[rx4bills]

Hello, I'm planning to advertise my '96 GT LTS-1 for sale, but need some help with appropriate pricing. I bought the bike new in '96, did some riding sporadically for 1 yr, then pretty much stored the bike till now. The bike is as I bought it, only difference is I had the shop put on the toe clip pedals. Have all the original manuals, documents, etc.
Very close to new condition. How much should I advertise this for?

Thanks for any tips!

Don
Fremont, CA 94539

 

[gm1230126]

Is it the one just listed on ebay with the $450 BIN? Many things to consider:
1) Over all condition of frame...any dents? bad scratches? deep oxidation?
2) Suspension pivot joints and bushings....sloppy or snug with fresh new guts?
3) Chain suck? If any how bad and how deep
4) General overall condition of parts...especially wheels are they true and round and any metal left on the rim sides?
5) Size...probably A#1 most important thing of all. About 80 of the riding public is likely to ride either a 16" or 18" frame....if it's not one of those your buying audience is much smaller and fewer people will be bidding against one another. 18's usually bring the most bids and hence the higher sale price.
6) Quality of your listing and pictures. List it like you did above and it will fail miserably. 12 pictures with lots of close ups only two distant shots one of each side of the bike.

 

[rx4bills]

No, the Ebay listing isn't mine. Mine still has the original tires. If I had to guess how many hours I have rode the bike, it would probably be less than 20 hours. A few small scuffs on the frame, but all the pivot points and such are tight and basically barely used.
I'm sure the brake pads are old and hardened, the tire rubber is kinda old too, but the bike has been stored inside all these years. Back problems and surgery is what ultimately forced my to pick up other hobbies. If it seems reasonable to put this bike up for sale, I'll certainly put out a good quality set of pics of everything I have. I don't think anyone would be disappointed, most likely be very surprised.

Thoughts on pricing?

Don

 

[gm1230126]

Pictures first! I guess my advice would also center on how bad you need the money. I see a fair number of low miles LTS's listed on craigs that start out over $1000 and wind up going on eBay for the 450-500 range four weeks later because they don't get any bites when listed that high on craigs. You also need to keep in mind that the LTS was sold through 1998 in some version or another and the later version had more travel which to most people is more desirable. Yours being an early one maybe nice but it's dinosaurish when compared to the LTS-DS series bikes from later years which naturally have a tendency to fetch more money as they are 9 speed not 8 speed, have more advanced braking and more travel.

 

[EJ]

I hate to say this because I hate to see old stuff get chopped up, but I think if your goal is to get as much cash out of it as possible, your best bet is to part it out.

Someone restoring a vintage ride might be interested in a clean Judy.

Those gold annodized Mavic rims are pretty rare too. The whole wheelset is very light, but those red annodized GT hubs are notorious for grenading themselves.

I wouldn't mind snagging spare 8-spd XT drivetrain parts, esp. shifter/brake levers.

The Titec bar might bring a few bucks on it's own too. Does it still have the Onza bar ends?

Someone might want the frame as a spare, but as GM said, it's pretty dated by today's standards. I'm still riding my 96 until it falls apart though.

Post up some pics.

 

[Eatyapeas]

Yeah unfortunately thats right.

It is a shame to part out an original old bike like that but that is what will fetch you
the most cash.

i am actually in the market for a vintage GT frame (an LTS would be perfect) and
like many others, i already have most of what i need.

If you do decide to part it out, i'll be the first to put up my hand for the frame.

Def still post up pics tho!!!

 

[rx4bills]

Ok, here goes some pics! How they come out ok. I'll include a small assortment of pics, and if anyone wants to see more I can post, or email you full size pics.
Let me know whatcha all think about pricing. Honestly, if all I can get is a few hundred for the bike, I'll keep it intact and ride it around the neigborhood for exercise. Not exactly what it was built for, but more bike than I can buy at Target for the money.

Bike is a little dirty, few scuffs, not much wear. Didn't bother to clean the dirt from the chain when I stored it years ago. Dry grease, not much sticky stuff. BTW, frame is 18".

 

[DeeEight]

If you really wanna try and sell it complete, contact first flight bikes and see if they're interested in an all-original LTS-1 for their collection.

 

[johntheroadie]

Don:

Niiiice LTS. If it was a 16 inch frame, I would've already sent you an offer. If you want to sell it whole, I would think you should start at a minimum of $500. Beater LTS bikes go for less than that, but yours is hardly a beater. Heck, if you can't find someone to give you $500 for it, I'll give you that much for it. lol Good luck on finding her a good home.

 

[gm1230126]

Very nice Bike and in "Royal Garage Queen condition"....Dee, First Flight already has an LTS in their collection one of the only GT's they have. If it were a first year LTS in that condition it would be HOT!

 

[rx4bills]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all the info and suggestions. It's obvious (to everyone, but slowly to me) that I am unlikely to get what I would want for the LTS. The reasons are sound, feelings are not crushed, and I agree completely with the reality.

Money is not the issue, so I've decided to keep the bike, maybe ride it around the neighborhood for mild exercise. Heck, maybe jump a few small curbs

Back problems prevent me from jarring activities, but the LTS can become a cruiser in retirement. It's no longer cutting edge, but still a nice bike. I'll try to enjoy it!

Don

 

[loggerhead]

down the road, if you want to sell it, part it out. i currently have two lts parts on ebay because the 'large' frame wouldn't sell. my offer was $50 and i've listed it 3 times. since i've parted it, i've sold the shock for $25, the chainstay currently has one bid for $20 and the rear linkage has two bids for $15.50. so i've made more than the $50 that i couldn't get for the complete bike meanwhile I still have the main triangle.
i'm sure the frame is big for many and is the main reason people didn't bid. plus, they didn't want to pay the $32 shipping fee for maybe one spare part that they wanted.
lets face it, in reality, the more expensive the bike the more money you will lose as it depreciates. good luck with the lts and have fun riding it.

 

[rx4bills]

Thanks for the info. Parting out usually brings the most cash, especially in very used items, but this bike deserves to be intact, and I'll keep it as such. My dogs will just have a nice shiny bike to run along side of

Don

 

[johntheroadie]

Glad to hear that you're going to keep it in one piece. It's a really nice bike and you don't find them like that anymore. Even if you did sell it and then got seller's remorse, you'd never find another one like it. I know, I still miss one of my GT's that I sold a long time ago. Take care of it and good luck!