Question about selling brand new items privately.
 

Guys, this is the abbreviated version since I lost the entire detailed post when my browser closed the previous page.


How much should I expect to charge for a brand new, recently purchased bicycle in a private sale?


Returning the bike to the store is not an option. Is 75% of retail a reasonable number?

Yes, if you can get it.

OK, so if I paid $80 for a kids bike, the most I can expect someone would want to pay privately is about $60?

Do you need the space more than the money? If I am selling something and need the space I say make an offer knowing I can say yes or no to any offer made, and am never offended by anyone's offer, as I can counter or just say no. We are one of a few countries where little haggling is done during a purchase.
The price on the last television I purchased bwas lowered by $200.00 without asking. I just told the sales person that was a little more than I wanted to spend on a TV. They did get it back with the addition of a sound bar and forget what else.

I'm trying to help my cousins get rid of household items after the passing of a relative. This is a cheapy wal mart bike and it certainly won't get any more valuable with age but it's literally brand new having been purchased only a couple weeks before the death.

As others have said here and elsewhere, any item for sale is worth what someone is willing and able to pay for it. NIB guns sometimes go for more than MSRP. NOS car parts can be worthless. 3/4 of new price sounds like a good starting point for a cheapie bike.

You can always go down. 80 dollar bike, plus tax. Ask 65, the buyer's saving 15 off the new price plus tax. Be prepared to take 40 or 50. Local FaceBook barter and sale pages are very active and not as sketchy as Craigslist in my experience.

For a brief time I bought stuff wholesale and tried to sell it. If you are not an Business people don't feel obliged to pay a reasonable price even if it is much discounted from the normal and well known retail price.

You can start at your higher price and go lower later if it does not sell.

One of our daughters has and still runs a fair sized ebay selling site. I asked her just this week on how she prices things. She said she compares on several sites what the average price is they go at. Unless she is quite familiar with that area of the market all the time.

Otherwise the items do not move anymore in general. She has been at this for years out of Ottawa, Ontario. I specifically asked her to give me a selling price on a pewter indian statue I picked up at a yard sale for 25 cents at one time.. In less than a minute she told me the last two sold for 85.00 and 135.00 American. That is over 100.00 to 180.00 Canadian at this time.

I also picked up a classic book not for the value but for the story itself while they were visiting. It was mint and I got a quick lesson on book sales and values from her. She told me that would be selling at about three dollars in todays market on her site if she ran with it.

The week before they arrived I picked up a rear tine 5 horsepower tiller in decent condition as well. For seventy five dollars that runs like a champ. This was just a stroke of good luck.

Lightning struck though when I purchased a lot of replacement vinyl windows new the same week. They have almost doubled in price since the last batch. I can no longer access true wholesale on them anymore. Also a rugged new plastic culvert pipe. As my age gets higher the retail prices on many things just seem to track right along as well.

So when selling things today in a market of extreme availability. . You usually have to do a little research. You can add a little value for new over used but you almost have to base the price on the market in general. Just my daughters opinion and perhaps a reasonable approach in mine.

After dealing with all the scammers who call, you will be happy to take anything from anyone who sounds half honest.

It would probably help in selling the bike to find the sales slip or receipt and any owner's book that came with the bike so that the buyer could have any guarantee that WalMart gives with it sales.


Have you considered trying to return the bike to WalMart to get a full refund. They might give one if you explain the circumstances and that the bike is only a few weeks old. I think they give refunds on many items if returned within 30 days