# Sorry I just Have to Say "LOL at used bike prices"



## roughster (Dec 18, 2017)

Is it just me or are used bike prices a joke right now? I have decided to go new for myself and my son because after watching Craigslist and other auction sites, I find the current used MTB market prices ridiculous. 

The most common themes: 3-10 year old bikes selling for a BARGAIN of $200 off full retail. It's only slightly used, brah! Normal dings and scratches, maintenance has ALWAYS been up kept but it might need new tires, a front shock replacement, a new chain, and there is a weird clicking coming from the rear suspension. Other than that, LIKE NEW!! What planet do these sellers come from?

I actually was interested in one bike, looked up bluebook and text'ed offering bluebook. The dude went off on me as a "lowballer". Eventually I had to block his # because he turned into the terminator evidently at the very thought of someone asking to pay the actual value of the bike. He was only asking 3x, yes 3 times, the suggest blue book with no upgraded parts and many of the exact comments I reference above in the "common themes" paragraph.

Sorry, I know this is a rather pointless rant, but I had to get it off my chest. Why would I invest in outdated technology, with unknown use/abuse to save $200? Makes ZERO sense to me. are people actually buying these bikes? Maybe it's just a California thing...


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## str8edgMTBMXer (Apr 15, 2015)

I have always run into the same thing (here in Ohio/midwest), so I have always bought new. Somehow, people around me seem to find "gems" all the time going the used route - especially with BMX bikes - but I NEVER see anything used that is not overpriced/junk/sketchy/a different picture than the bike being sold etc...

I would rather put the "Savings" into a new bike that I have complete control over in all aspects...other than riding...control there is a different story.

I don't think a lot of the people selling even know that there is a bike Blue Book, cause when I mention it, they accuse me of making it up to try to rip them off...but most of the bikes I see I don''t even need to reference the Blue Book to see if the price is right...


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## Mike Aswell (Sep 1, 2009)

A used bike is only worth what someone will pay for it. If you're diligently watching ads and making multiple offers and no one is selling then you aren't offering enough.

I would say the majority of people list high with the assumption that they're going to be making some concession. 

That said I did have a guy flip out about an offer I made him a few years back on a nice bike and three weeks later he wanted to know if I would still pay him that...which, recognizing it as the schadenfreude it was, I was happy to tell him no.


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## 410sprint (Oct 19, 2012)

No need to apologize for the rant. I think you are making a very good observation. Prices on used bikes are getting out of control. Lately, I am finding the best deals are on closeouts or N.O.S. (New old stock) frames and bikes. For example, last month, we picked up a NOS 2017 Trek Fuel 8EX with full XT M8000 for under $1700. This is showroom new bike with the factory warranty. We saw the same exact bike being sold used for much more all over the place, including one that was beat to hell for $2200!!


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## One Pivot (Nov 20, 2009)

I just passed on a $5500 bike selling for $1900. Cool bike, but its not like thats a once in a lifetime deal. 

My usual goal is 50% of new price, in almost new condition, and thats a pretty easy target to hit.

My current frame was $1800 new (frame only), I paid $300 since it needed a shock. Used prices are awesome right now. With the economy up and standards changing to metric shocks, you can get some amazing bikes for dirt cheap.

Bike bluebook is a joke though. Not sure how they're coming up with those prices, because they're insanity.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

people always think their **** is worth more than it is.

I won't touch the hyperinflated pricing, but you do occasionally find people who understand what's up and price accordingly. Those are the ppl I like working with. I'm not talking about bicycle blue book prices, either. I find that oftentimes those are a bit out of whack with what certain things actually sell for. Especially regionally.


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## jestep (Jul 23, 2004)

The best place to easily find the value is probably ebay sold listings. The bicycle blue book website, if that's what you're basing it on, is absolute nonesense for the majority of bikes, espeically older ones. I have some frames that list for something like $45 on there for the whole bike that I could get hundreds for and would sell in a few hours on ebay.

My second point would be, what are the components worth without the frame. If they still have a lightly used somewhat-newer or collectible groupset and a good fork, that's worth a decent amount right there. As far as valuations, that's probably one of the biggest errors I see when people are bidding or suggesting what a bike is worth. I can't count how many times I've seen someone say a bike is only worth $XXX amount because it's outdated geometery, but the groupset and fork and wheels could get 50% more than that on its own in a heartbeat.

But, yeah if they're discounting $200 off retail for a multi year old bike, that's asenine. I've seen some even crazier craigslist sales where they're selling a 15 year old bike with mediocre components and zero potential for collectability or vintage nostalgia, and it will be roughly retail because they've barely ridden it. 

Look, your mega 9, 27 speed, rapid rise, aluminum, trek from 2001 with a blown front shock that could use a new pair of tires is not worth $900...


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## Naolin (Jun 7, 2016)

blue book is ok as a guideline, but as others have said the bike is worth what you are willing to pay for it and what the guy is willing to sell it for. Alot of it does come down to how desperate someone is to sell something. I'm currently selling my Giant 2 Trance 2017 and I first posted it at $2,200 ($800 less then what i paid with tax), no takers, down to 2,100, nothing, $2,000, now down to $1,900

On the other side of the coin I hate people that quote the bluebook like its the bible.. yeah i understand the site tell you what the bike is worth, but i'm selling it at my price, if you don't like it, don't pay the price..


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## BHD108 (Mar 14, 2018)

The thing about CL is you get the whole gamut of price ranges because people often don't have much to compare there bike to. It's not like with cars where there will be a ton of the same model on CL, and more people use bluebook for cars, not everyone knows about bicycle blue book. 

I'm looking for a low end used bike, and I have seen a lot of ridiculous prices. People trying to sell 20 year old bikes for not a whole lot less than they originally paid for it. But I've seen some good deals too, you have to be able to jump on the good deals as they go fast. Also, you need to look every day and if have time to be patient you will find a deal for you and your son.


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## idividebyzero (Sep 25, 2014)

Sounds like you were looking at Santa Cruz bikes, get a 2011 Tallboy for just $2999! Other than Santa Cruz I havent seen consistent price inflation for other brands.


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## jestep (Jul 23, 2004)

idividebyzero said:


> Sounds like you were looking at Santa Cruz bikes, get a 2011 Tallboy for just $2999! Other than Santa Cruz I havent seen consistent price inflation for other brands.


Whaaaaat...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Santa-Cruz-Heckler-XL/292492989183?hash=item4419f0d2ff:g:UTgAAOSwFnxag0PT


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## bronxbomber252 (Mar 27, 2017)

Even with santa cruz you can find deals if you look. I got a 2013 Tallboy LTC with XX1 (1x11), XTR brakes, Enve wheels, fox factory sus, reverb, etc... for around $3500, was round $9000 new. But I rarely see other deals like that.


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## #1ORBUST (Sep 13, 2005)

Lol now I have to know what Bike and the price they wanted. Don’t leave me hanging.

But yah even paying 50% retail is sketchy. Like the guy above me. The frame could snap tomorrow and Santa Cruz will send him packing because he’s not the original owner.


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## noapathy (Jun 24, 2008)

jestep said:


> Whaaaaat...
> 
> https://www.ebay.com/itm/Santa-Cruz-Heckler-XL/292492989183?hash=item4419f0d2ff:g:UTgAAOSwFnxag0PT


"Hop on and race it - it's ready." & "been in storage 8 years". Heck, yeah. :lol:


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## mtnbikej (Sep 6, 2001)

jestep said:


> Whaaaaat...
> 
> https://www.ebay.com/itm/Santa-Cruz-Heckler-XL/292492989183?hash=item4419f0d2ff:g:UTgAAOSwFnxag0PT


You beat me to it. Saw that earlier.


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## karmaphi (Mar 19, 2018)

Yeti seems to have consistently higher prices too. That blue blue doesn't accurately reflect what they're selling for.

https://www.bicyclebluebook.com/SearchListingDetail.aspx?id=3065490&make=1075&model=86103 1800-3000 suggested value for a 6900 bike.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=yeti SB&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1 clear evidence of selling for at least the upper end of those suggested values, often times closer to 4k.


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## singletrackmack (Oct 18, 2012)

roughster said:


> Is it just me or are used bike prices a joke right now? .....are people actually buying these bikes? Maybe it's just a California thing...


Check out statricks.com. It shows the prices paid around the country for all sorts of items including mountain bikes.

Don't really think you can see things like condition or upgrades, but it gives cool data on where the bike was sold, for what price and when. You can dig down by state to see how many were sold there and what counties. You can also see things like the price over time or how many sold for what price.

Here is what I found for a 2013 Santa Cruz Tall Boy that someone else mentioned. Looks like those in Oaklahoma, Ohio and New Hampshire paid the highest prices for a 2013 Tall Boy.


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## TacoBeer (Sep 9, 2008)

You want to view really crazy prices for **** bikes? go to any local Pawn shop!


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## socalpete (Jul 18, 2013)

With bikes in the 5k-10k range pretty common now some guys are taking a massive hit on resale . Bike values drop so fast it’s crazy .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

410sprint said:


> No need to apologize for the rant. I think you are making a very good observation. Prices on used bikes are getting out of control. Lately, I am finding the best deals are on closeouts or N.O.S. (New old stock) frames and bikes. For example, last month, we picked up a NOS 2017 Trek Fuel 8EX with full XT M8000 for under $1700. This is showroom new bike with the factory warranty. We saw the same exact bike being sold used for much more all over the place, including one that was beat to hell for $2200!!


Yep, buying left over NOS from a year or two prior always pays off. The shops want to get rid of old to make room for the new.


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## The_Trail_Also_Rises (May 2, 2006)

It's pretty common (and annoying). Some people can't acknowledge that the price that they paid X years ago or their sentimental/perceived value of the bike isn't aligned with its actual value in the market. You can see this on Ebay when you search under completed listings and see the same bike listed multiple times, occasionally with slightly lower price listings. 

I've been looking at Cannondale Scalpels on Ebay and one seller has been repeatedly listing their bike for 6 months starting at $4500 and is now at $3500 (with $175 shipping). I think retail was $6k. Clearly this seller has misjudged the market for last year's bike, which is used and lacking any warranty. Sellers often don't recognize that the risk buyers take in purchasing a product used will drive down the price they are willing to pay as compared to new. 

On the other hand, buyers (especially on Craigslist) can also throw really absurd low ball offers at a seller - which is also annoying. Offering someone 50% of their price isn't likely to be accepted, so why even bother? Buyers can get stuck on wanting a certain frame/parts but only willing to pay an unrealistic amount for what they want.

Some brands (e.g., Specialized) have a higher resale value, especially when a model is refreshed and you're selling the new model. You can often find a good deal on older bikes that are a couple of generations behind the current models.


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## Joe_Re (Jan 10, 2011)

Also scarcity and desirability of the bike plays into it. But yes, an item is worth what the market will bear. I had a 2013 Scott Genius 930 that I was selling in 2015. It was a great bike, and in great shape. Of $3800.00 I took home $1700.00, which was $300.00 less than I was asking. But that's the deal with selling stuff used. You ask more, (but not so much more that you seem whacked out), than you want to get for it knowing that you will get beat down. Were it a Trek, Specialized, or other big/desirable brand, I would have been asking $300.00 more to start.


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## Klurejr (Oct 13, 2006)

As was stated the bike is worth exactly what someone else is willing to pay for it. I sold my last 2 bikes through Craigslist. I posted them up for a few months before I finally got offers I was willing to accept. I did not need the money, so I was fine holding to what I wanted. Eventually a buyer contacted me for each bike that was willing to offer much closer to what I wanted.


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## jcd46 (Jul 25, 2012)

I use CL, but tried offerup...that doesn't work for bikes, talk about lowballers galore!

The worse part is they can txt/pin, had this guy offering $200, and sent me like 5 offers, even after I told him to fokof. 

Uninstalled the app on the spot.


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## Crankout (Jun 16, 2010)

One Pivot said:


> I just passed on a $5500 bike selling for $1900. Cool bike, but its not like thats a once in a lifetime deal. .


Whoah...that sounds like a fantastic deal to me!


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## Crankout (Jun 16, 2010)

Damn, I can't even sell a beautiful leather coat at a truly good price on the local Craiglists, even with a few price drops. 'Bout ready to list it as 'free' and see who comes out of the woodwork.


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## Klurejr (Oct 13, 2006)

Crankout said:


> Damn, I can't even sell a beautiful leather coat at a truly good price on the local Craiglists, even with a few price drops. 'Bout ready to list it as 'free' and see who comes out of the woodwork.


I have had mild success using the facebook marketplace as well. Sold a beach cruiser on there for a good price.


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## coke (Jun 7, 2008)

socalpete said:


> With bikes in the 5k-10k range pretty common now some guys are taking a massive hit on resale . Bike values drop so fast it's crazy .
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


The bike market in my area is horrible. I had a 2017 bike I bought in early 2017 for $5k. Decided I didn't like it and sold it later in 2017 with only 160 miles on it for under $3k 

Just sold an $1100 wheelset with a few hundred miles on it for $350 :cryin:


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## bronxbomber252 (Mar 27, 2017)

*Sorry I just Have to Say "LOL at used bike prices"*



singletrackmack said:


> Check out statricks.com. It shows the prices paid around the country for all sorts of items including mountain bikes.
> 
> Don't really think you can see things like condition or upgrades, but it gives cool data on where the bike was sold, for what price and when. You can dig down by state to see how many were sold there and what counties. You can also see things like the price over time or how many sold for what price.
> 
> ...


Thats the tallboy, not the LTC which is the predecessor to the hightower. The LTC tends to sell for a little more than the regular Tallboy, at least here in AZ. But those prices seem pretty close to what I have seen for tallboys if similar age with typical components so that seems like a decent source. But yeah, if my frame cracks tomorrow At least the components which are top notch can be put on a new frame.


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## He1enKe1ler (Apr 2, 2015)

Bluebook is an absolute joke. When I run the numbers on my bike it's literally half of what i could actually sell the bike for. DO NOT go by that.


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## Apohlo (Nov 13, 2015)

I'll second that. Bluebook simply depreciates the original MSRP by a certain percentage over time it seems, unrelated to how the brand of the bike, style of componentry, or upgraded components factor onto the actual value. 

Cars, it might be a different story, but bikes I don't find KBB to be all that useful. Just IMO! 

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Crankout said:


> Whoah...that sounds like a fantastic deal to me!


Got a better deal on a bike for my wife several years ago. It was a custom build, so tougher to price out, but I figure it was at least a $6k bike, possibly as high as $7k, and we got it for $1800 shipped. She still owns and loves that bike.

Bought through the classifieds on this site.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


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## jestep (Jul 23, 2004)

Harold said:


> Got a better deal on a bike for my wife several years ago. It was a custom build, so tougher to price out, but I figure it was at least a $6k bike, possibly as high as $7k, and we got it for $1800 shipped. She still owns and loves that bike.
> 
> Bought through the classifieds on this site.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


Just make sure to scratch of the serial number...


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

jestep said:


> Just make sure to scratch of the serial number...


Nah, it was legit. Seller had detailed service records, original receipts, and tons of extras with the bike. Just not many people shopping for small frames with feminine touches, esp back then, so the seller knew to price accordingly.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


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## targnik (Jan 11, 2014)

My latest mule was a 'lightly' used '17 Giant Reign 2...

Like op has stated, guy wanted more than BB calculated it's worth to be ^^

I made a low ball offer & dude accepted o_0

A bit of paint is chipped on drive side seat stay, near pivot - which he never disclosed :ffs:

Otherwise, I was/am really happy with the deal I got.

FYI - bike was 6 months old...which going on wear & tear - other than chip, seems legit.

Bike still had dork disc, OEM tyres etc in it.

RRP = $4099 NZD
End of season, they were going for $3275 NZD
I paid $2800 NZD + $75 shipping

Have put money into - new SR 11-46 cassette, new rubber, new grips & pedals. I sold all the take off parts & bought new bits on sale/for cheap from CRC/Ebay.

Think some teen was riding it & wondered why he washed out on the dodgy OEM Hans Dampfs ;-)

'We'll all make it to the top... Some of us, might not make it to the bottom'


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## Darth Lefty (Sep 29, 2014)

Remember the prices on Craigslist are only an ambition...


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## sfgiantsfan (Dec 20, 2010)

I read this and checked CL in my area. I found that Bicycle Blue Book also sells bikes. The one I saw on craigslist they were selling was priced 200 more than their own website said it was worth in perfect condition. So yeah, they can FO


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## scaryfast (Apr 23, 2004)

I think prices on CL depend on where you live. If you live in a place where there aren't a ton of bikers, and supply is limited then prices will likely be pretty high. If you live in a place like SF, there are a ton of bikes you can get at a really good deal.


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## phreeky (Sep 25, 2015)

There certainly are a lot of owners who think their bike is worth more than it will sell for. However for some of them, if they're the original owner, then the bike may legitimately have extra value to them with a lifetime warranty on the frame, for example.

My bike is worth more to me than a potential buyer because I KNOW that it's in good condition. The brakes have no leaks, the bearings have been maintained, I regularly service the suspension, and I rotate chains so that I don't end up with a drivetrain that will need to be mostly replaced when a new chain is put on (very common on 2nd hand bikes).


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## evdog (Mar 18, 2007)

phreeky said:


> There certainly are a lot of owners who think their bike is worth more than it will sell for. However for some of them, if they're the original owner, then the bike may legitimately have extra value to them with a lifetime warranty on the frame, for example.
> 
> My bike is worth more to me than a potential buyer because I KNOW that it's in good condition. The brakes have no leaks, the bearings have been maintained, I regularly service the suspension, and I rotate chains so that I don't end up with a drivetrain that will need to be mostly replaced when a new chain is put on (very common on 2nd hand bikes).


If you are trying to sell a bike to someone else, its value to YOU is irrelevant. If you value it higher than someone else due to the factors you state and refuse to go lower in a sale, then you are probably the guy OP refers to who is out to lunch on pricing. At that point, since the bike is worth so much to you, why not keep it?



coke said:


> The bike market in my area is horrible. I had a 2017 bike I bought in early 2017 for $5k. Decided I didn't like it and sold it later in 2017 with only 160 miles on it for under $3k
> 
> Just sold an $1100 wheelset with a few hundred miles on it for $350 :cryin:


This is why I buy most of my bikes used. Last year I bought a Mojo3 for $2500 from a friend of a friend that was in very good condition. He probably paid $4500 if not $5k less than a year before. I could probably still sell it for 2500 or 3000 now, easily. Why be the guy who takes a big loss?

If you have some patience it is not hard to find great deals on both new and used bikes. You may not get the newest/most hyped tech but do you really need that?

Why anyone would try to deal with someone whose prices are out to lunch to begin with is beyond me. You can expect to talk them down a bit, but if they are way above what you think is reasonable don't even waste your time looking at the ad.


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## 834905 (Mar 8, 2018)

The used bike market all around just seems like a nightmare to me. You have people asking way more than what their bike is worth, and they always justify by the bike being "in great shape" and having upgrades. That's great, but if you buy a 4 year old full suspension bike you're essentially getting outdated geometry and parts with old standards. So yea, you can probably go buy a SC Tallboy from 2013 with a plethora of upgraded parts for $3000... OR, you could go buy a brand new comp level Camber with new parts and standards that aren't dead yet. 

It's a catch 22. This is a huge reason I have a hard time dropping tons of coin on a nice full suspension bike. I have a 2016 Yeti SB5, and after only 2 years the hub spacing is no longer valid (thanks Boost), it's a PF bottom bracket and all of the sudden everyone requires threaded bottom brackets, and head angle is 1.5 degrees too steep for what people need these days ("need" said with sarcasm). So with upgrades and everything I am easily $6-7k deep in this thing and I could probably get maybe $2500?


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## evdog (Mar 18, 2007)

SingleSpeedSteven said:


> It's a catch 22. This is a huge reason I have a hard time dropping tons of coin on a nice full suspension bike. I have a 2016 Yeti SB5, and after only 2 years the hub spacing is no longer valid (thanks Boost), it's a PF bottom bracket and all of the sudden everyone requires threaded bottom brackets, and head angle is 1.5 degrees too steep for what people need these days ("need" said with sarcasm). So with upgrades and everything I am easily $6-7k deep in this thing and I could probably get maybe $2500?


If you are still riding the bike and it functions fine, how does a new standard coming out make the current bike "no longer valid"?

The only thing that should make a bike "no longer valid" is if an existing part on the bike is worn out and it is hard or impossible to find a replacement for it. That did happen with my 8 year old Mojo SL - hard to find a replacement fork in the configuration I want. Otherwise, I had no reason to not keep riding that bike, no matter what new "standards" came out.

If you're dumping thousands of dollars in upgrades into a bike that's on you.


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## idividebyzero (Sep 25, 2014)

SingleSpeedSteven said:


> The used bike market all around just seems like a nightmare to me. You have people asking way more than what their bike is worth, and they always justify by the bike being "in great shape" and having upgrades. That's great, but if you buy a 4 year old full suspension bike you're essentially getting outdated geometry and parts with old standards. So yea, you can probably go buy a SC Tallboy from 2013 with a plethora of upgraded parts for $3000... OR, you could go buy a brand new comp level Camber with new parts and standards that aren't dead yet.
> 
> It's a catch 22. This is a huge reason I have a hard time dropping tons of coin on a nice full suspension bike. I have a 2016 Yeti SB5, and after only 2 years the hub spacing is no longer valid (thanks Boost), it's a PF bottom bracket and all of the sudden everyone requires threaded bottom brackets, and head angle is 1.5 degrees too steep for what people need these days ("need" said with sarcasm). So with upgrades and everything I am easily $6-7k deep in this thing and I could probably get maybe $2500?


switch infinity Yeti's still go for 3-4000


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## phreeky (Sep 25, 2015)

evdog said:


> If you are trying to sell a bike to someone else, its value to YOU is irrelevant. If you value it higher than someone else due to the factors you state and refuse to go lower in a sale, then you are probably the guy OP refers to who is out to lunch on pricing. At that point, since the bike is worth so much to you, why not keep it?


I was providing reasoning, not justification. I'm actually the exact opposite to what you say - I've not put my bike up for sale for this exact reason.


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## 834905 (Mar 8, 2018)

evdog said:


> If you are still riding the bike and it functions fine, how does a new standard coming out make the current bike "no longer valid"?
> 
> The only thing that should make a bike "no longer valid" is if an existing part on the bike is worn out and it is hard or impossible to find a replacement for it. That did happen with my 8 year old Mojo SL - hard to find a replacement fork in the configuration I want. Otherwise, I had no reason to not keep riding that bike, no matter what new "standards" came out.
> 
> If you're dumping thousands of dollars in upgrades into a bike that's on you.


It doesn't matter for me. The point I am making is that if I went to sell it, that would be a big non-selling point for a lot of people. If someone has a nice set of Boost wheels, it wouldn't benefit them to buy my bike because they can't be swapped over. From a riding perspective it doesn't make a bit of difference, but for resale it becomes an issue.


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## castlefield (Mar 5, 2013)

Used market is brutal for sellers too. Just sold my 2015 giant anthem 3 for 50% what I paid. I had people offering me $800 ($600 in USA dollars) for it with about $500 in upgrades 

I wasnt getting the offers I wanted so I put all the stock stuff back on, then sold the upgraded parts. Ended up fairing better that way. 

It's rough out there. I'll never buy a brand new (model year) bike again get burned bad when it comes time to sell.


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## Agent3056 (Mar 27, 2018)

Not sure what all the complaining is about. As soon as I put my bike on CL I had several people contact me offering to pay my asking price. The cashiers check should be here any day now. They were even nice enough to send more than asking price so I can pay his "shipper". Apparently he's busy as a steward on a cruise liner..... Seems legit? Ha


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## WHALENARD (Feb 21, 2010)

The used bike market in the PNW is really good. People turn over bikes fast and you can find crazy good deals. Always thought PB was excellent for deals as well. Can't imagine trying to sell bike stuff on CL...eff that.
I bought my current road bike from PNW bike classifieds. Basically new $7500 bike for $1200 which is what he was asking. We were both happy. 

I buy most of mtb stuff new for warranty purposes. I'm a high end gear type of guy and break plenty of it.


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## BigHit-Maniac (Apr 13, 2004)

Speaking of used bikes and used parts... is anyone interested in a Rockshox Pike 160mm Dual-Position Air Non-boost 15mm Thru-Axle fork? I will be looking to sell mine here in a month or two... Yes it's been used. but it's also in great shape with only a tiny little scuff on the lowers where i install it into my Kuat Bike Rack (Where the lever arm rests against the fork).


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## drdocta (Feb 10, 2017)

All I know is that when I bought my first used mountain bike I got it for about 10% less than market new price and when I sold it 6 years later I sold it for 10% less than market new price. Living in Austin, Texas I guess with the bike community we have here it makes it easy to gouge prices on used bikes.


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## Black Squirrel (Oct 13, 2016)

I don't buy anything used. Too much headache. Deal shop, left overs/blowouts in January.


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## k2rider1964 (Apr 29, 2010)

I live in SoCal. I have bought (2) barely used bikes off Pinkbike and have sold (3) bikes on there as well as numerous parts, wheelsets, etc...I bought my 4 month old Intense Primer for $2300 off and previously bought a nearly new Tallboy 2 that sold for $9K at the time for $5100. Prior to using Pinkbike, I used to sell everything on eBay.


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## Lopaka (Sep 7, 2006)

BigHit-Maniac said:


> Speaking of used bikes and used parts... is anyone interested in a Rockshox Pike 160mm Dual-Position Air Non-boost 15mm Thru-Axle fork? I will be looking to sell mine here in a month or two... Yes it's been used. but it's also in great shape with only a tiny little scuff on the lowers where i install it into my Kuat Bike Rack (Where the lever arm rests against the fork).


26, 27.5, 29?


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## AlexDeLarge (Oct 5, 2009)

Excluding new/fairly new bikes...
My fave lines on CL bike ads are:

1. "This bike retailed for $3,000 15 years ago, so I'm asking $2,500."
Nope.

2. "I know what this [10 year old] bike is worth, so no lowballers!"
Um, pretty much take any offer you can get at this time?


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## BigHit-Maniac (Apr 13, 2004)

Lopaka said:


> 26, 27.5, 29?


27.5. Sorry I forgot to specify. lol. I'll be looking to sell it when I get my DVO Onyx SC.

Will probably be around the Mid July (ish) time frame.


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## Lopaka (Sep 7, 2006)

Just bought a barely used Tallboy LT off craigslist for $1200. There are plenty of deals. You just need to be patient.


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## kpdemello (May 3, 2010)

Lopaka said:


> Just bought a barely used Tallboy LT off craigslist for $1200. There are plenty of deals. You just need to be patient.


That's a crazy good deal. I regularly troll CL for stuff just to see what's out there, and most of the time I see people asking crazy prices for Santa Cruz and other high end stuff. It's usually something like 20-30% of full retail, which can be easily had for a brand new bike with warranty by waiting for the year-end closeouts.


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## Ltdan12a (Jun 15, 2012)

I get people that ask me to take bikes on trade. People need to remember that mountain bikes (especially lower end ones) get used up! that $1000 bike you bought 4 years ago, that you haven't put a dime of maintenance into? It now needs $100 in tires, a fork rebuild, new cables, hubs serviced, etc... You are not getting $700 for it!


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## jestep (Jul 23, 2004)

Lopaka said:


> Just bought a barely used Tallboy LT off craigslist for $1200. There are plenty of deals. You just need to be patient.


I got a Blur LT2 frame for about $400 a few years ago and built it up for about the same amount total, at least until I added a dropper.

Personally, I think the key to getting a good deal is that you have to be patient and have a good idea of what you want and just setup search alerts for it. It's rare you'll find it right now, but if you have a few months, it's much more likely.


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## jeremy283 (Jan 22, 2017)

I just sold a bike worth $300 NEW 15 years ago for like $180 with 1000+ miles on it. I ain't complaining.


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## 475856 (Feb 6, 2010)

I also LOL at new bike prices btw...:eekster:


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

OscarW said:


> I also LOL at new bike prices btw...:eekster:


I think that's the reason for this thread. He LOL'd at new bike prices so he resorted to used bike prices and got equally amused.


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## Zowie (Aug 3, 2013)

OscarW said:


> I also LOL at new bike prices btw...:eekster:


I also LOL at new bikes, as well as their prices.

But LOLing at people LOLing at used bike prices is pretty fun too.


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## ALimon (Oct 12, 2017)

Naolin said:


> blue book is ok as a guideline, but as others have said the bike is worth what you are willing to pay for it and what the guy is willing to sell it for. Alot of it does come down to how desperate someone is to sell something. I'm currently selling my Giant 2 Trance 2017 and I first posted it at $2,200 ($800 less then what i paid with tax), no takers, down to 2,100, nothing, $2,000, now down to $1,900
> 
> On the other side of the coin I hate people that quote the bluebook like its the bible.. yeah i understand the site tell you what the bike is worth, but i'm selling it at my price, if you don't like it, don't pay the price..


IMO the bluebook is a joke and a waste of time. Finding a bikes value is quite simple. Find out what the bikes sells for new otd. Then research the used market. Usually the same used bike will be listed for similar price points which will give you an idea of what sellers are asking. Once you know the otd price and the median used price it's easy to determine fair market value, or what you can expect to pay for a used bike.

I recently bought a used stumpjumper. The bike sold for 6k otd new. The used market was asking anywhere from 3k to 3800. I found a bike ridden a handful of times for 3300. Offered 3k and he accepted. Based on the otd price, I stole it! No need for a bluebook.


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

I have a 29er fully frame that I won't sell only because I hate dealing with people. Just so happens my son is growing into it so I can just build it up for him. 

A few years ago, I ended up selling my son's 24" Gary Fisher Tyro to someone on here. Even though I sold it to him without the fork, the sale price didn't even cover the rear wheel. He gets the bike and emails me that the rear derailleur hanger was broken. COMPLETELY my fault because I forgot to remove the derailleur when I shipped the bike. I thought it was going to be ok. After he kept harping on it and making me feel like a criminal, I finally stopped replying. I figured he got custom wheels, almost brand new tires, a 1x10 X7 drivetrain and Avid disc brakes. Add a fork and go. 
I stopped selling stuff after that.


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## 475856 (Feb 6, 2010)

zowie said:


> i also lol at new bikes, as well as their prices.
> 
> But loling at people loling at used bike prices is pretty fun too.


lol...


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## Zowie (Aug 3, 2013)

oscarw said:


> lol... :d


Bzzzzt

LOOP ERROR


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## upstateSC-rider (Dec 25, 2003)

Admittedly I'm old, but if you list your bike on CL, is it now normal for people to just text you "Whats UR lowest price" (sic).
If I'm interested in a bike I'll at least make an effort to look at it, or at the very least ask specific questions.


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## jestep (Jul 23, 2004)

upstateSC-rider said:


> Admittedly I'm old, but if you list your bike on CL, is it now normal for people to just text you "Whats UR lowest price" (sic).
> If I'm interested in a bike I'll at least make an effort to look at it, or at the very least ask specific questions.


Pretty much every CL sale is that, 10 - 20 no shows, someone asking for delivery, and low ball offers in the 10 - 20% asking price range. And that's before the issues when you actually meet someone and they forgot to bring enough money or try to renegotiate at the last second.


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## Darth Lefty (Sep 29, 2014)

I've done OK selling stuff on Craigslist... way better than selling through forums, anyhow. I ignore some and give some others the phone number for the sheriff, but a reasonable listing will get reasonable buyers. If it doesn't then your market timing is off and/or your price is too high.


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## tedroy (Mar 17, 2005)

*LTc Pic?*



Lopaka said:


> Just bought a barely used Tallboy LT off craigslist for $1200. There are plenty of deals. You just need to be patient.


I'd love to see a pic. Chasing one now.


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## LarryFahn (Jul 19, 2005)

Don't like it? Don't buy it. That's it. No need to be a dick about it.


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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

I was hoping this thread had died.


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## Lopaka (Sep 7, 2006)

tedroy said:


> I'd love to see a pic. Chasing one now.


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