Author Topic: Bike collecting and bike sales don't mix!  (Read 2468 times)

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Offline Aaron J Williams

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Bike collecting and bike sales don't mix!
« on: March 11, 2008, 08:11:15 PM »
Or maybe I'm just sick or something. I brought my first resale bike into the shop to get it cleaned up and out the door. I needed cash to buy a Valkyrie (which got sold before I could buy it :'() so I cleaned it up and put it on feebay with a ridiculous (I thought) reserve to see what the market thought it was worth. With 3 days left it has almost reached my reserve and now I'm thinking I should keep it. There are 101 watchers and 30 bids on it so far.  The high bidder e-mailed me and told me he has seen them go for up to $4000!  :o

Now I'm torn between letting it go and pocketing the cash or keeping it and selling off my generic non-collectible bikes (GS650, CB750 Custom, CM400T, etc.) My wife thinks I'm nuts and I should pocket the cash but it is a piece of motorcycling history, and a valuable one at that. If I sell it, I'll probably never get another one as nice as this one. How do you determine what to keep and what to sell? I wish I knew, then these decisions wouldn't be so hard.

What do you guys think, keep or sell?
There are old bikers and there are bold bikers but there are very few old, bold bikers.

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Not doing what you can to make your bike ride-able during the best riding months of the year kind of defeats the purpose of owning it in the first place.

Offline Gordon

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Re: Bike collecting and bike sales don't mix!
« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2008, 08:15:26 PM »
If you only really started thinking about keeping it after you found out how much it may be worth to someone else, then I say sell it.  Keep the bikes that you really like, and sell the bikes that you're not all that fond of but others want. 

Offline neil young

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Re: Bike collecting and bike sales don't mix!
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2008, 09:01:08 PM »
Listen to Gordon   (he seems like a level headed guy)
as you said....you bought it to resell it.take the money and run!
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Offline Raul CB750K1

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Re: Bike collecting and bike sales don't mix!
« Reply #3 on: March 12, 2008, 03:29:55 AM »
If the bike is searched for now, the time is right to make good cash. If after some time you decide you shouldn't have let it go, you can always buy another one. Chances are it would have devaluated, and if it has increased its value, you can always put the money today in a fund to make up for the interest.

If the bike is an investment, think in money terms. If it is more than that, leave the money considerations aside. There are bikes you get attached to and bikes you just buy, enjoy and sell, either with profit or not.

Offline tramp

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Re: Bike collecting and bike sales don't mix!
« Reply #4 on: March 12, 2008, 04:17:18 AM »
i don't know if you can stop the bidding once it's started
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Offline azuredesign

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Re: Bike collecting and bike sales don't mix!
« Reply #5 on: March 12, 2008, 05:07:15 AM »
Get the Valkyrie!!!

Offline andy750

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Re: Bike collecting and bike sales don't mix!
« Reply #6 on: March 12, 2008, 05:13:00 AM »
If you only really started thinking about keeping it after you found out how much it may be worth to someone else, then I say sell it.  Keep the bikes that you really like, and sell the bikes that you're not all that fond of but others want. 

+1......sell it!
Current bikes
1. CB750K4: Long distance bike, 17 countries and counting...2001 - Trans-USA-Mexico, 2003 - European Tour, 2004 - SOHC Easy Rider Trip , 2008 - Adirondack Tour 2-up , 2013 - Tail of the Dragon Tour , 2017: 836 kit install and bottom end rebuild. And rebirth: http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,173213.msg2029836.html#msg2029836
2. CB750/810cc K2  - road racer with JMR worked head 71 hp
3. Yamaha Tenere T700 2022

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Offline Cvillechopper

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Re: Bike collecting and bike sales don't mix!
« Reply #7 on: March 12, 2008, 05:38:10 AM »
Here's one more vote from the "sell it" crowd.  A bike like that should find its way to someone that wants to collect it for what it is, not what it's worth.  Get the money while the market is right and someone gets a bike they REALLY want.  Win-win.

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.  Aristotle

Offline Gordon

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Re: Bike collecting and bike sales don't mix!
« Reply #8 on: March 12, 2008, 05:51:19 AM »
i don't know if you can stop the bidding once it's started

Sure you can.  The seller can cancel all bids and end the listing any time before the auction is over. 

Offline Roach Carver

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Re: Bike collecting and bike sales don't mix!
« Reply #9 on: March 12, 2008, 06:41:38 AM »
I would sell it. You have bids on it, take your money and run.

Offline UnCrash

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Re: Bike collecting and bike sales don't mix!
« Reply #10 on: March 12, 2008, 06:47:54 AM »
Sell it.

Sell it.

Sell it.

-And walk away with a smile knowing you have something that other people want. 

It really sucks when you try to sell something that no one wants.   8)
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Offline Aaron J Williams

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Re: Bike collecting and bike sales don't mix!
« Reply #11 on: March 12, 2008, 06:57:40 AM »
All of you have valid points and I probably should let it go. When I bought it, it was to sell it. I have no emotional attachment to it. Hell, I haven't even ridden it! I wanted to use the money to buy a Valkyrie but someone else bought it before I could scrape up the cash. Trading a DT3 for a Valkyrie is one thing, trading it for common currency is another. Yes, I could find a different Valkyrie for 2 grand more than the one I was looking at, but $8500 is a big chunk of change for me to spend on a bike.

Have you ever sat around with your buddies talking about Barrett/Jackson auctions and saying things like "I wish I would have kept my 68 Mustang and my 63 Riviera and my 64 Grand Prix and my 68 Coupe De' Ville and my 73 Cuda and my 69 LTD with the 429 and posi"? I have, and regret selling every one of them. I guess that's my dilemma, how to sell without regret when 10 or 20 years later you see what you had worth 10 times what you sold it for?

How about this analogy, you are gutting the lath and plaster out of a room in your ancient farmhouse in order to re-insulate and you find the walls stuffed with rolled up newspapers as insulation. You begin throwing them in a garbage bag. Out of curiosity you open one and the headline reads "Wisconsin becomes 30th state in the Union" That paper you were just ready to throw away has become much more valuable than you knew. Knowing it's value, do you sell it quick for some cash or do you frame it and preserve it for the future?

Quote from: UnCrash
And walk away with a smile knowing you have something that other people want.
You mean knowing I HAD something someone wanted.
There are old bikers and there are bold bikers but there are very few old, bold bikers.

Quote from: Gordon
Not doing what you can to make your bike ride-able during the best riding months of the year kind of defeats the purpose of owning it in the first place.

Offline andy750

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Re: Bike collecting and bike sales don't mix!
« Reply #12 on: March 12, 2008, 07:05:28 AM »
Of course we can all wonder "what if" and "maybe the value will go up" and similar "if only" thoughts.......but at some point you have to deal with the "here and now". It would be great if we could store everything we ever thought might be valuable in the future and use this for a retirement fund but...its just not realistic. Hindsight is great but you cant live your life by it. A life lived by regrets is no life at all IMHO.

Sell it and move on.  ;)

cheers
Andy
Current bikes
1. CB750K4: Long distance bike, 17 countries and counting...2001 - Trans-USA-Mexico, 2003 - European Tour, 2004 - SOHC Easy Rider Trip , 2008 - Adirondack Tour 2-up , 2013 - Tail of the Dragon Tour , 2017: 836 kit install and bottom end rebuild. And rebirth: http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,173213.msg2029836.html#msg2029836
2. CB750/810cc K2  - road racer with JMR worked head 71 hp
3. Yamaha Tenere T700 2022

Where did you go on your bike today? - http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=45183.2350

Offline Soos

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Re: Bike collecting and bike sales don't mix!
« Reply #13 on: March 12, 2008, 07:29:46 AM »
It's not a honda... sell it :)

If you REALLY want the Valkyrie, just do it!
Even if you don't fund it completely with the sale of this one bike, you will be that much closer to affording it.

l8r
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Offline sandcastcb750

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Re: Bike collecting and bike sales don't mix!
« Reply #14 on: March 12, 2008, 07:33:36 AM »
If it were me, I'd say sell the bike and buy what you truely want; the Valkyrie.

I have had lots of bikes, mint CB350 K0s to CBX and sandcast. I sold them but enjoyed them while I had them. I recycled the money into other projects which weren't necessarily more bikes.

Recently I have been dabbling in the GL1100s. The bigger bikes allow you ride two-up better. My wife likes to ride and the smaller bikes are not as comfortable on long trips. A good reason to buy the Valkyrie.

Good luck in your decision

Offline Aaron J Williams

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Re: Bike collecting and bike sales don't mix!
« Reply #15 on: March 12, 2008, 08:59:40 AM »
Quote from: andy750
It would be great if we could store everything we ever thought might be valuable in the future and use this for a retirement fund but...its just not realistic.
Ok, now I am officially pathetic because that has been exactly my plan for the last 20 years. :(
Quote from: andy750
A life lived by regrets is no life at all IMHO.
Quite true and I agree totally. On the other hand, a life lived without learning from poor decisions of the past is equally worthless IMHO. Maybe my retirement plan is unrealistic but is it any more foolish than stocks and bonds or trusting the government for social security? I don't know the answer but at least bikes are tangible and useful. I can see them, polish them, ride them, and they can't be erased by a market downturn or over extended wasteful and oppressive  government.
Quote from: Soos
If you REALLY want the Valkyrie, just do it!
Even if you don't fund it completely with the sale of this one bike, you will be that much closer to affording it.
Or that much closer to paying off my short term debt which makes more sense financially. I could knock down my debt 2-3K, have a lower interest payment and not have a DT3 or a Valkyrie. Or I could buy windows and insulation for my ancient house and lower my heating costs from here on out. My plan so far has been to separate the wheat from the chaff, selling the generic bikes and cars to fund the here and now and keeping what I deem collectible for my retirement. I thought the DT3 was chaff but now it appears it is wheat, and I am hesitant to let it go when I have so much chaff I could sell in it's place.
Quote from: sandcastcb750
Recently I have been dabbling in the GL1100s. The bigger bikes allow you ride two-up better. My wife likes to ride and the smaller bikes are not as comfortable on long trips. A good reason to buy the Valkyrie.
Yes, your logic is sound but I already have a low mileage GL1100 which I have ridden for the last 3 years, so the Valkyrie is much less a need than a want. Basically, I am frugal. I saw a Valk for $6500 and thought it was a great price. I began cashing in on my bikes savings account to fund the Valk. The Valk has been sold so there is no need to cash out now. I have been wanting one for many years and I'm sure that in time I will have one. Eventually I will find one at an insurance auction or an estate sale or in a barn somewhere for cheap. Then I can fix it, and get to know it and ultimately enjoy it more in the process.
Quote from: sandcastcb750
I have had lots of bikes, mint CB350 K0s to CBX and sandcast. I sold them but enjoyed them while I had them.
That is what I have failed to do with this bike. I have never ridden it. I fired it up in the shop, listened to it purr like a kitten, revved it and even did a burnout on the shop floor but never went anywhere with it. I never sampled what it has to offer. I have never enjoyed this bike. High temp today will be in the upper 40s and muddy and I'm going to take it out for a spin! If it sucks I'll let it go with no regrets, if it rocks I'll drive it for a season and then sell it after I have enjoyed it.
There are old bikers and there are bold bikers but there are very few old, bold bikers.

Quote from: Gordon
Not doing what you can to make your bike ride-able during the best riding months of the year kind of defeats the purpose of owning it in the first place.

Offline Philly550K1

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Re: Bike collecting and bike sales don't mix!
« Reply #16 on: March 12, 2008, 10:03:01 AM »
Quote from: sandcastcb750
I have had lots of bikes, mint CB350 K0s to CBX and sandcast. I sold them but enjoyed them while I had them.
That is what I have failed to do with this bike. I have never ridden it. I fired it up in the shop, listened to it purr like a kitten, revved it and even did a burnout on the shop floor but never went anywhere with it. I never sampled what it has to offer. I have never enjoyed this bike. High temp today will be in the upper 40s and muddy and I'm going to take it out for a spin!

exactly what i was about to prescribe.  all of these mental gymnastics can be treated with a good rip, you know.  and that GL you have -- it's almost officially spring...  get yourself out of your head and into The Moment for a bit....

-jon

Offline Uncle Ernie

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Re: Bike collecting and bike sales don't mix!
« Reply #17 on: March 12, 2008, 10:30:41 AM »
You have a bike you don't really care about getting more money than you expected while you have DEBT ACCRUING INTEREST and lots of people are begging for jobs and sinking slowly because of unexpected circumstances they didn't see coming... Is THAT your problem Bunky?

Get down the debt before looking for another bike.  The economy can bite your butt any day now.

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Offline BobbyR

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Re: Bike collecting and bike sales don't mix!
« Reply #18 on: March 12, 2008, 05:45:17 PM »
You have a bike you don't really care about getting more money than you expected while you have DEBT ACCRUING INTEREST and lots of people are begging for jobs and sinking slowly because of unexpected circumstances they didn't see coming... Is THAT your problem Bunky?

Get down the debt before looking for another bike.  The economy can bite your butt any day now.

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Offline Gordon

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Re: Bike collecting and bike sales don't mix!
« Reply #19 on: March 12, 2008, 06:25:28 PM »
Seems to me like you've already decided to keep it and are just looking for someone to back you up in that decision for moral support. 

I still think you should sell it, and it appears pretty much all the other responders agree, but it's your decision to make.

Offline Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er

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Re: Bike collecting and bike sales don't mix!
« Reply #20 on: March 12, 2008, 06:28:45 PM »
It says Y A M A H A  - Any other questions?!
As of today 3/13/2012 my original owner 75 CB750F has made it through 3 wives, er EX-wives. Free at last.  ;-)

Offline Gordon

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Re: Bike collecting and bike sales don't mix!
« Reply #21 on: March 12, 2008, 06:41:35 PM »
Regardless of your decision, you should cancel the auction as you can't change the auction title and description once it has bids, and letting the auction run it's course as it stands is just asking for a serious headache.

Offline heffay

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Re: Bike collecting and bike sales don't mix!
« Reply #22 on: March 12, 2008, 07:13:04 PM »


How about this analogy, you are gutting the lath and plaster out of a room in your ancient farmhouse in order to re-insulate and you find the walls stuffed with rolled up newspapers as insulation. You begin throwing them in a garbage bag. Out of curiosity you open one and the headline reads "Wisconsin becomes 30th state in the Union" That paper you were just ready to throw away has become much more valuable than you knew. Knowing it's value, do you sell it quick for some cash or do you frame it and preserve it for the future?



aaron... something about my line of work and nostalgic nature combined... i love the analogy.

frame it but only for yourself... if you were framing it for preservation that would be silly.  enjoy the reason it holds meaning for you.  don't hold onto it in hopes that it means something to someone in the future.

Today: '73 cb350f, '96 Ducati 900 Supersport
Past Rides: '72 tc125, '94 cbr600f2, '76 rd400, '89 ex500, '93 KTM-125exc, '92 zx7r, '93 Banshee, '83 ATC250R, 77/75 cb400f

Offline Aaron J Williams

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Re: Bike collecting and bike sales don't mix!
« Reply #23 on: March 13, 2008, 06:55:55 AM »
Well a nice ride in the mud really puts things in perspective! It's a great bike, plenty of torque, smooth power band, decent suspension and handling but it's no SOHC4. It is going bye-bye but I'm going to take Gordon's advice and re-list it with the correct title this time. My cabin fever broke during the ride and afterwards I realized that my angst was caused more by the itch to ride than by the bike. It's a nice bike but I wouldn't pay $1500 for it so obviously there are others who want it more than me. They can have it! I still have a TS 185 and a TT400 to fix if I want an enduro.  Thank you one and all for your input and forgive my foolishness. Spring is here and my riding season has officially started! ;D ;D ;D That is far more valuable to me than any dirt bike!
There are old bikers and there are bold bikers but there are very few old, bold bikers.

Quote from: Gordon
Not doing what you can to make your bike ride-able during the best riding months of the year kind of defeats the purpose of owning it in the first place.

Offline Stormer

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Re: Bike collecting and bike sales don't mix!
« Reply #24 on: March 13, 2008, 10:51:17 AM »
Since you offered it, and had good offers, sell it.
Sory the bad english.