As a collective, the best way to handle the good stuff is to create a culture that values these items. Let everyone know that this stuff can pay the rent! Work for an understanding that EVERYONE benefits when you can sell this stuff for a higher-than-normal price.

Our volunteer staff is pretty savvy about the good stuff, and they will frequently be the ones paying higher prices for these items. That becomes a win-win, when we can sell items at half retail value, and they can acquire items at half retail.

Employ a mentality of get your people on your side rather than imposing rules. Rather than being repressed by the man, they ARE the man.

Wilbur Ince
Sibley Bike Depot
Saint Paul, MN

Urban Bike Project Wilmington, DE wrote:

"you can ONLY buy the good parts with labor"

That's interesting. At UBP we have almost a surplus of un-skilled labor already, so work-trade actually takes skilled volunteer away from more skilled tasks to supervise. That's why we don't really do it anymore and would rather have the cash for rent, especially from the nice stuff. We have bikes starting at $5 which take more time/parts to fix, and are subsidized by us getting money from the fancy stuff.

Brian

(the tax/paying mechanic replies were spot on, thanks!)

Urban Bike Project of Wilmington
-a 501(c)3 non-profit bike shop-
1908 N. Market Street (entrance is in the parking lot behind the building)
Wilmington, DE 19802

Hours:
Thursday 6:30-9:00
Saturday 1:00-4:00

Visit us online at http://urbanbikeproject.org

On Tue, May 12, 2009 at 4:28 PM, Joshua Goran <joshuagoran@gmail.com> wrote:

I know that the co-op I am most familiar with, Ohio City Bike Co-op in Cleveland, OH has a showcase(s) or bin that the good parts go in, and it is used along with work-trading so that you can ONLY buy the good parts with labor, so that people can't just come in, flash money, and take all the goods that could be used as incentive for volunteers. That system makes the most sense to me.

Josh

On May 12, 2009, at 4:08 PM, thethinktank-request@bikecollectives.org wrote:

What to do with the nice stuff?

_______________________________________________
Thethinktank mailing list
Thethinktank@bikecollectives.org
To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org
To manage your subscription, plase visit:
http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org
_______________________________________________
Thethinktank mailing list
Thethinktank@bikecollectives.org
To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org
To manage your subscription, plase visit:
http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org
  