best time to sell for highest price

[Benzz]

I live In Philly pennsylvania and it is starting to get cold. Should i try to sell my bike now for the price i want or just wait untill next season when it starts to get warmer outside. because i think i will have a better chance to sell it next season when everyone wants a bike and will pay top $ instead of talking me down... is my idea right or wrong? opinions...

[aussieidiot]

down here its better to sell coming into summer because there are more buyers so you can hold out for more money. BUT there are more bikes too so competition is also harder to sell.

coming into winter there are less "its hot, lets get bikes" type of buyers. there are more buyers who know what they want and know bikes can be cheaper after summer.

ultimately its time to sell when you have time to sell. before summer you may get a flood of buyers all tyre kicking trying to negotiate where as in winter you'll get serious buyers but less of them.

dealers claim to move more bikes in spring. as do the bike sale stats.

how much will the bike drop in value since it will be technically a year older if you wait?

[jeffcoslacker]

The best time to sell here in the US is centered right around Memorial Day....most dealers sell more bikes that week than ony other of the year...

It's been a long cold winter. Spring has sprung, and every day you see more and more bikes out, each time you see one it tickles that urge in you to get on two wheels before the summer...

Then Memorial Day everybody and their duck is out on their bike, you can't throw a rock without hitting a pack of bikes...you want to get out there and ride so bad you're about to piss yourself...

And you'll buy fast and pay a premium price to get the machine you've been wanting.

Smart/non-impulsive people are buying their bikes now, dealers are overstocked, people are getting a taste of that 40 degree morning ride and not liking it, and not knowing where to store their bike for the winter...thinking maybe selling thier car last Memorial Day weekend to buy that sportbike wasn't such a great idea after all...

Craigslist and the papers are littered with below market value used bikes right now, and all the dealers are doing their "last hurrah before the cold weather sets in" sales events, customer appreciation days and sponsored rides, all trying to get people into their parking lot where they'll see new bikes and hopefully buy now before they go into winter mode and start laying off sales staff....

You get the picture. If you can, hold onto it until April or May.

[speediva]

Ah, a fellow sufferer of PennDOT! Welcome!

As was mentioned before, you will be able to sell now, but you won't get top dollar for your bike. Wait until at least March (longer if you can). PA's riding season doesn't really begin until May most years.

Oh, and I hope you are just selling to get a new ride!

[Paul79UF]

If I were you, I'd put some ads in craigslist.com / backpage.com now and just hold out for the price you really want.

Then repeat the process when it starts to warm up if you didn't sell it in winter to a serious buyer.