is this the antiques road show?

[waynelass]

i have noticed a lot of people ,find a mini and come here to find out what it,s worth,as if they should buy it or not ,what to sell it for.for me as an enthusist, it dose,t matter. i go look at it ,if i like it i buy it,if it seems a little steep ,i will haggle .over the years working in the steel buisness for various steel fab shops you have many friends .where i work i have access to sandblasting equiptment ,lathe, milling machine,drill presses ,mig,s tigs,shear and breakes .need welding got over and talk to one of the welder,s .i an lucky it that way.i dont come on here to ask how much it,s worth because it is pointless.by the time you buy even a roller for say a hundread dollars ,the cost of restoration can easily run over a thousand . so the way i see it is i buy what i like, restore what i like and the cost really dosent matter because you can never recoupe what you have in them anyways.for me it is a hobby i enjoy ,spend more money in it than i should ,the same as everyone else on the site doe,s .so does it matter how much it cost,s? my wife just shakes her head in bisbelief . so i will continue to buy what i like ,pay what i think is fair and build away .:thumbsup:

 

[GTO]

the cost of restoration can easily run over a thousand

I understand what you're saying about buy them because you like them but Some brands are worth a lot of money and to find them cheap makes it that much better becuse you can sell them at a profit if you wanted to.

No need to spend even $300 restoring if you do the work yourself and the bike is complete.

 

[waynelass]

in canada it,s not that easy they were never made here ,eveyone had to be imported ,mini,s are rare hard to find, but not impossible .lot of work and time driving.cable,s and most parts have to come from usa.we have to pay duty on top , plus 20 cents on the dollar and no flat fee shipping .the cost is much higher up here:thumbsup:

 

[Strigoi]

i doubt most new people on here because of stuff like that. for me, if i like it then i'll buy it. there are lots of people that only post to find out what their mini is worth so they can make money on it. i think that attitude is bullshit and doesn't help this hobby at all.

i'd rather give a frame that's worth some money to a person that loves minis and will do something with it than make a few bucks.

 

[huckersteve]

what he said! Fix em' and ride em'!

 

[thebronc4019]

I totally agree with the first post. If I buy a project bike, car etc... I build it because it is what I love to do. When the project is complete I use it. The K&S I recently did appears to be somewhat rare. That does not always mean that the bike is worth more. One way or another it doesn't matter to me. I love the way the bike turned out, I ride it and it's not for sale just like everything else that I have built.

 

[jeep4me]

I can go either way on this. Don't get me wrong, I love this hobby, but if I see a bike I think I can make some money on the way it sits or with just some light work, I'll buy it and then resell it. That profit money goes towards the other bikes I am keeping and fixing up.

I don't come on here to ask the worth of a mini because I think that all depends on the region of the country you're in. Minibikes here in Grand Rapids usually won't sell if they are over $300, unless they are immaculate. I've had people email me when I have a mini for sale near that price and say they can get a "brand new one" for $300 at Pep Boys. Well, not a FOX Doodle Bug you can't.

So I think it all has to do with location. I don't sell on ebay, only here and craigslist so I don't have to guess what it may be worth to someone in Cal, or Florida.

Most people come here to find out about something they obviously no nothing about, as I did when I got my first mini almost 2 years ago, and if I can help them like people helped me, I will, everytime. But if they're coming on here just to try and sell something at an outrageous price, I simply won't buy. If they are truly into this hobby then they'll be around with more ?'s, and hopefully I can have some of the answers.

 

[waynelass]

jeep4me is very lucky ,most mini,s were manufactrued in michigan and heavily distributed there.you can find good deals. the farther you get away from michigan the price,s seem to change .in canada were none were produced it,s really hard to find ,maybee in ontario it might be a little easier ,but in western canada there few and far between .when you sell a roller will you ship to canada? ups pm me because i know you have several and live in the mini belt .:thumbsup:

 

[TeeksOffroad]

No need to spend even $300 restoring if you do the work yourself and the bike is complete.



I have spent that on paint

 

[ohman11]

No need to spend even $300 restoring if you do the work yourself and the bike is complete.



I have spent that on paint

I just had one powder coated and when it was all said and done it was close to 300. I see what GTO is saying though, you don't have to spend that much if you don't want to but the cat I did is well worth the money to me. I just wish my camera would take better pics so I could show how great it looks.

 

[waynelass]

i think we all have different levels of restorations ,and lengths that we will go in our hobby:wink:

 

[jeep4me]

$300 for powder coating??!! I'm having the Tote Gote sand blasted, powder coated and clear coated for $120 - TOTAL!!

Economy in MI is the worst in the nation right now, so people are lowering their prices just to get some, any, business.

 

[waynelass]

thats a bargin:thumbsup:

 

[GTO]

i think we all have different levels of restorations ,and lengths that we will go in our hobby:wink:

And I think there's different levels of throwing money at it.:wink:

Like I said,, If you have a "complete" bike and restore all the parts yourself it will cost much less.

 

[GTO]

When I first came here (not long ago) I didn't know squat about mini's or the engines/parts. My first question here wasn't "whats it worth" but rather "what is it?".

I learned a lot here and was glad to find this place, it's the best board out there and the reason I support it.:thumbsup:

I'm not into mini's for the profit and have only sold 3 frames I didn't care for (at a low price). I don't believe in dumping a lot into them either though since the whole reason for mini bikes was low cost, FUN, and KISS ( "keep it simple stupid".) Finding good deals and saving money bringing them back to life is half the fun for me and almost a sport in itself.

I like mini's because they crack me up and I smile every time I look at one. (well most) Some people look at them only as money makers and many part them out on e-bay. I just hope the dismembered,sacrificed, classic goes to saving a few more that where allowed to live on for the next gen.:doah:

 

[waynelass]

well said gto:thumbsup:

 

[kyle moody]

see how much you spend when u go to the chrome shop its not cheap at all :doah:

 

[jimh]

Down here we just use cheap silver spray paint and call it Indiana chrome. Or duct tape AKA Oklahoma chrome.:biggrin: Actually, I avoid bikes with chrome or blast it away and paint the parts. Chrome and iron ore dust ,that's everywhere around here, don't mix well.

 

[steven Durham]

For what it's worth

When I first came here (not long ago) I didn't know squat about mini's or the engines/parts. My first question here wasn't "whats it worth" but rather "what is it?".

I learned a lot here and was glad to find this place, it's the best board out there and the reason I support it.:thumbsup:

I'm not into mini's for the profit and have only sold 3 frames I didn't care for (at a low price). I don't believe in dumping a lot into them either though since the whole reason for mini bikes was low cost, FUN, and KISS ( "keep it simple stupid".) Finding good deals and saving money bringing them back to life is half the fun for me and almost a sport in itself.

I like mini's because they crack me up and I smile every time I look at one. (well most) Some people look at them only as money makers and many part them out on e-bay. I just hope the dismembered,sacrificed, classic goes to saving a few more that where allowed to live on for the next gen.:doah:

GTO : One thing you left out and it is a big factor. It is the family connection how your reference to your son's involvement in what the two of you do together, and that is the priceless part of this "sport " we call mini biking .
When I was growing up my father worked on his old cars from necessity and we worked together because we did not have all the distractions kids today have. In my young days school offered shops where we learned how to make things in metal shop and auto shop, wood shop I know that interest made me the tool nut I am today.
So by doing a lot of your work yourself with your son by your side and a wife that is tolerant enough to allow mini bikes in the kitchen you have a great grip on your son's future as a man. I see this is the way it should be.
Steve

 

[GTO]

GTO : One thing you left out and it is a big factor. It is the family connection how your reference to your son's involvement in what the two of you do together, and that is the priceless part of this "sport " we call mini biking .
When I was growing up my father worked on his old cars from necessity and we worked together because we did not have all the distractions kids today have. In my young days school offered shops where we learned how to make things in metal shop and auto shop, wood shop I know that interest made me the tool nut I am today.
So by doing a lot of your work yourself with your son by your side and a wife that is tolerant enough to allow mini bikes in the kitchen you have a great grip on your son's future as a man. I see this is the way it should be.
Steve

True, you should hear some of the abuse we give each other while working on mini's. :doah: And he's right most of the time.:doah: "I told you so" comes up a lot. Sometimes he loses interest so I tell him he needs to "get his mind right" and we go for a ride and it straightens him out. :thumbsup: