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What to do with hoards of good parts that won't sell?

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Pictures, pictures, and more pictures. Lay everything out and take group pictures. Saddles in one pic. Rat traps in another, handlebars in a third. Post it OBO, and tell people to ask for more pictures on specifics, and if you don’t want to deal with that advertise it as take it or leave it, what you see is all you see not in person. You won’t get as much money as taking specific pics for people, but I see it as the only option, feasible or not for successfully getting rid of these parts for use by bicycle enthusiasts. Advertise them here on the cabe, bumping the thread for about a year, and when you’re tired of bumping the thread, keep what you want, scrap the rest. It’s a sad ending no matter how it all goes. At least you could make a little money.
 
Pictures, pictures, and more pictures. Lay everything out and take group pictures. Saddles in one pic. Rat traps in another, handlebars in a third. Post it OBO, and tell people to ask for more pictures on specifics, and if you don’t want to deal with that advertise it as take it or leave it, what you see is all you see not in person. You won’t get as much money as taking specific pics for people, but I see it as the only option, feasible or not for successfully getting rid of these parts for use by bicycle enthusiasts. Advertise them here on the cabe, bumping the thread for about a year, and when you’re tired of bumping the thread, keep what you want, scrap the rest. It’s a sad ending no matter how it all goes. At least you could make a little money.
The cost of shipping kills it for a lot of the cheaper stuff. $8.10 shipping on a $5 part?
 
The cost of shipping kills it for a lot of the cheaper stuff. $8.10 shipping on a $5 part?
if that’s what it comes down to then advertise buyer pays shipping. You either spend 10 bucks for a cheap Chinese knockoff with free shipping, that you have no idea how long it will last, or you spend 14 dollars, know where your money is going, and get a quality original that will outlast any modern reproduction.
 
We found a scrap book with pictures he took over the years of bikes he tore apart and rebuilt then sold. He' spend a week fixing up an old bike digging for the right part to make it right again, then turn around and sell it for $50.
Very cool, would be interesting history record. I do similar but all digital. As for part problem is abundance, perhaps bulk liquidation sale.
 
I'd break them up into large lots- a big box ships for not much more than a small one. And 3rd party shipping tools like pirateship will usually save you 30% over retail.
 
Here is what I did with a lot of the ones that I couldn't sell , cool bit takes time , about $ 10.00 a bike worth of paint & a couple of evenings and I got about $ 150 each for them, but yes I scrapped a lot also sadly 😥 l

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As someone who has collected a ton of bikes and parts over his years, I find myself dealing with helping someone clean out what remains of another's years of collecting bikes and parts. The old guy was most fond of road bikes and even three speeds. Over his 85 or so years he accumulated quite a bit, most of which was in his basement and attached garage.
As I and a few others go through boxes of parts the big question is what to do with parts that really don't bring enough to list or ship?
For instance, he had a 55 gallon barrel in the corner full of misc. 5 speed freewheels, and two huge tubs of used freewheels that he took apart, cleaned , relubed, and bagged for future use. I counted 70 just in one drawer, and didn't even attempt to count those in the tub or barrel.
He's got boxes of Shimano, Suntour and a few other brands of derailleurs, all used, still greasy with bits of sharp cables still attached.

Most show no wear, most were likely fairly new when he stripped the bike for parts. Many were likely of girls models that had no market value.
There are chains, pedals, kickstands, used tires and tubes, a few hundred steel wheels, most appear to be Schwinn or Raleigh three speed wheels,, boxes of rims, both new and used, and probably a ton or more of small parts dumped into small drawers in what appears to be old library card files. Then there's the hubs. I found one full barrel of nutted Normandy high flange hubs, two barrels of matching rear hubs, and dozens of Schwinn high flange hubs off bikes like the Varsity. His kids tried ebay for a bit but not much sold, and its not worth selling a used freewheel for what they will sell for.
The real shame is that they have to bring something and likely will end up at the junk yard being sold by the pound.
The same with stacks of steel rims. There's nothing wrong with them but most these days view them as inferior and refuse to use them.
With the amount of time and labor clearing it all out I'm wondering if its at all even worth it the way things have been lately. With eBay being basically dead and CL not finding many buyers either I think the right snwer is take them to scrap and call it a day. ('ve probably got a few milk krates of old freewheels and those are likely headed to the same fate) Then there's the long row of stripped ladies frames, again, mostly Schwinn and Raleigh models that I thing are most likely going to need to be scrapped.
All of this has really made me think about what all I've saved and whether or not any of it iis really worth saving or not.
I'd be interested in a couple 26x2.125 steel chrome rims coaster or 3speed if available let me know... RideOn... Razin..
 
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