[CR]parting out

(Example: Events:Cirque du Cyclisme:2007)

From: "Charles Andrews" <chasds@mindspring.com>
To: "Velostuf" <jb@velostuf.com>
Date: Sat, 1 Mar 2008 12:17:54 -0800
cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]parting out

(john barron ranted, with some justification, about the taboo against parting out bikes)

I'm not sure I'd have an objection if you parted out something like that LeJeune.

The key aspects of this problem, to me: the bike itself, and the nature of the parts-group.

Recently a seller on ebay (that predator, the sultan-of-schwag) parted out a lovely old Pogliaghi. A crime. the harmony of having that bike with all the parts it had been ridden with over the years would have been a unique pleasure. Nothing else would be quite the same. So, the nature of the bike suggested that parting it out was wrong...and, what's more, in the case of that bike, he could have gotten much more for it as a complete original bike, than parting it out..so that was a strategic error.

If a parts-group is special in some way, whether because it's been along for the ride for many years as from the factory, or because of pantographing, or some sort of uniqueness, then parting it out away from the frame is really sad.

But, if the group is more-or-less generic, I don't find any special reason not to sell it off, and then sell the frame to someone who wants to build it up with whatever they have.

In short, just from my perspective (which, with five bucks, will get you a machiatto at starbucks), parting out that LeJeune is no big deal.

That said, 2K was too much for it in this market. Sell it for 1200 bucks, and it'd likely go quickly.

Me? I like selling bikes whole, even if I get less than the potential part-out value, because selling, collecting, shipping and packing all that crap is more trouble than it's worth. to me.

Charles Andrews
Los Angeles