in the favour bank
and that gives the priority

 

[longun]

theres a for sale section????!!!!!!!!!!!!


only kidding,all about timing and persistance,missed a set of tioga revolvers last year and it still hurts now :cry: keep posting ads and always shake hands with your left hand

 

[MiniNinjaRob]

i will also add rob that you seem to be on here for the right reasons
and if i can help i will , but some folk have stuff in the favour bank
and that gives the priority

thanks very much - nice of you to say that - but I don't think I'll ever have anything to give out in favour in the first place though!!!

One problem is that if you don't have a lot of cash available then giving away stuff or selling stuff cheap isn't something you can afford to do often, if at all.

 

[Drencrom]

One problem is that if you don't have a lot of cash available then giving away stuff or selling stuff cheap isn't something you can afford to do often, if at all.

If you're selling stuff you've bought to trade, then it depends on what you paid for the part in the first place, of course. Picking up a bargain doesn't have to mean selling it on at a much higher price - it can be just as much about the feeling of getting some much-needed parts back out there. Personally I can't say I've ever bought something or sold anything bike related with any interest in profit, it's just about trying to sustain a passionate hobby, and keeping that PayPal account (sort of) balanced.

 

[Rod_Saetan]

I heard that the Illuminati have been fixing prices on the vintage MTB parts market for years, thats why you can never get the part you need.