Flip Bicycles??

[francevalue]

Hello!
Hope y'all doing great.

I was thinking about a side hustle: I can buy used bicycles near my house and sell them on Leboncoin ( french Craigslist).

Has anyone on this forum done this before? Do you have some advice or experience for me?

TY a lot

 

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[BizyDad]

I did it, about 15 years ago. I'd buy it at Goodwill or a garage sale, fix it up, list it, sell it. I only did it 5 times.

I enjoy working on bikes, so I don't regret it.

But the margin isn't high enough to sustain a good per hour return. And the people who come, see the bike, then decide not to buy just got annoying for me. Even though I took good pictures and described the bike well, there was always a couple of those types before I sold it.

Which is fine, but I decided there are better ways to spend my time, like actually riding...

 

[SuKiauruDangciu]

Well. Atleast in Bordeaux you can make some extra cash for sure. Just have to be fast. Don't know about other cities.

Might be good idea to switch to Facebook marketplace since the response time a lot faster

 

[francevalue]

I did it, about 15 years ago. I'd buy it at Goodwill or a garage sale, fix it up, list it, sell it. I only did it 5 times.

I enjoy working on bikes, so I don't regret it.

But the margin isn't high enough to sustain a good per hour return. And the people who come, see the bike, then decide not to buy just got annoying for me. Even though I took good pictures and described the bike well, there was always a couple of those types before I sold it.

Which is fine, but I decided there are better ways to spend my time, like actually riding...

Thanks a lot!
I'll see what I'll do then. Maybe I'll try!
Yeah this is the difference between "interested" and buyers...

 

[francevalue]

Well. Atleast in Bordeaux you can make some extra cash for sure. Just have to be fast. Don't know about other cities.

Might be good idea to switch to Facebook marketplace since the response time a lot faster

Merci je vais essayer ça!

 

[BizyDad]

Maybe I'll try!

Vous ne savez jamais jusqu'à ce que vous essayez.

 

[francevalue]

Vous ne savez jamais jusqu'à ce que vous essayez.

Ohh nice one! French and English are really different, but are really beautiful languages.

 

[exclusives88]

I did it and made anywhere from $300 - $1,500 a month. Here is my log if you’re interested to know what bike I was flipping (there were a couple not bike related). Hope this helps.

Towards the end I was tired of driving to pick up bikes that only made $50 profit So I only flip when there is $100 minimum profit.

April
Seasucker: 200 -> 275
Trek FX 7.1: 175 -> 240
Trek FX 7.1: 175 -> 250
Trek 2200: 100->175
Trek 2200: 150 -> 210
Cannondale R600: 200 -> 300
CX Cross: 250 -> 420
West Elm 0 -> 70
Trek FX 7.3 185 -> 300
Trek DS 1 185 -> 350
Surface 250 -> 250
50mm lens 20 -> 90
Total Profits: $970

May
Bike rack 30 -> 70
Trek FX 35 -> 150
Trek 720 37 -> 100
Trek 510 37 -> 140
Trek 1.2 225 -> 260
Trek 1000 50 -> 100
Trek FX 2018 200 -> 300
1970 Bike: 75 -> 40
Trek FX gray 175 -> 200
Trek 2100 140 -> 225
Trek 2200: 100 -> 100
Accordio: 150 -> 135
Nishiki: 125 -> 120
Trek FX 3 200 -> 350
Trek Madone 450 -> 600
2017 specialized 275 -> 450
Specialized Ruby 550 -> 650
Trek FX 2017 200 -> 225
Trek FX mailbox 160 -> 210
Total Profit: $1,138

June
Cannondale R400: 150 -> 120
Trek FX Purple 120 -> ??100
Blue specialized 240 -> 340
Trek Lexa 160 -> 260
Trek Madone 5.1 508 -> 550
Fuji 210 -> 350
Trek 1.5 200 -> 300
Trek 2300 150 -> 200
Matte Black FX 210->300
Trek 1.2 150 -> 225
Trek Madone 5.2 500-> 700
Specialized Comp 125 ->450
Trek Lexa 120 ->236
2011 Orbea Onix 400 -> 600
Total Profit: $1450

July
Trek 1.1 200->250
Trek fx 350 -> 420
Trek 5500 500 -> 500
Pinarello 950-> 1000
Trek 2.1 200->350
Total Profit: $320

August
Fuji 200 -> 340
Madone 3.1 300 -> 550
Ruby Compact 400 -> 600
SpeciLized Red 100-> 120
Trek FX2 180 -> 230
R600 180 -> 350
Specialized 200 -> 500
Total Profit: $1140

 

[francevalue]

I did it and made anywhere from $300 - $1,500 a month. Here is my log if you’re interested to know what bike I was flipping (there were a couple not bike related). Hope this helps.

Towards the end I was tired of driving to pick up bikes that only made $50 profit So I only flip when there is $100 minimum profit.

April
Seasucker: 200 -> 275
Trek FX 7.1: 175 -> 240
Trek FX 7.1: 175 -> 250
Trek 2200: 100->175
Trek 2200: 150 -> 210
Cannondale R600: 200 -> 300
CX Cross: 250 -> 420
West Elm 0 -> 70
Trek FX 7.3 185 -> 300
Trek DS 1 185 -> 350
Surface 250 -> 250
50mm lens 20 -> 90
Total Profits: $970

May
Bike rack 30 -> 70
Trek FX 35 -> 150
Trek 720 37 -> 100
Trek 510 37 -> 140
Trek 1.2 225 -> 260
Trek 1000 50 -> 100
Trek FX 2018 200 -> 300
1970 Bike: 75 -> 40
Trek FX gray 175 -> 200
Trek 2100 140 -> 225
Trek 2200: 100 -> 100
Accordio: 150 -> 135
Nishiki: 125 -> 120
Trek FX 3 200 -> 350
Trek Madone 450 -> 600
2017 specialized 275 -> 450
Specialized Ruby 550 -> 650
Trek FX 2017 200 -> 225
Trek FX mailbox 160 -> 210
Total Profit: $1,138

June
Cannondale R400: 150 -> 120
Trek FX Purple 120 -> ??100
Blue specialized 240 -> 340
Trek Lexa 160 -> 260
Trek Madone 5.1 508 -> 550
Fuji 210 -> 350
Trek 1.5 200 -> 300
Trek 2300 150 -> 200
Matte Black FX 210->300
Trek 1.2 150 -> 225
Trek Madone 5.2 500-> 700
Specialized Comp 125 ->450
Trek Lexa 120 ->236
2011 Orbea Onix 400 -> 600
Total Profit: $1450

July
Trek 1.1 200->250
Trek fx 350 -> 420
Trek 5500 500 -> 500
Pinarello 950-> 1000
Trek 2.1 200->350
Total Profit: $320

August
Fuji 200 -> 340
Madone 3.1 300 -> 550
Ruby Compact 400 -> 600
SpeciLized Red 100-> 120
Trek FX2 180 -> 230
R600 180 -> 350
Specialized 200 -> 500
Total Profit: $1140

That. Is. AMAZING! TY! But where did you buy the bikes?

 

[exclusives88]

That. Is. AMAZING! TY! But where did you buy the bikes?

craigslist or Facebook market place. If I bought from FB, I’d sell on Craigslist. otherwise I’d wait a week or so before putting the ad on the same channel As I bought them.

Also selling on Ebay worked too. For the more expensive bikes ($500+) people were willing to pay shipping. In US, it only costs $65 to ship. Packaging supplies (bike boxes) were free from local bike shops.

I started selling Trek FX hybrid bikes and flipped a ton of those. These were bought mid $100s to $200 and I was able to sell them easily for $230-300 depending on which FX model and year

 

[minivanman]

I sent you a private message.

 

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[Action Mike]

craigslist or Facebook market place. If I bought from FB, I’d sell on Craigslist. otherwise I’d wait a week or so before putting the ad on the same channel As I bought them.

Also selling on Ebay worked too. For the more expensive bikes ($500+) people were willing to pay shipping. In US, it only costs $65 to ship. Packaging supplies (bike boxes) were free from local bike shops.

I started selling Trek FX hybrid bikes and flipped a ton of those. These were bought mid $100s to $200 and I was able to sell them easily for $230-300 depending on which FX model and year

Sounds like a great gig. Did you just use sources like sold items on Ebay to determine a price?

 

[exclusives88]

Yes also bicycle blue book