The flip side of this is trying to keep people from ruining a component or misrepresenting it after they've done their poor "cleaning" and "detailing" work. Cleaning is one thing, but people need to know what to use, and when to stop. I've gotten more than one part where poor cleaning technique has done more harm than good. A long squirt of brake-kleen can wash dirt into bushings that can't be disassembled, or past the seals of bearings.
Some components aren't meant to be polished, and many that "polish up nicely" were never meant to be that way.
Moreover, as an example, just because it's possible to cover scrapes (or worse, shoe-to-cage wear on the tops) on a Campy Super Record pedal by applying black paint -- it's really misrepresentation to then photograph that part and sell it. Like I said, an example, but it's crazy what some people do -- and then defend themselves as having done "restoration" for you!
In most cases, I'd rather have used parts arrive dirty.
Scott Minneman San Francisco, CA, USA
-----Original Message----- From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org [mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org] On Behalf Of Greg Thies Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2009 2:06 PM To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: Re: [CR] Selling Woes... eBay vs. CR List...it's all the same
Regarding item 2 in Dale's list of musts, I am amazed at the number of sellers who say things like "needs to be cleaned" or "should polish up nicely" It's worth the extra effort to present an item in its best light, even if that means applying lots of elbow grease, unless you're selling the dirty underwear off your bathroom floor (didn't check ebay for this but it's probably been listed). There's nothing quite like a set of polished Campy high flange hubs sitting on a royal blue velvet background to increase the eye candy factor!
Greg Thies Vienna, Virginia
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Message: 3 Date: Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:23:35 -0500 From: Dale Brown <oroboyz@aol.com> Subject: Re: [CR] Selling Woes... eBay vs. CR List...it's all the same to me! To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Message-ID: <8CB60158760C872-760-1366@FWM-D40.sysops.aol.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
<<...Bottom line, selling things can be very frustrating regardless of the selling venue (e.g., eBay, CR list, retail bike shop, etc......). >>
Indeed. So true, so true!
There are a few "musts" though if you want successful sales/auctions: ? 1.) Always include, in the most nauseating detail, every possibly aspect of goods you are selling. parts, teeth on cogs, make of everything, widths, length, yada yada...Of course, idiots will still ask questions that are plainly apparent in the auction description, but at least you can just tell them that. And it is a matter of record that you DID supply every possible piece of info.
2.) Clean and detail the darn bike/part! Don't put nasty greasy, dirty, tatty and grungy stuff in pictures and expect any kind of respect! Geez, would you show your house with dirty underwear on the floor of the bathroom? Laziness in preparation equals poor results in sales.
3.) Supply many many very good pictures of every nauseating detail, and both sides of same! Don't say 'pictures on request', just get them out there first so you don't have to answer more email.
4.) State your terms of sale, i.e., if you will OR WILL NOT sell parts & pieces, change things or whatever.? Be firm up frontand reduce silly requests. ? Now, if you don't do the above, you are going to be made miserable
Dale Brown cycles de ORO Bike Shop 1410 Mill Street Greensboro, North Carolina 27408 USA 336-274-5959 *************************************************