If you keep buying from them you WILL eventually encounter issues.  Some serious and some very minor.  Let me be clear on my own experiences with them........   I realize all this stuff was once housed in a old tin warehouse and got moved to Texas when Earl passed away.  Not all of the inventory is new.  Some stuff will have storage damage or even shipping damage.  NOS doesn't mean mint a lot of times.  If you buy from them and have an issue like you received the wrong product they will resolve it in some way or another if you act in a timely fashion .  I am not sure how Earl kept his inventory back in the day and am sure his daughter has had a chore figuring it out and im guessing because of that fact I personally have received the wrong hoops but they fixed the error.  I didn't ever feel like they were trying to scam anyone I just don't believe they are as passionate about the inventory as most of us are as buyers and collectors.  Like anything in this world I will assume when they eventually run out of inventory they will have been paid out on their inheritance.  End of story

Last edited by Rolexmd69bmxaloT (2019-07-01 10:24am)

jberg27 wrote:

At some point doesn't the barn/warehouse finally have to run out of old stuff?  It seems like they are approaching that point and then what are they going to do??

no they keep buying used BMX clean them up then part them out. Bam restocked barn/ ebay store.

stonie wrote:

FRESSTYLE FREEK wrote:

jberg27 wrote:

At some point doesn't the barn/warehouse finally have to run out of old stuff?  It seems like they are approaching that point and then what are they going to do??

no they keep buying used BMX clean them up then part them out. Bam restocked barn/ ebay store.

Hmmm, really?
How do you know this Freek?

their was another thread on museum about it. but thread went south of like a crazy train and it just diapered/ got locked down or what ever you call it. when you can't find it any more.. some members were calming they sold their bike locally to some one . then seen it for sale on ebay under Earl's stuff.

stonie wrote:

FRESSTYLE FREEK wrote:

stonie wrote:

Hmmm, really?
How do you know this Freek?

their was another thread on museum about it. but thread went south of like a crazy train and it just diapered/ got locked down or what ever you call it. when you can't find it any more.. some members were calming they sold their bike locally to some one . then seen it for sale on ebay under Earl's stuff.

Ahha, well that sounds interesting.

Thanks for the explanation     

That ebay seller has a story, which actually is a great business move.
One of the top things a company needs when marketing is a solid story about the company.
You know, something that pulls at the the consumer heart strings kinda like donating to charity/helping the needy/etc.

That said I have never seen it stated that they only sell what Earl had passed down.
So really it's not shady or anything like that if they sell other things that weren't Earls stuff.

Agreed.  All that matters is you got what you saw in pics and read about in the description.

I have bought a lot of stuff from them.  Had an issue with one item they resolved immediately.

My only "problem" is what was stated, they do not have the passion for the bikes and it is all about getting maximum money out of them.  But that is another discussion.

Overall, my experience with them was positive.

jberg27 wrote:

It seems like its fair to say to Earl was a magician when it came to managing his working capital in order to hold that much inventory before he closed.  I recall the bike shops I frequented as a a kid and they had no where near the backstock that he seemed to accumulate.  It would not have taken my local shop year's to work off their leftover inventory.

Yeah, however, I believe Earl was a collector, too.  Probably had the shop stock and then Earl's stock.

The story and status of what is left of Earl's stuff yet and whether that is what's being sold, kinda reminds me of Mitchell's Mausers. Seller who originally got a hold of caches of WW2 era Mausers and corresponding accessories for them. Now, how do you keep that business model going when you run out of secret stores of mausers?

fairlyodddad wrote:

Ricknyc2000 wrote:

Hey just my thoughts on this topic off topic. I recently made a purchase from a seller from Australia. Same gimmick, selling off his old school NOS stock that he been collecting for past 30 years plus. Paid $500 for a set of NOS Nippons with Lever and cables. Guess what? Received brake set with cables that were clearly used and abused. Filed claim with Ebay. He was nasty about the ordeal, but I  got my money refunded and shipped his items back.

Howidothis by chance?

WOW! You hit the nail right on the head. Yep that's him. You've dealt with him???

Earl was great. RIP. I bought a thing or 2 off him on ebay and it was just as described but these "family" members are ruthless. That Auburn they had/have for sale is no way NOS but anyways wtf do I know. I do know if Earl was still alive today he'd be smacking them kids around with that ruler he had.
The parting of NOS bicycles should be a law punishable by a life of sanding and polishing with no chance of parole.

FRESSTYLE FREEK wrote:

badbill wrote:

Earl was great. RIP. I bought a thing or 2 off him on ebay and it was just as described but these "family" members are ruthless. That Auburn they had/have for sale is no way NOS but anyways wtf do I know. I do know if Earl was still alive today he'd be smacking them kids around with that ruler he had.
The parting of NOS bicycles should be a law punishable by a life of sanding and polishing with no chance of parole.

those were the good old days. he had NOS in the box Gyros in every color of the rainbow. for $25.00 each. now his his kids sell ones puled off bikes. just  one piece of the Gyro $40.00 

I know. It's sad. They should really get real jobs.

Old ass thread but whatever
Way back in 1996 I bought a brand new GT Mach Two at the bike shop that came with wheels like that, that had sanded sidewalls.
It was very rough and didnt look factory yet it's how it came from the factory.
I remember it looked like someone took 40 grit and sanded in 2 directions kinda like XXXXXXX...

Earls stuff had alway done right by me. I got these blazing grips got a song. Tell me they aren’t the real thing