Is flipping bikes on ebay really this easy?

[IanSmithCSE]

Good afternoon,

I recently noticed this on ebay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/325378209856 which sold for £127.

It is now up for sale at £429 (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/175458254852) under a different account. Note the chips on the rear drop out and the top tube towards the seat pin, so it seems almost certain that they are the same bike although the colour does look different.

I would be really surprised if it sells in this area at £429 and I know that there are a number of people here who do buy and sell, I also know someone who bought goods at retail price from a discount store and resold them at a higher price on ebay.

I say at a higher price because it was outside of the whole paying tax and being a legitimate trader with all the implications that follows from that.

I would happily pay in the £150-£250 price range for that bike if I was looking and wanted it now, but I also see what things are selling for around here.

To me it just seems like a lot of work, especially if you are a dealer, if you remain a private seller and there is an ebay raid by HMRC which could easily be quite lucrative for HMRC then you could end up with a really nasty tax bill 5 years down the line.

Bye

Ian

 

[wafter]

I'd concur that the upper end of your accepted price range is probably about right. Seems a combination of the flipperer getting lucky with something that went for not a lot, and then taking the pish on the asking.

Tbh I've considered doing similar but 9/10 times I don't think it's worth the aggro. Sure, get something cheap and local, do a few basic jobs and flip it for a few quid.. however most stuff isn't cheap and local, plus there's always the potential for hidden costs while I find (setting the romanticism aside) working on bikes is more often than not a total ballache and time-thief of a process.

I think I did well with my Fuji - got it for 20% of what it cost new and could probably flog it for maybe £100-150 more than it owes me total.. however factor in the fuel, time and grief and you'd probably be better toiling in the local co-op tbh.

 

[All uphill]

I occasionally look at completed sales of local bikes on ebay and reckon 9 out of ten are not selling currently.

Imo a combination of seller's high hopes following the covid cycling boom and buyer's gloom at the darkening economic clouds.

 

[cyberknight]

I occasionally look at completed sales of local bikes on ebay and reckon 9 out of ten are not selling currently.

Imo a combination of seller's high hopes following the covid cycling boom and buyer's gloom at the darkening economic clouds.

i had a pair of northwave shoes that didnt sell either , used but perfectly adequate for even £10 i was expecting

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Some people are just good at spotting cheap deals and flipping them

I used to know a couple who did this with boats
at one point they pay a hundred or so for a fishing boat that looked terrible - but cam eon a trailer
They jetwashed the boat and bought a rubbish, but just roadworthy trailer and sold the 2 for twice the price they paid
the had a decent trailer which they did up and sold for as much as the boat and trailer

That was an especially good deal - but I saw them do something similar several time
They also got their kids (and mine!) collecting small coloured pebbles and crystaks from the sea shore - put them into plastic tubes with coloured tops and sold them as wands on magic sites!

both had very low paying jobs - if any - but the kids never went hungry and were always well clothed - unlike a lot of kids I taught!

 

[wiggydiggy]

Not just bikes. I've sold quite a lot on eBay, sometimes I've listed something and it's sold within minutes. Part of me kicks myself for not listing higher but the bigger part of me is happy as it sold what I wanted for it.

I'm not a Delboy but some people are and are good at it!

 

[DCLane]

@IanSmithCSE - it's up for sale, but hasn't sold. I'm guessing that's the top end of the price range for an obscure size.

I do flip quite a few bikes and other bits, but usually keep them for a while. Often it's because of poor / incorrect descriptions / photos / lack of photos and sometimes because they're collection only in an odd place. I'll buy and sell about 5-10 a year that way, but it's been quieter this year due to me getting Covid.

I also buy bikes in the autumn/winter, do them up and sell in the Spring. However, I've one that I've bought and simply wiped the dust off as it's perfect: that's in storage and will be on sale March/April.

Do I make much? Not a huge amount but it's covered son no. 2's racing costs until this year, so probably £1-2k per annum profit. Note that I've a decently-paid job, plus additional external work, so this keeps the boredom away during the winter.

 

[Petrichorwheels]

@IanSmithCSE - it's up for sale, but hasn't sold. I'm guessing that's the top end of the price range for an obscure size.

I do flip quite a few bikes and other bits, but usually keep them for a while. Often it's because of poor / incorrect descriptions / photos / lack of photos and sometimes because they're collection only in an odd place. I'll buy and sell about 5-10 a year that way, but it's been quieter this year due to me getting Covid.

I also buy bikes in the autumn/winter, do them up and sell in the Spring. However, I've one that I've bought and simply wiped the dust off as it's perfect: that's in storage and will be on sale March/April.

Do I make much? Not a huge amount but it's covered son no. 2's racing costs until this year, so probably £1-2k per annum profit. Note that I've a decently-paid job, plus additional external work, so this keeps the boredom away during the winter.

1-2k a year not bad though?
makes note not to sell yorkshire folks owt cheap.

 

[Gillstay]

I have bought a few over the years and it's very easy to get wrong and lose money on, plus you can end up with difficult people wanting you to act like a shop. The best ones are selling a good kids bike and seeing the child's face light up as you adjust the seat etc and then send them off for a test ride.

 

[biggs682]

It's not as easy as it was two or three years ago.
Sold a fair few over the years and it was fun .

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good morning,

I been watching ebay quite a lot recently as I found that most of my spare parts weren't in as good a condition as I remember so was considering something to partially strip.

There is little appropriate though so I have pretty much given up on that idea and will go for new, if this goes through then the buyer got a great deal (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/275500928738),

I got distracted over the wheel size as it is a small bike and missed out. Ledbury is about 50 miles south of Birmingham and a small town, with an OK train service, but still a bit of hassle to get to without a car.

Like the Genesis it is outside of the mainstream adult size, if you had a bike shop I suspect that it would be an easy sale. Having said that a once local LBS moved about 5 miles out of town and a lot of their used stock turns over slowly, but they price them at the very top end of the second hand market.



This is up at £450

Even at what I think of as good prices nearly anything over £150ish keeps getting relisted.

Bye

Ian

 

[biggs682]

@IanSmithCSE I have bought a few smaller/ ladies sized bikes over the years and rebuilt them into medium/large frame sizes .
You can normally pick them up a lot cheaper than larger sizes
This is one that I think is a fair price
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1179860245943664/?ref=facebook_story_share

But be warned majority of ladies bikes have smaller sized sti units

 

[vickster]

But be warned majority of ladies bikes have smaller sized sti units

How do you figure that? AFAIK, There are no WSD shifters if that’s what you mean at least not in the 10 years or so I’ve been buying roadbikes?

 

[biggs682]

How do you figure that? AFAIK, There are no WSD shifters if that’s what you mean at least not in the 10 years or so I’ve been buying roadbikes?

Pretty sure they have been but then I could be wrong as I always tried them out on road Tests and they didn't feel to small for my hands .

 

[vickster]

Pretty sure they have been but then I could be wrong as I always tried them out on road Tests and they didn't feel to small for my hands .

SRAM ones are slimmer, lower end Shimano and Microshift much chunkier