Bicycle people: Help please

[Shima]

I'm trying to put a sale price on my KHS mountain bike that I bought back in 1999. I'm guessing about $125 sounds about right. I paid $350 for it back then at the bike shop. I think I'm gonna have a hard time selling a $125 bike when you can go to Walmart and buy a new Huffy for less than that? What do you think? How do other people sell expensive mountain bikes? Input appreciated. Thanks.

[Smith]

At that age it doesn't have much value. It's kinda garage sale price time at this point. BTW, what model/style is it? I was in KHS's Grassroots Racing Program in college.

[Shima]

It's a late 90's model KHS Crest with Shimano everything and front suspension. Not sure exactly what year. It's black with trimmed in red. It had a red plastic or kevlar saddle. Very uncomfortable, so I took it off and replaced it with a Walmart padded saddle. So yard sale price huh? $75 or so? Higher or lower?

[Westwindmike]

Brian,

We had the same problem last year. My sons Nishiki mountain bike that we paid $350 for, only brought $25 at the yard sale. Bikes seem to depreciate worse than SUV's.

[Smith]

It's a late 90's model KHS Crest with Shimano everything and front suspension. Not sure exactly what year. It's black with trimmed in red. It had a red plastic or kevlar saddle. Very uncomfortable, so I took it off and replaced it with a Walmart padded saddle. So yard sale price huh? $75 or so? Higher or lower?

If it looks really good, no rust, I'd start at $100 and try to hard sell it. If that didn't work, you'll just have to work down till someone will take it. If the person knows bikes, you may have to give it away. If you get someone who knows names but doesn't know there have been about 20 revisions of those Shimano parts, maybe you can talk them into it.

[Smith]

Brian,

We had the same problem last year. My sons Nishiki mountain bike that we paid $350 for, only brought $25 at the yard sale. Bikes seem to depreciate worse than SUV's.

Even the semi-custom/custom jobs from likes of say, Intense, Ellsworth, etc. that cost 2-5k, will drop about 1/4 value a year.

[Guest Grout]

You might try Craigslist.Like others have said bikes drop in value like a rock.

[Guest db99wj]

Wow, they own Free Agent, that takes me back to my 80's BMX days....

[Guest Fuel]

As had been said, used bikes aren't worth much. I have a 1993 DiamondBack model in my garage in primo condition. Paid $550 for it new back then. Couldn't give it away now.

You might be able to get $40-$50 for it given you paid $350 for it a decade ago.

[Magiccarpetrides]

You could donate it to charity and probably do better for tax write off...dont kids in iraq and afghanistan need those things? could probably donate it to a charity like that and get a $300 tax write off.

[Shima]

Coop,

I beat you by 5 bucks. I got $30 for my 10 year old $350 mountain bike at our garage sell. I'm still stuck with my wife's Huffy.

[Smith]

After the deal you got on that VEPR............ the world is almost right again.