I haven't noticed any junk for sale - but then I haven't been looking for anything used for awhile. I've been bidding on sets of race rubber for the last couple of weeks and I keep getting outbid by a large margin.

These guys are paying close to retail with the shipping and handling and PayPal charges in. I just don't get it - why would anyone pay that kind of moneyl on Ebay? when you can get the same stuff any day of the week at your LBS for close to the same price?

Anyone know where I can get a new Briko helmet for a good price?

---

put the mettle to the pedal

Not a normal bike retailer but http://www.sierratradingpost.com sometimes has good deals on helmets. Not sure what they have currently, but they are offering free shipping through Friday.

I've bought many various things from them and I have never had a problem. Returns are handled well, and they are very easy to work with when trying to find items. If you are ever in Cheyenne, WY over Memorial Day weekend you should stop by the store for a GREAT sale.

BTW - I'm not an employee/stockholder but just some guy that likes a good deal on nice gear. Other places I like to look for things include rei-outlet and campmor. Again, limited supply but sometimes a really really nice price.

Peace,

Josh

Guys, we're selling our own personal used stuff on e-bay and, honestly, getting more than what we would have expected to get. In my opinion, e-bay is organized to favor the seller to some degree. I think its pretty easy to support that opinion. Basically, if you want to pay the MAXIMUM price from a given group of individuals on a particular item e-bay is your place. I don't buy on e-bay (except very rarely, I collect pin-up art and get some hard to find stuff there and pay dearly for it) but I do sell on e-bay and I LOVE it as a seller. I always get the maximum price. Bargains on e-bay? you can get new stuff cheaper in my store sometimes (many times). I'm not kidding. Also, there is a lot of "bid driving" going on out there. E-bay tries to control this but its impossible right now. That's also unfair to buyers on the site. Another thing worth mentioning is that e-bay is the "pet rock" of the early 2000's. Not to suggest it isn't a viable idea- I think it is. But it is HUGELY trendy right now to say "Oh, I bought this on e-bay!" Right now that's "hip". You pay for that "hip"ness. Not a fad- a trend.

---

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I have noticed that. I check e-bay kind of regularily for items on bid ending today. Some of the things in the triathlon section are almost funny. A used Bud Light swim cap?

I have only bought one thing on e-bay, a Polar 710 and saved about $100. It was new in the box still and was happy with the whole transaction. I keep looking for a deal on some Mavic Ksyriums, but the darn things are selling for retail almost every time by the time the bid ends.

---

Mike Plumb, TriPower MultiSports
Professional Running, Cycling and Multisport Coaching, F.I.S.T. Certified
http://www.tripower.org

Over the last couple of years the bargains have become harder to find... and Ebay has definitely become a sellers market. If you can write and take decent pictures you can do well there. Above retail is not uncommon - part of the attraction or dictractions is 'winning' the bid. It is addictive!

On top of that, the average bike is worth about 25% more in parts than as a whole. I am confident that a college student... or for that matter a bike shop in the slow season... can make some money buying mid to upper level bikes then part them out on Ebay.

If you take a trade in - in order to sell an high end bike, then have a 'not so busy' trainee mechanic take it apart, clean it and sell it - you could take advantage of your labor pool and suppliment sales. Just mail it out from a different address. It would have to be xt/xtr or ultegra/DA stuff to make it worth the while.

There is a lot of junk out there, and a lot of "seller's deals." But there are some good deals too. I've got some phenomenal deals (a built-up, never-ridden Softride Power Wing for $450, new/unused Mavic Cross-Rides for $200 when they sold for $300, etc.) there over the last couple of years, but have seen a lot of people get caught up in the process and pay a lot more than they should. Getting a good deal on EBay as a buyer definitely takes both patience and discipline.

To do well, I think you have to follow these (definitely not all inclusive) guidelines:

1 Decide what you're willing to pay for the item in it's current condition and don't go over that.

2 If you lack discipline to follow #1, bid what you can afford but don't monitor the auction minute-by-minute at the very end (and get yourself in a bidding war). Go out for a ride or something, and accept the outcome when you get back.

3 Realize that there are almost no true one-of-a-kind deals in cycling on EBay; if you're patient, the right thing will almost always eventually come along at the right price.

4 Always remember shipping, handling, and insurance when you figure out what you're willing to pay. Shopping locally may in fact be a far better deal when you count those in.

5 Check the seller's feedback before you buy; If they're disreputable, avoid the urge to buy from that seller (see Guideline #3).

6 In most cases, avoid those sellers who won't use PayPal or some equivalent. If you send a money order, for example, your options for recourse if the seller screws you are very limited.

7 Register for PayPal (or some equivalent) early if you're planning to buy on EBay in the future. It takes a couple of days to get verified, so it's not something you can do once you've won the auction. Also, don't assume that, if the auction lists PayPal as acceptable, that they mean credit card through PayPal--know the difference between PayPal credit and PayPal cash and verify which one with the seller.

8 If you have some question about the itme, email the seller. If they won't/don't answer, refer to Guideline #3.

9 Look closely at descriptions and pictures--see what's really there and not just what you want to see. I recently saw a listing for a pair of "new, unused" cycling shoes. Closer inspection of the picture showed that these shoes had old-style cleats mounted on them--how old does that tell you these "new" shoes were?

Just a few simple guidelines to keep you from getting burned...

---

Ben H

Christian, Husband, Father, Ranger, Triathlete

I spend more time on ebay than I should, however I think it is an awesome resource if one is patient & knows what to look for & is willing to wait.

1. Parting bikes: this year I bought myself a new 2003 Litespeed Vortex w/full DA as well as my race bike, a Zipp 3001 (bought on ebay & perhaps paid too much) with the proceeds from about 10 bikes I had bought & then parted out last summer fall--and that was the bad time to buy & sell. It is definitely heating up again & some items I just sold I received almost retail on...ridiculous. Bikes are like cars: they are worth much more for their parts than as a whole.

2. Frames: that being said, you can get killer deals on frames as it seems nobody wants to build up one from scratch. 50% of retail is a good starting point. However it helps to be a weird size & you must be patient. I never get in bidding wars unless it is something I can't live without or will be able to find again anytime soon (Zipp 3001).

3. Never buy from a low or no feedback rating. Everyone has to start somewhere, but why take a chance on an unknown with your $$?

4. Resellers are always charging too much. With the exception of certain items like Castelli P2Ks in XL bibs, I wouldn't buy from some of these guys. They are asking almost retail.

5. Some stuff you won't find: I've thought about buying 5 sets of the HED carbon bars & putting them on ebay to see what would happen--my guess is that that I would get $100 or so over my cost, however I'm not that much of a mercenary. However there are plenty of discs out there & if you time it right, you can get a 2002 Zipp for under $500.

I agree with the rest of Ben's advice. Remember, it is not a contest--you don't win anything besides the right to (possibly) overpay when getting into a bidding war. That being said, I buy probably 90% of my tri stuff on ebay & pay about 50% off of what I would thru a retailer. But I do agree with Tom in that some items can easily be had for less than on ebay (STI levers for example or carbon bars).

---

____________
"There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs." John Rogers

Something that amazed me Sunday night while I was watching a very rare bit of TV, was that Ebay was advertising on TV. Maybe everyone else knew this, but I was amazed. I was not sure what they hoped to gain from it, doesn't most of the online community, and a large percentage of the rest of the world know about ebay?

Ok, with that being said, I am going to crawl back in to my nice warm hole, its cold out there.

Ryan

P.S. I agree, lots of stuff going way too high on ebay. I was looking for pedals for my new bike, since all I have now are cages. Was thining about Speedplays , new ones. They are not that much cheaper than retail.....

Something that has been observed quite often about Ebay is that higher ticket items, like that Vortex, tend to be better deals. Most buyers on Ebay aren't willing to lay out $2k or so, but if you are, odds are you can get a very nice deal. Of course I'd never spend that much without going through some kind of brokerage servce.

Yeah, people don't want to spend that much: I did well with Litespeed Vortex's & Ultimates this past year--you can usually get DA equipped for under $2200--parted out they can bring upwards of $3k:

Frame $1200, Fork $150, CK HS $65, Stem $50, HBlrs, $25-45, DA STI levers $175, DA calipers $100+, Whls $250-600, DA cass $40, DA Crank w/bb, $125, Speedplay pedals $120, Stpst $55, Seat $50, DA frnt der $25, DA R Der $60

Granted the deals aren't there all the time, but on hot brands such as Litespeed, Cervelo, Calfee, Moots, Seven...you can usually do well. I've never done well with Colnago's though.

---

____________
"There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs." John Rogers

How about $10,000 for an IMH slot at the 25th anniversary race. IMO you would have to be a complete and utter dumbass to fork that over to race IMH. Coming to ebay soon

---

Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

In Europe, one of the things that drives the prices high on many items is cross-border sales, with a bunch of kit being brought over from the US and sold as "Buy it Now" for US retail which can be a 30% saving on EU prices.

I picked up a new C'dale last year into the UK from Germany, but it had clearly been brought in from the States. Whilst this of course invalidates any C'dale liability, warranty, and legal recourse if the thing snaps in 2 and kills me, I was looking at a $700 saving over UK retail. Bottom line is "retail" is a local and relative term.

---

"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses—behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights"

The sad thing is that many newbies think they can get a deal on e-bay. I've known 3 that got stung hard! Bought a used bike for $800 plus shipping plus having bike shop assemble. Could have bought the same bike new for $900. plus many times it's the wrong size

The two most important things to remember when skulking around on Ebay is (1) Know EXACTLY what you want (size, color, parts, etc...) and (2) Know EXACTLY what you are willing to pay for it. Sooner or later you will find the good deals.

I paid $800 for a 2002 Specialized Allez Comp in December 2001. The bike was brand new with less than 200 miles use over 4 rides. I call that a steal. The $1200 I saved over retail upgraded things like pedals, saddle, seatpost, handlebars, stem, etc, all of which were bought at my LBS (gotta support them, you know. Someone has to tune my bikes!)