# Parting out a beautiful bike



## TammyN (Sep 12, 2013)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-ELG...260?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a314f1324

How sad the see this bike parted out! I wonder if the seller tried to sell it first in one piece. I thought about trying to buy all of the parts and put it back together, but I'd probably miss out on the hard to find parts.


----------



## willswares1220 (Sep 12, 2013)

That was my bike before I sold it at a swap meet during the summer. I also thought of parting it out, but needed quick cash $$ at the time and sold it as a complete bike. It was very nice!
Once I sell something, it's theirs to do as they wish. 
There are no regrets on my part.


----------



## TammyN (Sep 12, 2013)

willswares1220 said:


> That was my bike before I sold it at a swap meet during the summer. I also thought of parting it out, but needed quick cash $$ at the time and sold it as a complete bike. It was very nice!
> Once I sell something, it's theirs to do as they wish.
> There are no regrets on my part.




Do you mind if I ask how much you sold it for? I'm curious about it's value.


----------



## dougfisk (Sep 12, 2013)

There has been a surge recently in complete real nice original paint bikes being parted on ebay; boys as well as girls models.  Who is buying all these parts?


----------



## stoney (Sep 13, 2013)

That was a real nice bike, great paint again. Wish someone could buy all the parts on ebay and put her back together. I think some people take the bikes apart and sell them that way on ebay because they have no idea how to ship a complete bike. Some people think they will make a killing money wise. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. We all probably realize too that most of the time only some of the parts sell and the rest just kick around not cared for and just get worse and worse, they get thrown around and scraped until finally they go to the dump.


----------



## jkent (Sep 13, 2013)

I have also noticed lately that there have been a lot of nice bikes that I would have like to have bought but it was pick up only NO SHIPPING??. It seems like there has been a surge of pickers that don't know the first thing about shipping. So the only option is to put it on ebay in parts or put it on Ebay as pick up only, no shipping. Both really piss me off. I can't drive all over the country to pick up one or two bikes that I could only make a few bucks $$ on. by the time you figure in gas and time your upside down on them unless you pick up a truck load at a time. The "Sad Saga" from Bicycle Belle is a perfect example of just what I am saying. She made it clear to the seller how she wanted it shipped and it still ended up getting damaged due to crappy packing and shipping.


----------



## Bicycle Belle (Sep 13, 2013)

The process of parting out has gotten so ridiculous that this seller has even listed the screws for the fender skirts in a separate auction. Seriously? You can't even include the screws for the guards?
I knew that when bicycle collecting made it into the top ten that it would be detrimental to the hobby. I believe we are seeing the proof of that with everyone and their mother scouring the earth for bicycles and stripping apart the nice originals for profit.


----------



## willswares1220 (Sep 13, 2013)

I sold that Elgin for $400.00


----------



## Balloontyre (Sep 13, 2013)

............


----------



## bricycle (Sep 13, 2013)

Looks like we have to "pre-screen" our buyers now......


----------



## scrubbinrims (Sep 13, 2013)

400.00 is a fair roll away price for that bike, but on ebay adding shipping and fees, would a buyer recoup that whole (adding the hassle/time of breaking down and boxing)?
Maybe, maybe not...and maybe the course would have changed if it were a 150.00 craigslist find.
Personally, I am getting tired of seeing this happen, but also the rehash here at the CABE over and over like we are on some sort of crusade.
Chris


----------



## bricycle (Sep 13, 2013)

scrubbinrims said:


> 400.00 is a fair roll away price for that bike, but on ebay adding shipping and fees, would a buyer recoup that whole (adding the hassle/time of breaking down and boxing)?
> Maybe, maybe not...and maybe the course would have changed if it were a 150.00 craigslist find.
> Personally, I am getting tired of seeing this happen, but also the rehash here at the CABE over and over like we are on some sort of crusade.
> Chris




Chris, I have a raspberry reflector, and I will be selling each bump separately....


----------



## willswares1220 (Sep 13, 2013)

I paid $150.00 for the Elgin, So that was a quick profit for me and being self-employed looked good $$$ and I have no regrets.
I've delt with the gentleman in the past and he's a nice guy. I'm nobody's fool and know the value most of the time on the items I sell or trade. Sometimes you got to leave some "meat on the bone" for the next guy and what he/she does with it after that is their business. It is sad that some really nice, complete originals are being parted out though and sold in pieces for just the $$$. It's only original once ~ HISTORY ~ gone 
Please leave the nice, complete originals alone for future generations to enjoy folks for the respect they deserve !!!!


----------



## bike (Sep 13, 2013)

*Once you buy a bike from me*

you may grind it to dust- those that wish to preserve orgainize a buying posse


----------



## willswares1220 (Sep 13, 2013)

AMEN ~ BROTHER


----------



## bricycle (Sep 13, 2013)

I think I have to be of the "save 'em for posterity"/ "save from extinction" mentality.
As a child I toured the "Snowball" room of Mamouth cave or where ever it is, and did again as an adult... I now looks like hell!!!! People will never know how beautiful it once was.

..."but it's only a GIRLS bike".... DUH!!!! girls/women like bikes too!


----------



## TammyN (Sep 13, 2013)

*Dang.*



willswares1220 said:


> I sold that Elgin for $400.00




I wish I was at that swap meet


----------



## TammyN (Sep 13, 2013)

At the current bids plus shipping it would cost $475 to put Humpty together again. I 'd pay that, but I suspect that some of the parts will go much higher and I'd be stuck with the frame and nothing to put on it.


----------



## Boris (Sep 13, 2013)

scrubbinrims said:


> Personally, I am getting tired of seeing this happen, but also the rehash here at the CABE over and over like we are on some sort of crusade.
> Chris




There's nothing wrong with this "crusade" if helps to make some people think twice about parting some of these great old complete bikes. Scott Seymore had some success in this endeavor recently.


----------



## OldRider (Sep 13, 2013)

These parted out bikes really stick in my craw because I'm on the wrong side of the border and the ballooners I love are scarce as hens teeth up here, and then to see folks tearing them apart for the almighty dollar.......grrrrrrrrrr. Trust me, if shipping costs weren't so high and folks knew how to pack bikes I'd be a buyer for them.


----------



## Danimal (Sep 13, 2013)

bricycle said:


> Looks like we have to "pre-screen" our buyers now......





Make no mistake, there are plenty of members on these boards that do it. I've seen numerous gorgeous and original bikes sold on here and/or Rat Rod that are immediately parted out and sold on eBay.


----------



## rideahiggins (Sep 13, 2013)

*Elgin*

I have about 5 of these frames I'm gong to try to put back together in one form or another. It would make me sick to my stomach to think someone would part them out after I spent loads of time to put them together.


----------



## videoranger (Sep 13, 2013)

I think it's disgusting to tear apart a rare survivor just to make a few bucks. I don't believe in the "just do as you like " approach when it results in a complete lack of respect for rare bicycles. There are far better ways to make a few bucks. It's selfish and just wrong. Find something else to vandalize if that's your perversion. I like bikes and they can outlast us all if just given a chance. Bad Dog.


----------



## willswares1220 (Sep 23, 2013)

This is an example Folks of why Womens bikes are being parted out. 
Completed listings of green & cream 1930's ladies Elgin. ( $903.00 )without the luggage rack, seat stem, fenders, and misc. screws.
They also tacked on extra for shipping costs in each auction.
Before I brought it to the small bike show, I also thought of parting it out and decided to bring it along at the last minute.
I paid $150.00, they paid me $400.00. They will end up with over $1000.00 with the items that didn't sell yet and the carrier they didn't list and perhaps sold outright. Of course there are ebay fee's yet.
I quess that's the nature of the beast in this economy......
To part or not, that is the question?????
There's no way that bike would have brought that kind of money if it were whole.


----------

