eBay prices on the rise, good time to sell old junk?

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bychosis
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Re: eBay prices on the rise, good time to sell old junk?

Postby bychosis » Mon Feb 19, 2018 2:22 pm

Kronos wrote:
bychosis wrote:The market will decide what they are worth. That’s the thing about Ebay, he who has the most cash wins.
Except it invites bottom feeders who have no interest what so ever in cycling and who are just in the market to make a buck on "vintage" things. Just add "vintage" and slap on a $3000 price tag.
So then the bottom feeders will be out of luck. Slapping a $3k price tag on something not worth that will likely result in no sale, unless there is someone with much cash and little sense. It will sell for what it is worth in the market. Sure, speculators will buy up stuff in the hope the value will increase, but true collectors will pay what it is worth based on the item, it's rarity, and how much they 'need' to have it in their collection.

I saw an Aldi bike lift listed on ebay and gumtree for months, potentially up to a year at around $60. They cost $15 or $20 from Aldi and less on run out. The market spoke and it didn't sell for a very long time. I suspect it may not have sold at all.
bychosis (bahy-koh-sis): A mental disorder of delusions indicating impaired contact with a reality of no bicycles.

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P!N20
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Re: eBay prices on the rise, good time to sell old junk?

Postby P!N20 » Mon Feb 19, 2018 2:35 pm

I wonder how old mate got on with his Coca Cola Huffy? http://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/viewt ... e#p1413247

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uart
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Re: eBay prices on the rise, good time to sell old junk?

Postby uart » Mon Feb 19, 2018 2:39 pm

bychosis wrote: So then the bottom feeders will be out of luck. Slapping a $3k price tag on something not worth that will likely result in no sale
Exactly. There's always sellers like this, they just don't sell much. He's also exaggerating (pre-dating) the decades quite liberally there too. Look at is '70s Repco Superlite (with biopace chainrings and unicrown fork - LOL). It's more likely '90s. Those things come up at about $100 to $150 all the time, and this guy's put $900 on his. It aint gonna happen!

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Re: eBay prices on the rise, good time to sell old junk?

Postby Derny Driver » Mon Feb 19, 2018 3:10 pm

I always laugh when someone thinks their item is valuable because they saw a similar one listed for a ridiculous price on Ebay.
Classic example was the Russell Mockridge biography "My World on Wheels" which was a bit of a hard to find item. I paid $50 for mine which was a fair price ... I did see a few get auctioned for around the $200 mark. There was a greedy seller had one listed 'Buy it Now' fixed price $500 and it sat there for about 5 years. Next thing you know the book was reprinted and you can get it for $22 free postage on Ebay. The $500 book probably got chucked in the bin after that.
The problem with greedy people listing things at ridiculous prices is that it tends to inflate the market. Some idiot has a bike part listed for hundreds of dollars and then everyone with that same part thinks theirs is worth that amount. Look at what things sell for folks, not what they are listed at.

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Re: eBay prices on the rise, good time to sell old junk?

Postby Kronos » Mon Feb 19, 2018 4:36 pm

Yep... and then eventually when there is nothing else to choose from people do pay it. Maybe I should list my steel bike for $3000 and see how I go :lol:

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Re: eBay prices on the rise, good time to sell old junk?

Postby 10speedsemiracer » Mon Feb 19, 2018 4:46 pm

P!N20 wrote:I wonder how old mate got on with his Coca Cola Huffy? http://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/viewt ... e#p1413247
How weird is that? I was wondering that exact same thing.....
Campagnolo for show, SunTour for go

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Re: eBay prices on the rise, good time to sell old junk?

Postby bog1953 » Tue Feb 20, 2018 12:17 am

I was an antique dealer, now retired. After 40 years in the trade it wasn't too long before I came to the realisation that most people are idiots, and have no idea. I can give you countless examples of people paying over the odds. A friend of mine was an auctioneer and had a clearing sale in the country and when he was auctioning a pump, he stopped the auction when the price hit $1100.00 and informed the crowd that a new one cost $800.00. But the highest bidder said that as long as the other bidder was bidding he was, it sold for$1600.00. Last week I attended an auction, they had an outdoor table the same as one I bought new 2yrs ago for $140.00 at Bunnings, sell for $260.00. And now that I'm at it, those people buying retro furniture simply don't understand, that most of it is chipboard with a micro veneer (crap). Yes I buy retro furniture for myself,but not the junk a lot of the general public buy. A little knowledge, and buying quality goes a long way.

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Re: eBay prices on the rise, good time to sell old junk?

Postby Kronos » Tue Feb 20, 2018 2:44 am

Slap a "retro" sticker on it and Bob's your sisters brother... I've seen it enough times already. It's how some people stay in business. Like all things there is no worth in it just because its "old." Idiots attach the value to it, and that's where the bottom feeders come in who are only interested in making a quick buck (people with real interest aside of course.)

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Re: eBay prices on the rise, good time to sell old junk?

Postby LG » Tue Feb 20, 2018 9:22 pm

Clydesdale Scot wrote:We need to cast our gaze further if we are to pick up bargains. This was drawn to my attention yesterday.
Don't limit yourself to the Bicycles filter category, look on Gumtree in the 'Other Antiques, Art & Collectables' and you can pick up a bargain
Painted pristine white, including crankset and pedals. And only $3000
and then I follow your advice and find a pile of... not so bargain local to me https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/clifton ... 1173385912
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bychosis
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Re: eBay prices on the rise, good time to sell old junk?

Postby bychosis » Tue Feb 20, 2018 9:42 pm

bychosis (bahy-koh-sis): A mental disorder of delusions indicating impaired contact with a reality of no bicycles.

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Re: eBay prices on the rise, good time to sell old junk?

Postby LG » Wed Feb 21, 2018 6:40 am

bychosis wrote:Or potentially more bargain like: http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/tenambit ... ios_social
Well worth picking up.
LG = Low Gear

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Re: eBay prices on the rise, good time to sell old junk?

Postby feelthewheel » Wed Feb 21, 2018 9:04 am


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Re: eBay prices on the rise, good time to sell old junk?

Postby find_bruce » Wed Feb 21, 2018 11:05 am

feelthewheel wrote:Who's going to save these gems? Too far away for me unfortunately ... :(

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Vintage-Bic ... 100623.m-1

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/A-great-old ... 0009.m1982
I will be down near Ulladulla in a couple of weeks, before returning to Sydeny if anyone wanted the blackbird

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Re: eBay prices on the rise, good time to sell old junk?

Postby Derny Driver » Wed Feb 21, 2018 11:19 am

find_bruce wrote: I will be down near Ulladulla in a couple of weeks, before returning to Sydeny if anyone wanted the blackbird
I'm interested

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Re: eBay prices on the rise, good time to sell old junk?

Postby LG » Wed Feb 21, 2018 5:25 pm

I'd be pushing the friendship a bit far :lol:
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hazarama
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Re: eBay prices on the rise, good time to sell old junk?

Postby hazarama » Wed Feb 21, 2018 9:26 pm

Strip and Flip...

Original - that went for around $100
Image

Flipped
Hi up for sale is a cool rare vintage track bike I think it’s early 1900’s in the major Taylor era. The old serious collector who sold it to me this bike is worth restoring...
Image

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Re: eBay prices on the rise, good time to sell old junk?

Postby Clydesdale Scot » Thu Feb 22, 2018 8:41 am

Stripped of brakes
Stripped of the 'gallow's seatpost and substituted a conventional seatpost so the centre of the seat is now way back.
Stripped of the 'Major Taylor' stem and substituted with a quill stem to use with the headclip!
Bottle cage mounts make an interesting addition in the past.

I guess we can be grateful that he has spared this one from his regular "Hornet" in house branding

Perhaps he should give an additional lemon with each bike he sells (to deal with getting stung in the deal)

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hazarama
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Re: eBay prices on the rise, good time to sell old junk?

Postby hazarama » Thu Feb 22, 2018 9:34 pm

This on the other hand will - quite rightfully, go for a pretty penny

Vintage-Malvern-Star-5-Star-034-Lugless-034-Track-Frame-1948
Finely crafted, this rare surviving example is beautifully made and a cut above other lugless 5 Star frames I have seen over many years.
Image

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Re: eBay prices on the rise, good time to sell old junk?

Postby Imwit » Mon Feb 26, 2018 11:09 am

hazarama wrote:This on the other hand will - quite rightfully, go for a pretty penny

Vintage-Malvern-Star-5-Star-034-Lugless-034-Track-Frame-1948
Oooff!
Cracker

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Re: eBay prices on the rise, good time to sell old junk?

Postby trailgumby » Thu Mar 01, 2018 9:57 am

P!N20 wrote:
bychosis wrote:That’s the thing about Ebay, he who has the best sniping app wins.
FTFY
^^^ This. Works for me. :D

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Re: eBay prices on the rise, good time to sell old junk?

Postby Imwit » Fri Mar 02, 2018 10:30 am

hazarama wrote:This on the other hand will - quite rightfully, go for a pretty penny

Vintage-Malvern-Star-5-Star-034-Lugless-034-Track-Frame-1948
Finely crafted, this rare surviving example is beautifully made and a cut above other lugless 5 Star frames I have seen over many years.
Image
That went for a very pretty penny indeed.

Just wondering, does anyone know who would have been the likely builder of a 1948 lugless 5 star?

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Re: eBay prices on the rise, good time to sell old junk?

Postby Derny Driver » Sat Mar 03, 2018 1:01 am

find_bruce wrote:
feelthewheel wrote:Who's going to save these gems? Too far away for me unfortunately ... :(

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Vintage-Bic ... 100623.m-1

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/A-great-old ... 0009.m1982
I will be down near Ulladulla in a couple of weeks, before returning to Sydeny if anyone wanted the blackbird
feelthewheel I owe you a beer. No, better still, message me your address and I will post you my book which explains exactly what the BLACKBIRD brand means to me and my family. I won the bid and now have one. A shame my dad passed away last year and can't see it.

Bruce I am so excited I will probably just do the 6 hour round trip one night this week and pick it up myself. Thanks so much for your kind offer.

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Re: eBay prices on the rise, good time to sell old junk?

Postby Clydesdale Scot » Sat Mar 03, 2018 6:06 am

excellent news Marcus.
Time to use your writing skills again in a photo-documentary on the bike.
It seems to have enough original equipment and enough clues as to what is missing to enable a worthy conservation.
No wonder you are happy!
Philip

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Re: eBay prices on the rise, good time to sell old junk?

Postby Imwit » Sat Mar 03, 2018 11:12 am

Great news Marcus.

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Re: eBay prices on the rise, good time to sell old junk?

Postby munga » Sat Mar 03, 2018 12:55 pm

Derny Driver wrote: feelthewheel I owe you a beer. No, better still, message me your address and I will post you my book which explains exactly what the BLACKBIRD brand means to me and my family. I won the bid and now have one. A shame my dad passed away last year and can't see it.

Bruce I am so excited I will probably just do the 6 hour round trip one night this week and pick it up myself. Thanks so much for your kind offer.
another blackbird?
https://www.facebook.com/groups/retrocy ... 9883796195

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