Ebay gradually driving up price of bike parts

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Nashville Kat

Nashville Kat

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2009
1,501
55
48
Jacksonville, Florida
I'm kinda of an ebay addict- it's like gambling or something. I'm always on there drooling over bike parts I don't really even need- ordering them like a gambling addict with a slot handle in my hand. Oh I know the ropes after a lifetime around bikes, so i usually get great deals- But still, something about looking at all those great annodized colorful BMX old school parts and 3 piece vintage alloy cranks from the old racing days in the '70's. Wow.

Anyway, one thing I see is that over time, on certain things- prices go up ridiculously so. I think that one thing that happens is that people order something, find they don't need it, or it replaces something else, and then suddenly,between having to pay for an ad, and then shipping, and then this crazy "I've got some old ancient bicycle thing that surely is worth it's weight in gold ATTITUDE",
the price of things gradually starts going through the roof-

as time goes by on ebay, there's less used vintage bike stuff, and more comercial "buy it now" new merchandise. But what stays popular? Vintage road and BMX stuff from the '70's and '80's respectively.

The pinnacle of road bike design was simply Campagnolo Super Record of the late '70's and early '80's- that's what still goes the highest price- cause after that era, the stuff got too exotic and non-standard for it's own good! if I was a bike manufacturer like Campy, Suntour, or shimano, I'd simply start making that old stuff again. it'd sell like crazy!
 
bairdco

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
6,537
264
63
living the dream in southern california
ebay, craigslist and other internet sites have spent the last ten years or so driving down the price of "vintage" bike parts. stuff that used to be hard to find now shows up regularly. i remember the old days of buying the local "Recycler" free classified ads the day it came out and scouring it for deals.

now, you need a NOS chain tensioner screw with hand cut threads for a 1900's Pope? some guy has ten of them...

the classic bike market has gone down considerably, to the point where it's great for the collector, but horrible for the restorer who's trying to make a buck.

i've had bikes which woulda sold in the thousands 15 years ago that i'm lucky to get 300 bucks for in this economy.

the "value" on vintage bikes looks like it's slowly rising again, which, opposite from what i typed above, is good for the seller, but not the collector.

prices fluctuate like crazy, mostly due to people who have no idea what something's worth, can now google it and find out how rare it is, or how run-of-the-mill it is.

there's still deals out there, but there's also a ton of bikes that will never sell at the seller's inflated "buy it now" prices.

and the vintage bmx market's been going strong for awhile now, but it's been tapering off in the last few years. only the rarest of the rare go for big money now. it's all the 40 year old people looking for their first bike. re-living your childhood is expensive.

i just sold a 100% complete, all original CYC Stormer MX from 1977 for $250. 4-5 years ago i probably coulda got a grand for it.

now there's american pickers and american restorations, and pawn stars and whatever the heck other stupid shows ruining the market for everything.

sanford and son coulda made millions if they were still in business...
 
Goat Herder

Goat Herder

Gutter Rider
Apr 28, 2008
6,237
20
38
N.M.
CL aka Craigslist rocks over here I watch it like a hawk. I have been getting the best scores of my lifetime lately.
 
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