Find a Hobby That Makes You Money!

Believe it or not, New Jersey has islands. I live on one named Ocean City, or as the city calls it, “America’s Greatest Family Resort.” As an escape to Philadelphia’s hot summers, the Doughten family has vacationed here since 1946 and finally moved in permanently in the early 2000s. Funnel cake, saltwater taffies, and chocolate fudge fill the town. Oh, and everyone rides a bike.

As a retirement hobby, my Grandfather William fixed and refurbished older bicycles to working conditions and my Aunt Barbara sold them to seasonal workers. Early this past summer, I thought I could have a share of the operation and decided to open shop next door. Two Wheels is the name.

Finding a Bike

Before I sold my first bike, I needed to find one to sell. There are two strategies that offer a steady source of bicycles in different conditions: 1) touring the neighborhood for trashed bicycles and 2) posting an advertisement that welcomed neighbors to call me to pick up unwanted bicycles. Ocean City residents call me to pick up bicycles from the side of their house or in their garage. Simply, just get it off their property.

Throughout this past summer, I sourced between 15 and 20 bicycles, and continue to do so.

Repairing

The next step is understanding what I was looking at. After reading Park Tool Big Blue Book of Bike Repair and watching a few YouTube videos, I gained confidence in assessing bikes for mechanical issues. Oftentimes, the sourced bicycles are missing an inner tube, or the chain has rust. Those repairs are simple and inexpensive with spare parts and oil. You will quickly learn that most bike parts are interchangeable. Surprisingly, a few bikes were in perfect working condition.

To test my knowledge, I took a road bike completely apart and reassembled it to understand how the parts interacted with each other and spray paint the frame. I painted Two Wheels in green on the side for free advertising and consider the bike my flagship. Although frustrating at times, this exercise reinforced what I learned in Park Tool Big Blue Book of Bike Repair and provided hands-on experience. I learned how to properly oil the sprocket, tighten the bolts, and adjust the brake lines.

Once the sourced bike was fixed to Two Wheels’ standards and everything seemed to work, I took each bike on a test ride around the corner to check everything was working properly. I feared a customer testing the bike and it suddenly falling apart, such as the wheel rolling down the street without the bike. Safety is a main concern because the bikes ride on the road with cars and pedestrians.

Selling

After test-riding, I used a rag to remove dust from the bike frame and employed steel wool to attack the rust on the wheel frames. The extra cosmetic work is necessary to post the picture on Craigslist, Two Wheels’ preferred marketplace.

After posting on Craigslist, I would receive emails and calls about the bike posted. I coordinated with customers to meet me and checkout the bike. On a few occasions, I delivered it. Unknowingly, my Uncle Sal responded to my ad on Craigslist and I ended up selling him two bikes for his employees. I employed techniques learned in the book How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie to interact with potential buyers. I enjoyed interacting with customers and meeting them, each with a different reason they were purchasing a bike.

Two Wheels is a continuing learning experience. The different obstacles that present themselves give way to the opportunity to rely on creative thinking and problem-solving for a solution. I plan on donating a bike to charity and partner with a non-profit. I challenge everyone to find a hobby that makes you money!

Mark Doughten can be reached via LinkedIn or email at markdoughten@gmail.com