Collector, or looking to make a buck!

[Tri-Z 250]

I have run into a few people who claim to be collectors. I don't consider myself a collector...I ride. I find more and more the term collector is used by most E-bay dealers as a discription. The majority of them claim...bike too fast, cleaning out the garage, I'm really a (insert brand) guy, I really only know what the perivious seller told me (I only rode it twice). The later is the dead give away of I just spray bombed and armoralled the hell of this smoking deal which I'm flipping for hundreds more. The price is the second give away....I'm not talking about hard to find ORIGINAL Mfg in plastic parts either (you set a $ and if someone wants to pay they will). I mean used 20 year old parts bikes bought for $50 then seperating them to a return of $250-500. I'm not mad in any way, its the term collector I keep hearing. If you buy and part out for profit your more like Fred G Sanford (the g stands for great Grady deals). I understand the money is better in parts than whole machines no argument there (sad to see though). True deals come from good folks looking to help out someone in need. I thank everyone I've delt with and have may more thanks to give in the future I'm sure. I guess there isn't a real point to make here just an observation. Do collectors buy to sell for profit? If so how long is it in your collectible hands before it becomes worth more than you paid for it?

[Frankencelery]

I don't know about calling themselves collectors, but I see more and more people selling parted out trikes at a fixed cost, and I feel they're taking advantage of those of us who really ARE collectors. I've parted out two trikes and sold the parts myself, but they were machines that weren't running and I didn't want to spend the time or money to get running.

I'm all for making a few bucks, but somehow the trike market seems a bit....sleazier lately. Or is that just Ebay, which didn't used to suck?

[Tri-Z 250]

Well collecting is the search of items of value with a history. As a collector you know both...correct. So when a guy tells me he's a collector and has no idea what he has except a price thats top dollar....Well Fred G Sanford the G now stands for greed. I am NOT bashing anyone parting out bikes, cars, or 3 wheelers. It's kinda like the China bikes being sold outside the local barber shop. These people use US as gauges to what is the price of a part. Too bad people see top dollar sales off E-bay and think thats the going price. It is a shame that alot of cool stuff is so expensive like swingarms...Big dollar "collectors" snach them up pretty quick.... Are they on a bike or on the wall? Who knows I guess the value is zero until someone puts the frist bid in...then the seller can pull out if he's not satisfied with the bidding. Oh well thanks for reading my rant.

[beets442]

We have a few people(old bike forum) that call themselves collectors and they strip them as fast as they collect them. Glad someones getting leery about this too. I don't want to offend anyone that makes a living stripping bikes but, we don't need people tearing apart good rides(bikes,three's, collectables) to make a buck..It just drives the price up on these rides, thus harder to get....My .02