Why wont my bikes attract any buyers?

i posted my bike up for sale a few months ago. since then i have had no interest in the bike. i have since put another bike up fpr sale but again no one is interested.
i have even reduced the asking price for the first bike and said that i would consider sensible offers for both bikes but still no interest.
what am i doing wrong?
could it be that i originally priced the first bike too high, a lack of pictures or is it because people just aren't interested in these bikes.
i know the current economic climate is tough (why else would i be selling them) but i dont think the bikes are overpriced, considering how much they cost me to build and their current condition…but then again i would say that wouldn't i?

what bike?

everything sells at the right price.

I just sold a couple of forks/frames/wheels and had to come down a fair way from my original prices to sell.

you could try posting a thread on the bike forum and redirect people to your ads?

or contribute more to the forum than simply selling your kit to avoid ebay fees?

HTH

Break it up and sell the bits? At a certain price point (higher) most people prefer to spec and build their own bikes.

Hard to say without seeing the ads.

Give lots of information, post lots of photos. Detail all the flaws as well as citing all the good stuff.

And a reasonable price (that you'd discuss offers on) will always help too.

: P

It's because you're a classifieds-only poster.

After the number of threads on here about people having bad experiences with users like you, I'm surprised you managed to sell anything.

Well, having had a look at your posting history, it's plain you only ever buy and sell up to this thread! People are starting to get wary of sellers who don't post in the main forums and are not known to others, sadly, as some have been ripped off. If it's a high price full bike you're going to struggle on top of that as well. Best bet for a top price is either split and sell seperately, you'll always get more money, or eBay. 🙂

For the second one, putting a price might have helped.
Not sure about anyone else, but the phrase 'custom built' annoys me. It's meaningless. You mean 'built by me'in both your ads.
^oh, and the classifieds-only poster aspect, as others mention.

I'm looking for a cheapish hardtail at the moment and I'm surprised at some of the prices suggested.

We're talking 4 year-old+ bikes at 40% of their original retail price. Sure, some bits will have been replaced/ upgraded, but bikes can take a lot of abuse in 4 years!

Not well known models
No price in one case
No photos
Possibly a bit jumpy/freeridey for here – try SDH?

yeh, wot they said
only regular users are allowed to plug their own ads on the other forums

1. not a forum user
2. pics or links to pics in the advert
3. full bikes dont sell easily – split into parts or drop the price a lot

all covered above.

its been 20mins and you havent further contributed to your own thread!

pound signs

LOL @ SP

Would agree with all of the above, especially the classified only posting, that and only one ad and you expect an instant sale? Not everyone scours the classifieds history, lots off ppl will assume it's sold if you don't re-advertise it.
That not to say you need to spam the forum every hour/day, an ad every couple of days would be more successful.

thanks for all the advice.
just to respond to some of the comments made….
SOOBalias – sorry didnt realise it was imperative to reply to my own thread immediately, i would have thought it would be a good idea to get some feedback and advise from other forum users. also i am at work so think it would be innapropriate for me to be glued to this on a constant basis.
simon_g – a bit jumpy/freeridey? i've seen others advertising jump bikes and freeride bikes and even DH bikes
PeterPoddy – i dont think i but abd sellup to this piont as i have not been able to do either but i see your point.
please dont take this the worng way but i did not realise that it made a big difference to others if the ads were classified only, as i am still new to this online selling malarky.
supinerider – thanks for typecasting me as a crook, i appresiate that, you hardly know me but seem to think just because someone else got ripped off by a classified only poster that i will do the same….maybe i should befriend you within the forums first so its easier for me to rip you off!?…
there!! that's my rant over….for now…

You asked gonzy. But I do think it gets peoples backs up when people just sell stuff on here but do not give anything back to the people who maybe buying the items – help, ideas etc.

By contributing to the Bike and chat forums does look like you are more trustworthy IME ? 🙂

also i am at work so think it would be innapropriate for me to be glued to this on a constant basis.

You're new round here aren't you?

This question has been asked a few times and every time the answer is the same.

Because nobody wants them

You could try and whet an appetite or two by posting pictures, a price, offering to split provided the frame sells, and putting a price on that is open to negotiation.

also i am at work so think it would be innapropriate for me to be glued to this on a constant basis.

You're in the wrong place here then.

You don't contribute to the forums. No-one knows you, no-one has ridden with you, no-one will trust you on high value items unless they are very cheap for what they are.

End of the day if it's at a good price and from someone who joins in, rather than just using it as a cheap classifieds, people will buy.

headfirst – got it in one mate, thats why i would appreciate some friendly advice on how best to go about doing things on here, but instead i feel like i'm getting slated for not knowing what to do.
foxyrider – i have never been advised before by anyone that contributing to the forums would make me more trustworthy, and beside who says that makes me more trustworthy than anyone else just because i exchanged a few messages with some other users. look at bernie maddoff and what he did – that does not mean that is what i am intending – all i want to do is get rid of a few of my bikes so i can free up some space in the garage, get a naggin wife off my back and put some money in my pocket from the sale minus my contribution to singletrack.

sorry didnt realise it was imperative to reply to my own thread immediately

I smell a KW. It takes one to know one 😀

what do you mean by KW bonty buns?

No I think you're a tad touchy for the forum. Trolls would love you though.

EDIT: In all fairness I did phrase my post little harshly.

KW – Keyboard Warrior = 'A Person who, being unable to express his anger through physical violence (owning to their physical weakness, lack of bravery and/or conviction in real life), instead manifests said emotions through the text-based medium of the internet, usually in the form of aggressive writing that the Keyboard Warrior would not (for reasons previously mentioned) be able to give form to in real life'.

maybe i am getting a bit touchy, but i came here looking for help and advice, some of you have been helpful but others it seems seem happier to try and bust my balls….

edit up there^

Another piece of advice – never raise to the bait unless you can put up a 1st class rant – you will be flamed…………………

thanks for typecasting me as a crook, i appresiate that, you hardly know me but seem to think just because someone else got ripped off by a classified only poster that i will do the same….maybe i should befriend you within the forums first so its easier for me to rip you off!?…
there!! that's my rant over….for now…

0/10 – must try harder

i have never been advised before by anyone that contributing to the forums would make me more trustworthy, and beside who says that makes me more trustworthy than anyone else just because i exchanged a few messages with some other users

Then you haven't been here long, I'm not sure many ppl who ran scams on here, spent the time posting in the other forums, hense now a lot off ppl won't deal with classified's only posters.
Stop taking it personnaly though, this is the same for all of the classified only posters, if you read the main forum posting regularly, you'd actually know this.
Especially if you read the rules:
The classified forum is free for all private sales. It’s there primarily to provide and opportunity for you to sell those unwanted bits and pieces that you have no need for that someone else may well be desperate to get hold of…

The ‘spirit’ of our forum is one where users can turn their old, surplus or unwanted kit into extra cash to enable them to buy new bits to help them get out and continue riding. The Classified Forum is not a place where users can trade parts bought elsewhere and then sold at a profit.

Everyone on here who has mentioned this, is not making a dig at you, this is the "friendly advice", their trying to say post some other things and you'd maybe taken more seriously.
By only being a classified poster, how are you taking part in the 'spirit' of the forum? If you aren't willing to do that, then ebay is the way ahead.

😈 Flame on 😈

😀

bonty – if you think expressing your anger through physical violence is the way to go then that's your problem not mine, i came here for some advice on how best to sell my bike, not to be psychoanalysed by sigmund freud!!

Chill out Gonzy – you asked for our opinions – the above are opinions just some you may not like to hear. I always look at peoples selling and forum posts to make my decision. Otherwise I would go to Ebay and take my chances.

So I would say in my opinion I would probably not buy your stuff as your classfieds and some have ltd info in them & no photos (I always get asked for them when I have sold stuff!!). Oh and there is nothing I want 😉 LOL

Is that helpfult to you?

Yours very kindly FXR 🙂 (BTW I am not and will never be troller – just honest and often fence sitting )

Shirtless wrestling. No real violence. 😉

look i'm not here looking for an agruement with anyone, the majority of what's been said does make sense and has been taken on board, its just that some of the comments have got to me when they shouldnt have so apologies for that, a lack of sleep and food has made me a very crnky git today…

In as nice a way as possible:

STW is like a big pub/bar/living room where like-minded folk (well, sometimes they are 😉 ) come to have a general chit-chat which at times is bike-related. The classifieds forum is a small side-room to this which some of these like-minded folk occasionally visit to do a little bit of trading. Many of these folk, me being one, have never ventured into this little room.

You do not seem to have joined STW with this 'spirit' in mind. You seem to want to extract only financial, not spiritual, benefit from STW.

Hence the locals are annoyed.

EDIT: And you look like a 16 year old lad from out of town trying to get served…

I found this forum by buying through the classifieds and hung around out of interest. It's actually quite a nice place, it can feel a bit cliquey from the outside but a lot of folks on here know each other in the real world too (ride together etc) so you have to expect that. It's got more of a community feel than a lot of other forums.

Ask yourself this – Would you walk into a pub in a town you don't know with some stuff to sell and expect everyone to be your best friend?

Lighten up, join in, and don't expect lots of hugz 🙂

Edit to add: ^^ There you go!

now i cant even type properly….

No Worries Gonzy – sometimes things can be taken way without the use of : 😕 🙄 ➡

because they're shit bikes and your a chav?

(joking)

Personally I think the lack of photos is one of the main problems. To get people interested you've got to show the item. Not having pictures suggests the item is in poor condition and you dont want to show it.