So, ya say ya wanna sell a Klunker...

[Bendix]

How the heck do you arrive at a value on something like that?

Heck, just the "labor" in sourcing frames and parts exceeds the cost of the average Walmart bike, add in the cleaning/overhauling/assembly/wheelbuilding and you're (theoretically) over the cost of a decent bike shop mountain bike. And we haven't even added in any value for the actual frame and parts yet!

Are there areas where folks will pay real money for a prewar Klunker? Because I have to say, I bet it would be tough to get even 300 bucks for a nice one here in Colorado...

Interested to hear what you guys think...

 

[piercer_99]

I feel like I got real money for this when I sold it, although there are many times I wish I hadn't sold it.

 

[49autocycledeluxe]

your time is not money, only other peoples time is money.

 

[WillWork4Parts]

It's a labor of love. Building any bike from the ground up, no one is willing to pay you for the labor involved. IF they are they want to build a completely different bike than what you have built up.

 

[piercer_99]

It's a labor of love. Building any bike from the ground up, no one is willing to pay you for the labor involved. IF they are they want to build a completely different bike than what you have built up.

On that '51 D-12, I hadn't planned on selling it, a guy kept bugging me, so I put up a really stupid price, really stupid, and he said yes.
It more than covered my time and money that I had in it.

 

[Deleted member 72895]

I have to agree with all the previous posters. Sadly the price you will get will be less than the sum of the parts and your time is worth nothing to a person that is "in to" the Knunker sub culture.
Heck I bought a pre-war Elgin frame for about $350 back around Y2K, built it up into a very cool bike, rode it for a while... then stripped the parts to put onto a frame I built. Well, about 3 years ago I put the frame on Craig's list @ $350 and didn't get one bite. So 2 1/2 years later I sell the frame for $100 and the buyer HAMMERED me to take less!
Hobby's cost money... And ( in most cases) it is ludicrous to think you are going turn a profit ( or break even) for your "wheeling and dealing". Sorry bud it is just the cold hard truth!
Now that is out of the way... Let's hear about your next build!

 

[WillWork4Parts]

I enjoy building and riding them and get my worth out of them for sure. My problem is, I'm running out of space! I need to sell some, ask the guy that bought the 51 D-12 if he wants to buy some more? Lol

 

[Bendix]

LOL. That's what I figured.

At least with bikes we're not talking Barrett-Jackson level lo$$e$...

That's why, after our 'downsizing' and move I still have 3 Klunkers in boxes in our storage unit.

I just can't make myself sell them to folks who think it's oh-so-simple because they saw some ghetto 'klunker' build online somewhere.

Someday it will be my wife and daughter's problem...

 

[49autocycledeluxe]

"Hobby's cost money... And ( in most cases) it is ludicrous to think you are going turn a profit ( or break even) for your "wheeling and dealing". Sorry bud it is just the cold hard truth!"

wheeling and dealing got me a free Phantom, and more cash in my pocket than I spent on the rest of my "collection'' and I still have a bunch of parts to sell from that deal, and I overpaid for the original purchase by a good $500.00 after a closer look at what I bought.. even discounting the Phantom I could sell my "keepers" one by one and at the very least, break even. my 41 Schwinn ended up being very close to free in a 3 bike deal.... under 50 bucks.

I never pay full price for anything, that helps in the end.

 

[Gully]

I haven't really built a clunker but I have started with a rusted frame and built it to what it used to be. Just the self satisfaction of building the bike is fun and relaxing for me. I can't put a price on that and usually need to pay for fun and relaxation lol! I suppose you could easily build something to turn a profit, but then it becomes a job and you worry about the profit.