Old Kid's Bikes?

Anyone had any luck with selling old kid's bikes that other people were getting rid of? Got a couple recently that seem to be in decent shape (maybe need new tires but that's really all), was thinking about selling them on CL since they seem to be in reasonable sell-able condition and I could probably get more for them then if I simply scrapped them.

The only one I have ever found was deep in the brush, and so beat up, it went straight in the shred pile that afternoon with the 700 lbs of shred I picked up that day. Most of the people around here give kids bikes to Goodwill or Salvation Army.

there's actually a bicycle forum you might try a search for brand/type, to see if any are above the norm

Originally Posted by Bear

there's actually a bicycle forum you might try a search for brand/type, to see if any are above the norm

They have a forum for everything now!

Originally Posted by Gravitar

They have a forum for everything now!

haha! it's one of the largest forums i've seen ; )

Originally Posted by BRASSCATCHER

Dan theres a guy on cl out our way who buys them. He's all over the bike section. He buys in any condition and starts at $5.00 Hope all is well. Still searching for the pick up.

I'll have to check him out. On a side note I also found an old Panasonic (believe it or not) mountain bike in a trash pile in my neighborhood, needs some TLC but it may command a decent price, I'll see if he'll buy it from me...

Originally Posted by JunkmanDan

I'll have to check him out. On a side note I also found an old Panasonic (believe it or not) mountain bike in a trash pile in my neighborhood, needs some TLC but it may command a decent price, I'll see if he'll buy it from me...

Heh, this thread is right in my field. I'm a cyclist, and collect older bikes. I'm also a member of the bikeforums. It's actually what got me into scrapping, every time I took my cans to the yard, I always saw guys with bikes in the back of their trucks.


Anyways, Panasonic is not a "popular" name these days, but they made above-average quality bikes (and they still make very high quality bike tires). As long as the frame isn't a train wreck, you can easily get well above scrap value. Even if it's just the bare frame.

the posts above by Brasscatcher and Wolfwerx pretty much cover the used bicycle three headed monster that scrappers will come across

first and best is the desirable and currently popular models, whether road bikes or mountain or whatever. these are generally abandoned/put curbside if and only if there is something broken, and the owner is a college student or on the move or otherwise can't be bothered with it. These can be sold quickly and quite profitably on CL but you really have to be an avid bicyclist like Wolfwerx to know what's what. Also find them on govdeal auctions, they're the ones that the bicycle enthusiasts will outbid you on.

second is the collectable aspect Wolfwerx mentioned, here again you have to know what's what...everybody thinks their rusted out hulk is a vintage classic, but most are not, most are just rusted iron...and it's easy to spend a lot of time on a worthless old bike that would be better in the shred. A lot of people think everything marked "Schwinn" is a priceless collectible, when in fact it's a $45 bike IF it's repaired to good working order.

third is the biggest and most likely item you're going to find, the Huffys and Magna Invaders and Pretty Princess mass market junk. Condition ranges from pristine to basket case. As Brasscatcher mentioned there are guys who fix and deal used bikes, if you live anywhere near a populated area they are relatively easy to find in the spring and summer. They cater to families looking for cheap bikes for their kids, usually have ads tacked up on library bulletin boards and often on CL. Tend to be retired guys who have a standalone garage or workshed where they can escape the ornery woman they've been in love with for 40 years. A lot of them will buy bicycles, so if you can make a connection with one of them, it can be a lot more profitable than shred.

Used bicycles are a lot like used skis, used golf clubs, any other sporting equipment. You have to really get into the sport and be passionate about it, otherwise it's hard to know what has value and what doesn't. The nice thing about bikes is, worse case scenario, they're at least worth the current shred price.

If I may offer a bit of advice, extending on what I wrote above: An adult sized bike that is not wrecked should be worth at least $20 on Craigslist. Even an old Huffy or Ross. There is a ton of variables that are dependant on the local market, though. In my area, a ready-to-ride bike in an adult size is usually worth at least $75. If the paint isn't trashed, and the tires are good, you could probably push that to $100, if you sell it in the spring.
Schwinns can be tricky, and you really need to do your research to figure if you've got a $50 or a $200 bike. Some can go for over a grand, but honestly the word is out on those, and collectors like myself (or worse!) really snap these up before they see the light of day.
European brands have rabid fans, and they will often pay $1-200 for a worn frame, depending on desireability.

The easiest money to be made these days are those steel mtn bikes from the late 80s/early 90s, the ones that don't have the shocks on them. Trek and Specialized brands, with new tires on them can sell for $150 all day long on CL (or more, depending on overall condition), and can often be picked up (if not free from the curb) from a garage sale/thrift shop for $20. This is another area that is pretty well known by bike-flippers.

If you are inclined to deal with the hassle of storage and selling, bicycles are almost always worth more than scrap. They are bulky to store, though, and selling them on CL or ebay is a pain in the a**.



I love looking at old bikes, and enjoy researching them. If somebody on here finds one that they think is worth looking into, I encourage them to ask about it. As I said, they are almost always worth better than scrap.

Some time ago I picked up a boy's bike form the curb. My guess is that this used to belong to some family that got relocated to the US from abroad since the tires had a different type of nipple than a typical "US" bike. It has a name, I just can't remember it. It has a metal insert that is covered by a piece of rubber tubing and is kept in place with a nut of sorts. The bike also had a dynamo attached to the front wheel that fed a light. My son has used it for a couple of years but now it's too small for him. I am curious whether I can sell it for more than a couple of bucks. Do you think it's more valuable than your average bike? it's in OK shape: has some minor rust etc but is fully functional.

My Father in law always sells bikes he finds and fixes up at our yard sale. Bike season all the time in So. AZ As for kids bikes, if you can find boys bikes they sell much better than girls bikes.

Great that this thread came up, I picked up these 3 about a month ago, 2 20" BMX Nexts and a 20" Huffy. Had them on CL for awhile and no offers and they're way to nice to scrap so they're sitting for the time being.



And I just posted my first pic (hopefully!)