Saracen Kili granniegear!!
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hurin76
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granniegear, pros closet, there is no difference other than location, they both ruthlessly buy and flip things, I look at granniegear and he's charging around 30-40% higher than I've ever seen the parts/frames sell for, however (judging by feedback) he appears to be selling and has very positive feedback so that cannot be argued with if he can find someone who is prepared to pay his prices.
I guess it just sticks in the craw that I am looking for the same era mtb/road parts all the time and every search I have on eBay because I am in granniegear's catchment area means I have to sieve through multiple spam listings by either granniegear or vintagevelo to find what I am looking for. Was on the search for a breezer cloud nine recently and I see the pros closet had jumped all over anything (including a forum members frame) that becomes available and quickly relisted them all at mega prices like a great service had been done..
I think what sums it up is I went to a new bicycle jumble in my home town a couple of years back. I have been to a few and know how they work, get there early and maybe get a bargain or two, well I got there at the beginning and even before the stalls were set up and people started looking seriously there were 2 or 3 familiar faces who are active on many bike forums as vendors diving in sellers boxes before they had even opened them and then lowballing for multiple amounts of parts cleaning everyone out of anything that had any value. They looked like a group of desperate vultures. At that point I decided I didn't want anything more to do with bike jumbles or these kind of people. They seem to have no dignity or class and would literally sell their own mother to make a profit. Having spoke to other people within the bike community these seller/buyers are regular fixtures at all these events repeating their behavior wherever they go. I might buy a bicycle then service, clean restore, replace parts and sell on the bike. Yes I do want a profit, but I think a line has to be drawn somewhere or we are all just animals.
This does not reflect on granniegear and the pros closet both who I have not met personally.
I guess it just sticks in the craw that I am looking for the same era mtb/road parts all the time and every search I have on eBay because I am in granniegear's catchment area means I have to sieve through multiple spam listings by either granniegear or vintagevelo to find what I am looking for. Was on the search for a breezer cloud nine recently and I see the pros closet had jumped all over anything (including a forum members frame) that becomes available and quickly relisted them all at mega prices like a great service had been done..
I think what sums it up is I went to a new bicycle jumble in my home town a couple of years back. I have been to a few and know how they work, get there early and maybe get a bargain or two, well I got there at the beginning and even before the stalls were set up and people started looking seriously there were 2 or 3 familiar faces who are active on many bike forums as vendors diving in sellers boxes before they had even opened them and then lowballing for multiple amounts of parts cleaning everyone out of anything that had any value. They looked like a group of desperate vultures. At that point I decided I didn't want anything more to do with bike jumbles or these kind of people. They seem to have no dignity or class and would literally sell their own mother to make a profit. Having spoke to other people within the bike community these seller/buyers are regular fixtures at all these events repeating their behavior wherever they go. I might buy a bicycle then service, clean restore, replace parts and sell on the bike. Yes I do want a profit, but I think a line has to be drawn somewhere or we are all just animals.
This does not reflect on granniegear and the pros closet both who I have not met personally.
Re:
Hurin...not sure I get your point..grannie is running an eBay business in what is an exceptionally niche market. Profit margins in the bike business are small, the second hand market even more so. His prices reflect the costs of doing business. Boot sales, jumbles and eBay are these guys source of stock..as it is for lot of second hand dealers. I am sure he wisely stays well clear of this forum for exactly this kind of rhetoric
End of the day he is keeping what is a hobby for most of us alive by continuing to make parts available. If you don't like his prices..don't buy. ..simple
Hurin...not sure I get your point..grannie is running an eBay business in what is an exceptionally niche market. Profit margins in the bike business are small, the second hand market even more so. His prices reflect the costs of doing business. Boot sales, jumbles and eBay are these guys source of stock..as it is for lot of second hand dealers. I am sure he wisely stays well clear of this forum for exactly this kind of rhetoric
End of the day he is keeping what is a hobby for most of us alive by continuing to make parts available. If you don't like his prices..don't buy. ..simple
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I'm sure he's on here still but doesn't post. He's had things I've really wanted and had been unable to find elsewhere in the past. After contacting him through here I've got a decent discount on his ebay prices and good service too.
hurin76
Retrobike Rider
Re: Re:
I said in my post that if he can find people to pay his prices then it cannot be argued with, I also said i don't know either the pros closet or granniegear personally so whatever I said about the vultures at bike jumbles does not apply to them. My point about bike jumbles was not about granniegear per se but on the poor behavior exhibited by desperate profiteers at these events and how unpleasant they make an otherwise enjoyable experience. As someone who has worked with vintage bicycles restoring, selling and servicing them for the last 10 years I am well aware of the small margins for profit. This doesn't mean people cannot act with some class and decorum, these qualities cost nothing.
parts are readily available on here plus other bike forums and a multitude of other vendors on eBay, so don't dress it up like granniegear is supplying the vintage bicycle community with a rare service. I couldn't care less what granniegear charges but the fact I have to navigate around his many listings every time I am searching in my local area eBay cycling for sale listings for what is available is very irritating..if you want someone who is keeping the hobby of vintage mountain bikes and the history alive look up Charlie Kelly, that's a guy who really deserves the plaudits...
Antstark":3oxbtdoh said:Hurin...not sure I get your point..grannie is running an eBay business in what is an exceptionally niche market. Profit margins in the bike business are small, the second hand market even more so. His prices reflect the costs of doing business. Boot sales, jumbles and eBay are these guys source of stock..as it is for lot of second hand dealers. I am sure he wisely stays well clear of this forum for exactly this kind of rhetoric
End of the day he is keeping what is a hobby for most of us alive by continuing to make parts available. If you don't like his prices..don't buy. ..simple
I said in my post that if he can find people to pay his prices then it cannot be argued with, I also said i don't know either the pros closet or granniegear personally so whatever I said about the vultures at bike jumbles does not apply to them. My point about bike jumbles was not about granniegear per se but on the poor behavior exhibited by desperate profiteers at these events and how unpleasant they make an otherwise enjoyable experience. As someone who has worked with vintage bicycles restoring, selling and servicing them for the last 10 years I am well aware of the small margins for profit. This doesn't mean people cannot act with some class and decorum, these qualities cost nothing.
Antstark":3oxbtdoh said:
parts are readily available on here plus other bike forums and a multitude of other vendors on eBay, so don't dress it up like granniegear is supplying the vintage bicycle community with a rare service. I couldn't care less what granniegear charges but the fact I have to navigate around his many listings every time I am searching in my local area eBay cycling for sale listings for what is available is very irritating..if you want someone who is keeping the hobby of vintage mountain bikes and the history alive look up Charlie Kelly, that's a guy who really deserves the plaudits...
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Bike jumbles are an odd place. I am a bargain hunter and will flip if theres a profit - only because at one point my mortgage depended on it. Now I'm back to hobby status its amusing to watch the behaviour of certain others plus slightly embarrassing to realize that I too was behaving in the same way.
Back at the jumbles, watching a certain luminary overload his car then realise that he'd too much and try to sell the overflow back to the bemused stall holders summed it up - I didnt want to be that guy anymore.
The people that still do this are in a grey moral area - if you think its too expensive, dont buy it - thats the only advice I can give.
I still make a 'profit' (not counting hours cleaning and rebuilding) but its finding a bike for £20 - cleaning and making it rideable that I still enjoy. Punting it out for maybe £50 - £60, sometimes including postage means someone gets a bike they can enjoy or pass on for a profit themeselves.
I cant condone what I see in the others - small parts at insane prices, immaculate bikes stripped with forks and frames sold separately its not what cycling is all about - one of the most environmentally sound hobbies/ passtimes/ whatever on the planet monetised to the extreme by the amoral few.
I remember selling a huge pile of stuff a few years ago (stuff I should have kept come that horrible jobless time!) and the lucky recipiant put quite a bit on ebay - a few were indignant on my behalf but I'd sold it all for that very purpose - someone in a vulnerable position was able to make a few quid extra due to the generosity of someone else.
I've benefited from this too, lots of karma gifts over the years from some very generous people for the very purpose of making good and selling on to keep the wolves at bay. I have inadvertently upset a few too as parts were sold that shouldnt have been but I have to live with that - I do actually have a conscience!
Back at the jumbles, watching a certain luminary overload his car then realise that he'd too much and try to sell the overflow back to the bemused stall holders summed it up - I didnt want to be that guy anymore.
The people that still do this are in a grey moral area - if you think its too expensive, dont buy it - thats the only advice I can give.
I still make a 'profit' (not counting hours cleaning and rebuilding) but its finding a bike for £20 - cleaning and making it rideable that I still enjoy. Punting it out for maybe £50 - £60, sometimes including postage means someone gets a bike they can enjoy or pass on for a profit themeselves.
I cant condone what I see in the others - small parts at insane prices, immaculate bikes stripped with forks and frames sold separately its not what cycling is all about - one of the most environmentally sound hobbies/ passtimes/ whatever on the planet monetised to the extreme by the amoral few.
I remember selling a huge pile of stuff a few years ago (stuff I should have kept come that horrible jobless time!) and the lucky recipiant put quite a bit on ebay - a few were indignant on my behalf but I'd sold it all for that very purpose - someone in a vulnerable position was able to make a few quid extra due to the generosity of someone else.
I've benefited from this too, lots of karma gifts over the years from some very generous people for the very purpose of making good and selling on to keep the wolves at bay. I have inadvertently upset a few too as parts were sold that shouldnt have been
but I have to live with that - I do actually have a conscience!Re:
I understand how the op feels angry with the guy. I had a face to face bike sale recently where the buyer told me all sorts of bull as to why he was buying it (I nearly gave him a discount!). Then within 30 minutes had it re-listed at twice the price and was saying he'd owned it from new etc. just lies. At least he used his own pictures!!!
To be fair to Grannie, he doesn't tell any porkies. Personally I've never bought of him but I often have a chuckle at some of his more optimistic listings. You have to do a lot of shrewd buying to make money selling at this game. Good luck to him if he can get it.
In an ideal world its great to sell old kit to fellow retro bike entusiasts who build the bike back up and go on to enjoy their new ride. It's great when they do this and get back in touch when its done. Alas it doesnt always go like this.
I understand how the op feels angry with the guy. I had a face to face bike sale recently where the buyer told me all sorts of bull as to why he was buying it (I nearly gave him a discount!). Then within 30 minutes had it re-listed at twice the price and was saying he'd owned it from new etc. just lies. At least he used his own pictures!!!
To be fair to Grannie, he doesn't tell any porkies. Personally I've never bought of him but I often have a chuckle at some of his more optimistic listings. You have to do a lot of shrewd buying to make money selling at this game. Good luck to him if he can get it.
In an ideal world its great to sell old kit to fellow retro bike entusiasts who build the bike back up and go on to enjoy their new ride. It's great when they do this and get back in touch when its done. Alas it doesnt always go like this.
