Selling parts. To clean or not to clean? That is the question!

[MulletMan420]

Well with scrap prices being completely horrendous, I need to start something new to make some extra greenbacks. I have been interested in selling parts online for quite awhile. I have pretty much become the local source for when people need parts and wpuld like to expand alittle bit. So I finally bought myself a shipping scale to start out.

So basically my question is, what parts have the best market, and what's worth cleaning up and restoring, vs selling as is?

For example, I just scored a lot of parts for $50, 4 gas tanks (83-85 200x, 200E, 250ES and 250sx) some plastics for a200e in rough shape, and 2 200 engines that are half torn apart. I also have some 84 110 parts in a box. Nowe every tank has some jb weld or leak repair on the bottom, so what would the market on those be? And as far as the engines, the top ends are apart, valves are rusted slightly on both. Would the be worth it to do a valve job on, then resell? Obviously R and X parts have alot more of a market then these parts, but they gotta be worth something, right? I'll get some pictures up later after work. Thanks for any input guys!

[briano]

So, you bought 4 rusted out tanks, had set of plastics and 2 junk motors for $50 and want to make money on them? Would you be interested in overpaying for the stuff in my scrap pile?

[MulletMan420]

No, but I would be interested in receiving a worthwhile reply, thanks

[yaegerb]

Well with scrap prices being completely horrendous, I need to start something new to make some extra greenbacks. I have been interested in selling parts online for quite awhile. I have pretty much become the local source for when people need parts and wpuld like to expand alittle bit. So I finally bought myself a shipping scale to start out.

So basically my question is, what parts have the best market, and what's worth cleaning up and restoring, vs selling as is?

For example, I just scored a lot of parts for $50, 4 gas tanks (83-85 200x, 200E, 250ES and 250sx) some plastics for a200e in rough shape, and 2 200 engines that are half torn apart. I also have some 84 110 parts in a box. Nowe every tank has some jb weld or leak repair on the bottom, so what would the market on those be? And as far as the engines, the top ends are apart, valves are rusted slightly on both. Would the be worth it to do a valve job on, then resell? Obviously R and X parts have alot more of a market then these parts, but they gotta be worth something, right? I'll get some pictures up later after work. Thanks for any input guys!

Honestly I couldn't bring myself to sell tanks with JB weld in them...to me that's a paperweight, but everyone is different. I guess if someone is in dire need you could probably sell them for 10-15 a piece, or you could get them welded and sell for more. Plastics in rough shape would likely cost you more to ship than you may get out of them, so I would try to move those locally. The 200 engines will sell best as individual components. If you choose to sell as a complete engine I would at least check bore, valves, rings, tranny, etc. Depending on condition you could get 1-250 out of them, but I would need to see pics.

[Dirtcrasher]

Lots of parts, but few buyers. It's been this way for awhile now.

Brian Ward has been trying to sell/just about give his parts away, and he can't get anyone to bite.

[MulletMan420]

Thanks for the input guys. I pretty much figured the plastics are a bust as far as online goes. Personally, I wouldn't be interested in the jb weld tanks either. I have thought about trying to get them patched/welded aswell. They are pretty rough though. The one engine I have is 75% complete and the other is half gone. Both have the top ends off them, so they will most likely go for the separate components.

[Mosh]

The hard tail parts are tough to even give away. Carbs and stuff, axles in decent shape will sell if cleaned up.'
I used to have 20 bins full of parts..Mostly popular 2 stroke stuff. It took years to finally liquidate all of it. 250R carbs, engine parts, harnesses, Tri-Z stuff...Forks, plastics etc. The stuff that was not clean, I cleaned it before selling at least where a buyer could inspect The items. Some stuff was next to new, and that always sold well..
There just is not a huge market on trike stuff for sale especially when you get to those smaller model lines. Most people want to buy a cheap three wheeler, that can run with a little work, or buy something mint but don't wanna spend the money, or build something ground up using mostly new parts.
However there are some items you can keep and eye out for that can turn a decent profit.. Pull starters do well, 70 stuff does okay, if you can find faded tri-z headlights and shrouds and polish them out nice, you can turn a few bucks there, actually a lot of money, but they take hours of work..
Liquid R parts especially engine stuff does good. We still have seat pans for tons of trikes, we cant give away, and even when we rework them to nice complete seats they bring like 50-60 bucks..
It is just not worth the effort many times as negative as that sounds..But guys in your area may be different. We have a salvage yard full of sub "performance" model trikes that are just sinking into the mud around here.

As for cleaning, personally if I look at stuff that looks like hell, I am not interested. If it has broken studs tons of rust, I will not buy it unless I am desperate.
Years back I bought 2 pallets full of 110,125,185 stuff.. Frames, seats, plastics, engines, etc etc..for 75$. It took 3 years to sell 300$ worth of the stuff, and I drug the rest to the scrapper. IMHO usually Z, 200x, 350x, 250R, tecate stuff has the most profit return, but you can't find that stuff cheap like you used to. We used to drag home truckloads of that stuff for next to nothing, and make some killer money..
Those deals are all but impossible to find anymore sadly.

[MulletMan420]

Thank you very much, you have pretty much answered all of my questions! I do see a lot of 200, 110 and other small model stuff sit around for awhile on eBay. I have been into trikes for about 3 years, and in just that time, or atlest in my area, the interest in them has diffinitely increased. You can hardly find them on Craigslist in my area anymore. I figured there was no getting rich on these parts, especially in the shape there in. I'll clean them up alittle, let them sit around and we what happens.

[Rob Canadian]

Post up pics.

Depends on the area on what things go for. Sure if you you put them on the 'bay' than shipping plays an issue. On a side note. Someone was selling a CDI unit for my trike. (used) heck for a couple bucks more I ordered a brand new Honda one from the dealer. People get greedy.

[atcmatt]

eBay prices are a joke. Just take a look at 350x stuff. People sell absolute junk on there also which really boils my blood!