Just called the guy and he was prooud to say "it sold to the 1st guy to come out and he didn't even bargain on the price". I didn't have the heart to tell him....

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/bik/551479669.html

son of a !!!!

What a sucker buyer! The wheels don't even match!

[quote name='shawn o' date='Jan 25 2008, 10:54 PM' post='491403']
Just called the guy and he was prooud to say "it sold to the 1st guy to come out and he didn't even bargain on the price". I didn't have the heart to tell him...

Some sellers on C-list amaze me sometimes. If you have a digital camera and internet access, and dont want to sell through EBAY you could at least do a search on it to see what its worth!!! I could see if it was in the newspaper or tradin times....
What do I know anyway.. Why would I want a porsche white USA TS with nice parts for a $100

Ugh, that really hurts to see that listing and hear the story, even worse that it was here in MN.

That was ME!!!!!!!!










Just kidding ...although I wish it was ....
J

Question of ethics...

What if YOU happend across that deal.

Would you toss him a few bucks extra knowing that he could have easily charged you WAY more and you STILL would have made a great deal.

I knew a guy who collected rare microphones. He saw a pair of very vintage Neuman microphones at a yard sale for fifty bucks.
He gave them $500.00 for the mics knowing the last time he saw them was for a $750.00.
I admired his honesty and integrity.
I aspired to be like that.

A good deal is a good deal, giving him more money than he's asking is being a sucker. If you're selling something on the internet, how long does it take to research this??? Right, no time at all.
Like the saying goes, one man's (gulp) trash, is another man's treasure

I feel that as a seller, ebay or elsewhere on the internet, it's your responsibility to consider what price is fair to you. If that trickstar was in that gentelman's front yard with a sign that said $100, and you came up with a VintageBMX t-shirt on, and suddenly he took down the sign, and the price was $300, that's unfair. If he could care less about some old bike colecting dust in his basement, and was pleasently suprised to get $100 for it, that's more than fair to him.
If he doesn't care to do the research, because, maybe it just doesn't mean enough to him to do so, that's his perogotive. Basically, he was happy to get the $100, and the buyer was happy to pay it, fair's fair.
IMHO

I agree.

That bike could have easily ended up at a yard sale, the Salvation Army or the dumpster. The seller was happy to get what he was asking.

Just because there are a few people out there willing to pay gaggles of dollars for old kids' bikes and parts, doesn't mean we're all obligated to take out a mortgage for every clapped-out twenty incher that comes down the pipe. Is that really the way this hobby is going?

I think that's why they call it a "score".

And think of it this way: the first caller could have been a single mom looking for a decent second-hand bike for her son to have. Could've showed up, talked the guy down to fifty and some kid somewhere would have a bike to ride.

Until fifty other people contacted him and let him know what he could've gotten...
Some people never seen Antiques Roadshow and don't know better than to not do some research?

What would I have done, as the buyer?
So many factors to consider, including how bad the seller could use the money (how much $ I could loosen up and "spare") and whether or not they are good people or scum or somewhere in between... I guess that makes me a judgemental SOB.

He must be getting alot of calls then. I called him today about noon.. Sounded like a real old guy.. Said he just sold it.. then of course I said,, how much you sell for.. he said $100.00... I felt sick...

http://www.bmxmuseum.com/bikes/hutch/8363

I was one of many Factionites that called that guy today...

There have been a couple times that I have pointed out that someone was selling something far too cheap only to have them say they just want ___________ gone.

My buddy found a 70's Gibson SG at a garage sale for a couple hundred bucks. I traded a 12 pack of Heineken for a Samson mixer and the matched amp. My cousin said it was a fair trade!

I agree wholeheartedly.

I've written a couple posts now about free trade, and how people should be allowed to charge as much as they want/can get for a bike. Bottom line -- if someone is willing to pay $1,000 for a Trick Star, it means he wanted the Trick Star more than the $1,000 in pocket. Conversely, the guy selling wanted the $1,000 more than he wanted the Trick Star.

The same can be said for this transaction, except the price is much lower. No one forced this seller into accepting that price. That's all this old bike was worth to him. He'd rather have this $100 than a bike rusting in his basement or garage. We all think he's crazy, because we know it could have gone for a lot more if he tried, but everyone's happy here -- someone got a bike he wanted for a price he was willing to pay, and the seller got someone to pay the price he wanted for it.

I also think as a free consumer/trader, you're entitled to seek the best price you possibly can for whatever you want to buy. If you can get it, all the better, as long as you don't hold someone at gun point and force the transaction on the other party. If both sides are willing, you've got yourself a deal.

And let's not forget, there's a FAQ post on this very site about "What is my bike worth?" The answer, basically, is that there are no set prices and that your bike is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it.

Just in case the guy pulls the ad from Craigslist, here's the $100 Trick Star. Nice score.

I'll add that if that were MY old white TS, I would've doubled that 100 in a heartbeat, at least. Quadrupled maybe. Just 'cause I would be so stoked to have my old bike back.

That one is either gonna be a decent rider you don't have to worry about scratching, or a resto candidate in a throw-a-whole-bunch-of-money-at-it kinda way. Which means you want the "donor" to come as cheaply as you can get it for, because you'll have a $1000-plus tab at the end, regardless.

I agree with Jay...The guy was offered $100 for it and probably expected $25 or $30. Just as the saying goes "It's only worth what someone will pay for it" the same thing can be said for "It's only worth what you want to sell it for." I think that is why so many "collectors" hit up garage sales to score items they might pay 100 X more for in a "collector's setting." In my experience with HAVING garage sales, there were items I wanted decent money for that no one was willing to pay, and at the end of the garage sale when it was the last item left, I just wanted to get it off my hands, so it went to the end of the driveway with a "FREE" sign!!! You used to be able to SELL wooden pallets, but nowadays my company has to PAY for someone to get them out of here!!!!! (I think I just went off on a weird tangent!!) This guy was probably bragging to his wife how he "swindled" some weirdo into buying that crappy old bike for $100!!

IMO, a score is a score when both the buyer and the seller are happy with the deal.

Seriously, the pallet thing makes complete sense to me. Since with my work local folks are always coming in asking for pallets, they want them for free. When I offer the pile we have next to the building they usually refuse, and say that they need the 48's. That shows me that they really dont want any pallet, they want me to give them the 48x48's that the pallet company will give them $7 each for. If I had them to give, I'd take them to the pallet company myself, yet I am constantly dealing with people that want something for nothing. Fair is fair

Oh man, I'm in MN and I tried like heck to get that bike, oh well someone scored!

They must be in hiding.. I tried also.. Wonder how many calls that guy got?

Nice Score . . . whatever it takes!

bump, because this story has an awesome ending.
i won't mention any names, if he wants to chime in he will.
so the guy that scores it for a hundy flips it right away, guy that buys it wants to relive his past as he had a white trick star that was stolen bitd. gets it home, now he has his old serial numbers, had a chrome t.s and the white one. this bike IS HIS OLD ONE!!
what the heck are the chances of that?

UN
FREAKING
Beilievable !!!!!!!!!!!!!

It warms my heart to hear that.

If the lucky bro who got his bike back makes himself heard, he should start a new thread for this fairytale ending...

I'm curious as to what condition it's in compared to the day it was stolen...


...and when do we launch a vendetta investigation to see how the seller on Craig's list got it...?

2 stories:

1) A guy sold a Hutch Pro Racer, complete with AEROSPEEDS, Hutch Pedals, hubs, bars, you name it ! it was all top quality Hutch parts....for £250 BIN on ebay, sold within 6 mins of being listed


2) I had a collection of Old FIFA WOrld Cup Soccer Balls, that were from the 82, 86, 90, 94 and 98 world cup finals, all given to me by a contact I had in the Soccer industry. I had kept these in my loft, in my mum's shed and more recently used them for a kick about with my 2 young sons in the Garden. I was tight for cash and thought - i could sell these ?? - I was gonna stick em on ebay for £50 each, however I looked them up on the web and found they were very collectable ! so I put one on ebay as an auction and it sold for £400 ! I then sold the other 7 balls for a combined sale of around £3000 !

If in doubt do your research or, let the auction decide the value.......ebay does have its uses too ! LOL !!

BTW: I spend the profits on my Candy Red Trickstar, Torker 280X and my Floval Looptail

gee, why am I not amazed...

That ended well, though. Cool!