All quiet on the Western Front

Matttymm

Gold Trader
Marin Fan
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Not sure how you’re all finding it and it seems very quiet out there at the moment.

Not much moving of shifting. Prices low.

Some bargains to be had
 
Prices still seem high to me, honestly. Sold things for a lot more than I expected to. Seen things shift for a lot more than they did a year ago.

But chatter and excitement and build threads, Etc., those all seem much quieter, for sure.

A slow-spell? A quiet patch? Interest waning? Real life catching up with everybody?

I just hope everyone is still riding and enjoying their bikes!
 
I think there’s a lot of stuff priced high but not much selling. Glad to hear that you’re shifting stuff though. I think quality and rarity still holds.

Think it’s all of those things. Long term fuel prices and mortgages.

Certainly enjoying them. 😀😀
 
Prices are too high.

I understand that people who have been on the forum a couple of years might think that prices are low but the truth is that they’re considerably higher than 5 years ago.

Global cost of living crisis is kicking in, new bikes and components are more readily available again and as a result, old bike part prices are returning back to where they should be.
 
I’ve spoke to quite a few people who have simply lost interest in the hobby after many years of it. Prices went high so it forced many out and now they are returning back to normal they’ve lost any interest.

High end bits still sell easily. Most selling without even needing an advert I find.

It certainly was busier during / after Covid but many have likely lost interest again and returned to work/life etc

I’ve actually toyed with the idea of selling everything and moving onto another hobby recently actually. No idea why.
 
Prices rocketed through lockdown for sure and continue to be high. That’s said, quality of parts is also a lot lower. Basic supply and demand economics.
 
Obviously with the height of lockdown people cashed in on what was in their sheds and made lots of money doing so.

I have been watching the market a lot and I have noticed the prices on most items going down, but like Dom said, the more sought after items still command a high price tag.

A lot of people probably wanted to re live their youth during lockdown and build an old bike (or get into whatever hobby they used to do) and that buzz has ended for a lot of people now and they have moved on. That’s just an observation I’ve seen.
 
As is always the case, two motivated buyers is all it takes to push a price high. I have seen this in a couple of high parts I have bid (and lost on) recently. Prices went above what I considered to be “market”.. because I was bidding to win (and hence top of market).. but I still lost, and it wasn’t close!

On the other hand, I see a ‘96 Marin Team Ti frameset sold yesterday for £250. I don’t care what anyone says - that is not expensive. I didn’t bid on it btw, though now experiencing some slight remorse 😂

I feel the market is definitely soft at the minute.. but.. People pay for quality and rarity, in any asset class, regardless of general market conditions. Hence mint US trick bits hold firm, everything else weakens.

The only irony for us, in our own peculiar little hobby, is that flight to quality is kinda backwards.. you can buy a decent set of m730 cranks for next to nothing, but cosmetically mint Kookas will cost you £650.. and we all know where the quality equation balances out there..
 
I also think that many high end parts are now hoarded. Keeping prices high as there’s not much out there. All the common , mid range stuff is cheap again.

You can also tell the new lockdown builders who paid fortunes when prices were high as they now try to sell their £150 bike for £700-800 as that what it cost to build.

I think going forward there will be a massive split between higher end and mid/low. High end will continue to rise and other stuff will just become old.
 
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