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Help! Two bikes to restore
#1
Hi I have two bikes that I've owned for several years now that have been sitting around collecting dust and i'm in a really tight spot for money right now. Looking to restore and sell the bikes.

Left is (i believe) a haro f1 HH BMX bike, I don't know the model or how much it's worth or anything.

Right is a Gary Fisher 'Kid Specific' design mountain bike, I also wasn't able to find a model or a value on the bike.

The haro F1 has been sitting out in the rain for several years and has accumulated a lot of rust. The gary fisher has been garaged, slight dust here and there. Can anybody help me out? How to restore and the value of the bikes
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#2
Mike; sorry to tell bicycle restoration is a black hole hobby, not anything that you can make money on. Our member named Painkiller is an exception because he paid for his tools and many of his parts years ago.

In mint condition, you MIGHT be able to get $300- for the pair in the SF Bay Area, which is a very high priced area for bikes. It will cost you $500- to $1K, plus labor to get them to mint condition.
Nigel
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#3
I would not go as high on resale value or cost to fix up, but the most expensive metal on a bike is rust, so I don't think I'd bother with the bmx bike much at all - putting much more than $15 into it would be unwise. The other bike suffers from a limited market - that being girls/women, low end bike. Not much upside. I would do adjustment, avoid parts if possible, then research on Craigslist in your area to see what the market is.
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#4
Different areas have different values. Here in LA the BMX bikes are hot.
Never Give Up!!!
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#5
Hello Mike, Bob Here. I understand the money crunch, it can be contagious nowadays that's for sure. I would like to see some more clear close up pics of the bicycles, However this would be the short version of the formula I use when it comes to a bicycle I have interest in and how I figure what I want pay and what I think the market in my area will sell for. With that said here is the break down
Both these bikes are low on the totem pole, you are low on cash. Dollars in will not equate to dollars out as Cnyman and Nigel expressed, and I agree. However, sweat equity is in, its free as long as you do not charge yourself labor and will increase sale value. You do need to pinpoint the original value more closely to be effective. the short formula. An average bicycle/run of the mill so to speak, that needs nothing but to hop on and ride, 5 yrs. or older would sell for roughly 30% to 40% of original value. so your Haro looks to be around a $250. hop and ride condition you are looking at $125. If it needs totally gone thru, has bad paint, needs tubes tires, chain and so on it would go from $125 to about half again and only to someone that really wants it for what ever their reasons are. This would apply to your other bike too.
So I would recommend just doing the best job you can to clean and polish them up to make them more appealing to the buyer. Dirt and grime is not a selling point. Spend some time degreasing and polishing every nook and cranny on each bike. a big favorite of mine is Turtlewax Polishing compound. This can make a big difference in your take. I would expect to get around $60 to $80 a piece for the bikes you have. The funny thing about used Bmx/Freestyle bikes From my experience is, I can ask $50 for the bike and get no calls at all. Take the wheels off and just sell those and the phone rings off the hook, when they come for those I go for $20 more you can have the the rest of it. sounds stupid huh? well here is your chance to find out what I mean. So , clean the crap out of them, price about 1/3 of original value and post them. save your money and them them go!
There are two kinds of people in the world, "Those who help themselves to people, and those who help people!"
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