Re: [TheThinkTank] selling bikes

unsubscribe

Maggie Fehling wrote:

At Third Hand, we take in consideration the afore-mentioned quality and labor but generally two savy mechanics say what they'd pay for the bike if they wanted it and I price it at the average of the two quotes. Its fair, quick and easy.

On 10/19/07, *Paul Park* <pauljosephpark@gmail.com mailto:pauljosephpark@gmail.com> wrote:

great idea, beth


On 10/19/07, *Velocipede Bike Project* <
info@velocipedebikeproject.org
<mailto:info@velocipedebikeproject.org>> wrote:

    We do someithing at Velocipede that I like. Even though we do
    try to set
    the price of the bike using all the factors people have
    mentioned, I also
    like to ask people interested in the bike how much they want
    to pay.  If
    they say something ridiculously low, I'll give them a counter
    offer that
    is more reasonable, but still with in their means.  This works
    for us for
    now because our overhead is still so low.

    I came to this method just cause I never know what to charge
    for bikes,
    and never have the time to do the research on each bike to
    find out.  I
    also like how it throws people for a loop and emphasizes that
    we are here
    to make bikes available to the public and while the money
    helps us to keep
    doing that, it is not our primary focus.

    -beth
    velocipede bike project
    baltimore , md

    > I actually can't remember if I've answered this question
    before...
    > Here goes:
    > At the Bike Church in Santa Cruz, bikes are sold either 'as
    is' (no
    > wrenching done, although it is important to remember that we
    all spend a
    > lot
    > of time and intellectual labor GETTING the bike onto a hook
    in the shop)
    > or
    > as a mechanic's pet project. 'As is' bikes are typically
    priced between
    > $15-$75 depending on all of the concerns that everyone else
    is posting to
    > the list, and how much work needs to be done to make it safe and
    > efficient.
    > Desireability also plays a role in pricing. Bikes that mechanics
    > (core/staff
    > members) work over are priced by deducting the WHOLESALE
    price of new
    > parts
    > put on the bike, and then splitting the remainder between the
    mechanic and
    > the shop. Thus, if a bike sells for $150, and there are $50
    of new parts
    > on
    > it, the mechanic would take $50 and the shop would take $50.
    The mechanic
    > sets the asking price based on the amount of labor put in and
    the
    > desirability factors mentioned above. True, such systems do
    result in some
    > cherrypicking, so a bike has to be kicking around 'as is' for
    a month
    > before
    > a mechanic can take it on, and, honestly, NOONE is ever gonna
    get rich
    > fixing up busted bikes in the middle of the night, no matter
    how sweet the
    > frame is.
    >
    > At BICAS, where I am about to rush off to a collective
    meeting for, things
    > are slightly different. the 'as-is' bikes are called
    'pergatory; bikes in
    > waiting' (which I just love) and though the factors for
    pricing are pretty
    > similar the prices tend to be a bit lower here than in Santa
    Cruz (the
    > bikes, overall, are a bit more toward the huffy side though;
    in Santa Cruz
    > we turn those back at the gate, no room, no desire to haul
    other peoples
    > metal recycling, whereas BICAS has a lot more room and need
    for all types
    > of, uh, 'bikes'). At BICAS the 'floor bikes' (those that a
    mechanic has
    > gone
    > over) include in the price the RETAIL value of new parts, the
    'as-is'
    > value
    > of the bike, and a designation for labor. The labor part is a
    little
    > unclear
    > policy-wise, as the mechanic approximates the amount of labor
    that went
    > into
    > the bike, but is paid as an an employee (each staff member is
    allocated
    > 4hrs
    > of paid work/week to wrench on floor bikes, and if it is slow
    in the shop
    > staff can work on them then too). This is the main difference
    from the
    > Bike
    > Church, where all of the core mechanics are independent
    contractors
    > (convenient for income taxes as well as being the actual
    truth of how
    > tasks
    > are accomplished).
    > Sorry that was kinda lenghty; I hope it is helpful.
    > ride prone but ride proud,
    > kyle
    >
    >>From: "Liza Mattana" <pedals2people@gmail.com
    <mailto:pedals2people@gmail.com>>
    >>Reply-To: The Think Tank <
    thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org
    <mailto:thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org>>
    >>To: "The Think Tank" <thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org
    <mailto:thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org>>
    >>Subject: [TheThinkTank] selling bikes
    >>Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 07:43:13 -0700
    >>
    >>if this has been answered before, can you link me to the
    archive thread?
    >>
    >>    my questions is how does your org price used bikes? we've
    come across
    >>    some nice older bikes (bridgestone CB-0 and an old
    stumpjumper), and
    >>    we're trying to figure out a way to price them, kind of a
    way to
    >>    standardize the process.
    >>
    >>    we'll be turning them into commuter bikes with fenders
    and racks and
    >>    making them safe and rideable, but we're not doing complete
    >> overhauls.
    >>i
    >>    know this is a tricky question, but any advice you have
    will be
    >>    helpful!
    >>
    >>    thanks,
    >>    liza
    >>
    >>
    >>--
    >>Liza Mattana
    >> www.pedals2people.org <http://www.pedals2people.org/>
    >>Spokane, WA
    >>_______________________________________________
    >>Thethinktank mailing list
    >> Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org
    <mailto:Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org>
    >>http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org
    <http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org>
    >
    >
    > _______________________________________________
    > Thethinktank mailing list
    > Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org
    <mailto:Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org>
    > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org
    <http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org>
    >


    _______________________________________________
    Thethinktank mailing list
    Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org
    <mailto:Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org>
    http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org
    <http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org>




-- 
PJ Park
http://www.biketobrazil.blogspot.com
<http://www.biketobrazil.blogspot.com/>
http://www.imagestation.com/members/pjpark
<http://www.imagestation.com/members/pjpark>
http://picasaweb.google.com/PaulJosephPark
_______________________________________________
Thethinktank mailing list
Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org
<mailto:Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org>
http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org
<http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org>

---

---

Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...