Do you find yourself changing your targeted base from time to time?

dereksbicycles

dereksbicycles

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As a seller, do you find yourself changing your targeted base from time to time? For example, if I was selling bikes in June, I would try to figure what kind of bike someone would like to have for riding on bike path by beach. For December, I have to try to figure what kind of bike someone would want as a Christmas gift either for themselves or to give someone. I would love some feedbacks.

I'm sure you figured by now that I'm in Chicago area. If I were in Texas or AZ, my target would be different.

Any feedbacks would be welcomed on what you think my targeted base should be.

Also, if you've sold things either in the present or the past, feel free to share experience about your targets. Working at Target does not count. Targeted bases are what interests me :).
 
I'd think kids bikes for Christmas. Maybe tricycles and scooters, too. I'd look more at kids than adults. I'd think adults serious about cycling looking to get something for themselves or spouse are probably looking at something more high end, at least here - racing bikes are very big here. Many clubs and seems to be a race or charity event every weekend from Spring through Fall.
 
See that bicycle as my avatar? That's a 24-speed bicycle, and the shade of blue is similar to Chicago Blue, and because of that, I get a lot of attention with it, and chances are, it's likely a bicycle many people would love to have.
 
Definitely! My target changes a lot with the holidays.... After christmas I'll have the wave of boudoir shoots to gift for Valentines day. After that it's photos of kids for fathers/mothers day. After that it's wedding season. Then back to holiday rush for cards and gifts.... that's why i'm not online much these past few weeks! lol

I think you need to market to why people are buying. I wouldn't push holiday photos and cards in the spring.
 
I am paying attention. The whole business of selling is one I have stayed out of. Now I have a commercial property and am thinking of how to do something interesting with it. It is here in Alaska in an area of stunning mountain scenery. All the money went to buy the land so my endeavors will be small and inexpensive for a while.
I want my target group first to be the small local population. I have not watched any Alaska reality shows and Sarah Palin gives me a giant pain in the rear. She is the one who in her half term before she quit being governor introduced and passed the legislation to give tax breaks and incentives for all that garbage. The locals are just regular people living life. We love it here. We are not a dumbass tv show. I want a place where we can pull up on our snowmachines, four wheelers, trucks, cars and bicycles and have a nice cup of coffee. Hot chocolate for the kids. Cinnamon toast with lots of butter. That kind of thing. Low key. Not much profit.
 
goodonya said:
I am paying attention. The whole business of selling is one I have stayed out of. Now I have a commercial property and am thinking of how to do something interesting with it. It is here in Alaska in an area of stunning mountain scenery. All the money went to buy the land so my endeavors will be small and inexpensive for a while.
I want my target group first to be the small local population. I have not watched any Alaska reality shows and Sarah Palin gives me a giant pain in the rear. She is the one who in her half term before she quit being governor introduced and passed the legislation to give tax breaks and incentives for all that garbage. The locals are just regular people living life. We love it here. We are not a dumbass tv show. I want a place where we can pull up on our snowmachines, four wheelers, trucks, cars and bicycles and have a nice cup of coffee. Hot chocolate for the kids. Cinnamon toast with lots of butter. That kind of thing. Low key. Not much profit.
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I know a show! Alaska State Troopers! Love it.
 
I do pay attention to what people are riding at the current time. If they like it, then I am sure others will too. That helps in my sales.
 
dereksbicycles said:
I do pay attention to what people are riding at the current time. If they like it, then I am sure others will too. That helps in my sales.
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Trek bicycles are quite popular. I haven't yet gotten any offers for my blue bicycle, but I'd be open to selling it, though, as well as this one.
 

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markengland29 said:
Trek bicycles are quite popular. I haven't yet gotten any offers for my blue bicycle, but I'd be open to selling it, though, as well as this one.
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If you or anyone here on Alldeaf wants to sell a bike, I'll be more than happy to give a fair assessment on value of the bike itself.
 
Then there is the fact that selling bikes is only the tip of the iceberg.
The more people riding bikes means more sales. What are you doing to encourage more people to ride?

More riding opportunities are being pioneered all the time. I see in western Washington where the mountain bike riders are finding new riding turf on the big timber company lands. It is driving the hunters crazy but the bike riders are having a blast.

The best rides to me have the least amount of cars and trucks involved. I watched a guy get run over just the other day. He was okay - he shot out from under his crushed bike like he was springloaded. The driver it was easy to see just did not see him even though I could see her looking where he was.
 
goodonya said:
Then there is the fact that selling bikes is only the tip of the iceberg.
The more people riding bikes means more sales. What are you doing to encourage more people to ride?

More riding opportunities are being pioneered all the time. I see in western Washington where the mountain bike riders are finding new riding turf on the big timber company lands. It is driving the hunters crazy but the bike riders are having a blast.
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Good question!! I like the way you think. I should figure ways to get people to want to ride more often.
 
I am not trying to be crude here but one aspect to bike riding that somehow gets overlooked but is real is that the result is sexy. The powerful butt muscles and overall healthy conditioning combine to put a sexier adult on their feet* whether it be man or woman.

*fixed
 
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goodonya said:
I am not trying to be crude here but one aspect to bike riding that somehow gets overlooked but is real is that the result is sexy. The powerful butt muscles and overall healthy conditioning combine to put a sexier adult on the ground whether it be man or woman.
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All I can think of with your comment is the Triplets of Belleville....
belleville03.jpg


[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=be_eolFDZTo[/ame]
 
I had to go look that one up I missed it when it came out. Whoa. That is one I would get a kick out of.
 
goodonya said:
I had to go look that one up I missed it when it came out. Whoa. That is one I would get a kick out of.
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The Triplets? It's AWESOME. I love the director.... he did the Illusionist, Je T'aime Paris... I've loveeeed his films. They're very artsy.

The Triplets of Belleville though has absolutely no dialogue (minus the channels flipping on tv)... it's about a guy who gets kidnapped while racing the Tour de France for some guy's evil plan. His grandma rescues him with his fat dog. lol
 
ohmylight said:
The Triplets? It's AWESOME. I love the director.... he did the Illusionist, Je T'aime Paris... I've loveeeed his films. They're very artsy.

The Triplets of Belleville though has absolutely no dialogue (minus the channels flipping on tv)... it's about a guy who gets kidnapped while racing the Tour de France for some guy's evil plan. His grandma rescues him with his fat dog. lol
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My butt cheeks are nice and firm-- good for handling hard falls on a frozen sidewalk.
 
Hi ohmylight, I watched some you tube trailers for it after you mentioned it. Mind boggling cool cartoon subject stuff, cracked me up. Pure crazy genius. Kind of reminded me of what Steve Martin used to do patching different things together and somehow making it work. I am so far behind on what people are up to now.
 
goodonya said:
Hi ohmylight, I watched some you tube trailers for it after you mentioned it. Mind boggling cool cartoon subject stuff, cracked me up. Pure crazy genius. Kind of reminded me of what Steve Martin used to do patching different things together and somehow making it work. I am so far behind on what people are up to now.
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Never too late to be caught up!
Or march to the beat of your own drum hahaha
 
2vn4592.jpg


An old Hawthorne bike we saw in antiques mall. $65 and I never heard of the brand before.
 
dereksbicycles said:
I do pay attention to what people are riding at the current time. If they like it, then I am sure others will too. That helps in my sales.
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I pay attention to what people ride too but to get a better idea of what I want in a bike. Just over the summer, I sold my Swinn Hybrid bike for $250. It weighed about 30 lbs, it was a "comfort bike" and I actually had a hard time balancing on it and using it. It looked like this:

Women's Runaround Cruiser Bike: Comfort Bikes at L.L.Bean

I had to pull it in and out of the van and I couldn't do it alone given the considerable weight. With the weather here I was only able to ride it in the warm months and only on the bike trail. It was way too heavy to use for long distance. I felt like a newbie or elderly person trying to ride it and it was nothing like what I used to ride when I lived at the house.

I took the money from the sale and just added to it with each paycheck and when I get a new one about February or April, I'm going to get a different type - still not sure what....I like the tires of the mountain bike not being so fragile but I like the lightweight of the road bike...I do know where I'll be shopping though...

Woody's Cyclery Middleton, MA Jamis | Eddy Merckx | Colnago | Pinarello


Laura
 
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