Nice analysis Lou. When I worked for a shop that did most of its business in used bikes we found the best time to buy was from mid-January through the end of February. We figured this was because people either needed money to pay off bills or got a new bike for x-mas. We were near a university so did a lot more selling than buying in September and October. I think your fall time logic is right on. I've known a bunch of folks that sell their bikes to buy skis or snowboards and sell their snow stuff for bikes in the spring. enjoy, Brandon"monkeyman"Ives SB, CA
On Thursday, Oct 10, 2002, at 09:19AM, <LouDeeter@aol.com> wrote:
>I've been buying/selling used road bicycles as a hobby for almost 15 years--which is why I wrote the Used Bike Buyers Guide--to give me a reference. I thought I'd share my views on the cyclical (no pun intended) nature of the used bicycle market. Every autumn, beginning early September, college students start back to school, the road season starts to taper off as winter approaches, and young bike owners and some older bike owners who are parents of young college students start to look for ways to generate cash--for tuition, holidays, winter sports, whatever. A ton of bicycles drop onto the market at bargain prices. The main people buying are those who are either well off, collectors who know the market, business savvy vest pocket dealers, or someone who lives in a warm climate. So, supply and demand rules kick in--more supply than demand spells BUYERS MARKET! This doesn't apply to the collectible market, but primarily to the bikes that people ride everyday, although some real gems pop when Mom and Dad start looking for ways to raise money and decide the bike hanging for the past 25 years should go. I don't buy as much as I did when I lived in Alabama, but I do know this is the time to buy. This "buying season" will run until about 15 December. After the holidays, you will see the road riders coming out of the holidays with money in their pocket (gifts and holiday jobs), road season training on the horizon and voila, the selling season will run for three or four months. With the economy and stock market suffering, I also believe you might see a more than average number of classic bikes hitting the market this autumn. Anybody else noticed this phenomona? Lou Deeter, Orlando FL
>ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ
>V¬2'+zw^Îú.3ùsSX§ùb2ßÿ
>V¬2'+zw^Îú.3öâéb2ßè®ÿÝÛiÿÿðÃÛSG¥SË¢¸?¨¥©ÿ+-SwèýÉZ2ÈéÝ{;èºÏÿ