Photo: Heavy Tweed Jacket
This time last year, we hardly had any bikes to sell. We were new to the game and almost all the bikes we had came from garage sales. Since then, we have become considerably more efficient at buying bicycles. More trade-ins, more collectors, more scrap pickers, more junk stores saving bikes for us. And, fortunately, for our customers, we are overloaded. Remembering the days when we were so hungry for bicycles, I am poor at moderating acquisition.
Well, it has come to a breaking point. We have too many bikes to ever finish. We are tripping over them. And my personal bicycle collection has swelled so that I need to sell some of my really, really good stuff.
What will you find at Coco's this weekend? About 100 bikes.
20% off our bicycles that have been completely refurbished. We never negotiate on the prices of our refurbed bikes as we have so much money sunk in them. So, this alone is uncommon.
Any project bike is priced to move. These are the bicycles that have not been touched by us. Maybe they need nothing, maybe they need everything. But, we have not assessed. These are bikes for those with a mechanical aptitude.
What are the project bikes?
A 1936 Schwinn skip tooth Liberty with a locking front fork from my personal collection ($300.)
Nice project Schwinn Cruisers. Chicago bikes. Typhoons. Early Arnold Schwinn logos. Cool strep throughs. Nice stuff. Rollfast and Firestone. ($40-$100)
OLD skip tooth step throughs. Iver Johnsons, skirt guards, cool racks that would be expensive on eBay. ($20-$200, mostly under $50, but there is one really good Iver Johnson that would require the full $200.)
Raleigh Professional, all Campy, condition issues (pitting), very tall ($250.) Another Raleigh Technium, also tall, Campy and pitted ($220.) A Raleigh Touring bike ($150.)
KHS Commuter, Bianchi Commuter, Trek Commuter, Nishiki Commuter, Scott Commuter ($40-100.) When we finish these, they sell for $180-250.
A 48 CM Cannondale road bike ($200.)
A BSA Roadster from India ($100, or $200 with the perfect condition hairpin Brooks.)
A lowrider bike, a Stingray with a slick, a Purple Schwinn Varsity. An amazing condition Raleigh Sprite with a Brooks touring saddle from my personal collection.
A Univega ultra light. An all original Motobecane road bike.
Best prices, Memorial Day weekend only. Saturday, Sunday, Monday. Cash talks. We take credit cards, but cash saves us about 4-5%.
We are a store, we do have to charge sales tax.
On craigslist
On Boingboing
On Metblogs LA
Our man Josef is selling high end, Dutch commuter bicycles at his store in Highland Park. If you have been to Holland, you have seen how bikes are not for cyclists but can just a ubiquitous fact of life.
Go see Josef, tell 'em Coco's sent you.
Flying Pigeon
For those who might ask, Coco's Variety was named after my big dog, Coco. More reserved, more noble, less eager to please than my small dog, Eloise, Coco's presence was that of a royal.
I regret to inform that Coco passed away last week at the age of 16. She was a motorcycle sidecar aficionado, a gourmand, an Arctic explorer, a riverboat card sharp, a recognized authority on capybaras, a biplane pilot, a barrister, a gold prospector, and was expert in the repair of Tiffany lampshades.
Her quiet nobility always was, and always will be, an inspiration to me.
