My New On-Line Store
Fri, December 18, 2015 
I have just opened a new online store: www.davemoultonstore.com
The initial purpose is to sell the surplus of tee shirts left over from my October West Coast Tour, but I am hoping it will grow from there, and I can provide quality products that people will want to buy.
I knew before the tour that I was probably ordering more tee shirts than I would sell, but I was heading into uncharted territory. I had no idea how many people would show up and participate.
I didn’t want a situation where the people in Oregon and Northern California, scarfed up all the tee shirts and I had none left by the time I got to Los Angeles. As it was I did run out of certain sizes.
I have to be realistic, I still have a relatively small following, there are some 400 owners listed on my Bike Registry. Although quite a large number when you consider I retired 22 years ago, and I was just an individual builder, and my total lifetime production can be numbered in the thousands. Whereas the big Italian names had factories with a production numbering in the tens of thousands.
On the other hand I did build 2,400 Fuso frames, 300 John Howard, 200 Recherché, plus all my custom frames. So 400 frames on my registry is only really just scratching the surface, and there is potential for that number to grow.
I don’t consider my frames to be collector items. People are buying them to ride, not as an investment.
And that is fine with me, I make absolutely nothing when a frame sells somewhere on eBay or Craig’s List, whether it sells for $200 or $2,000.
I get a much greater satisfaction knowing someone enjoys riding a bike I built, over the idea that someone might make more on the sale of frame than I did when I built it.
It is still a buyer’s market out there. A brand new, Fuso LUX frame, built in 1986, that had never been built into a bike recently sold for $600.
An absolute bargain when you consider you could not get a new hand built frame from any reputable builder for that price today.
So here’s the deal. I am retired, I only do as much work as I care to do. I give of my time freely to my blog and the Registry, and the small amount of cost is covered by advertising here, and donations on the Registry. However, an online store is a different issue. There are monthly fees, inventory to buy and maintain. Only time will tell whether I can make it successful or not.
A following of 400 is enough to get things started, but will not sustain a venture like this for any length of time. I have an unknown following here on my blog. I get around 1,500 or 2,000 hits a day, but that is from around the World, and unfortunately shipping costs make it prohibitive for me to sell product outside the US. Also many of the hits are from Google searches, and there is no guarantee they stayed or will ever come back again.
I would love to do an event like the West Coast Tour again, maybe a Vintage Bike Show somewhere. Be assured that if the store is a success, any profit will go into running such an event.
The picture at the top is a tee shirt/sweat shirt design that I have planned for the near future. I hope it will have a wider appeal than the 400 or so ‘dave moulton’ bike fans. Your feedback as always is appreciated.
Udate 12/21/15: I now have XXL and XL in stock.
Reader Comments (10)
Dave,
I have found one of your bikes, a FUSO numbered 265 that you built in California in the early 90s and that was raced in the Central Valley.
It belongs to my physical therapist in Maine (the boy racer) and I'm damned if I can get him to send a photo to you with all the correct details.
I think I may need to injure myself again to get him to do it so I can nag him at our sessions.
Richard,
#265 would make it about a 1984, the first year of production. I appreciate your efforts to get this one on the registry, but it is purely voluntary. It does have advantages. There has been at least one that was found after being stolen.
Dave
Best of luck on your new adventure! I was wondering if you might be able to glean some good subject matter from all the articles on this blog. My mind is racing but can't come up with very creative T-Shirt subjects. A quick glance gave me two, for what they are worth. 1. Condense the 10 tips for car drivers down to a single phrase and list. 2. "Don't be a (picture of a rear dropout)". Corny but, hey, who knows better than you what might come of it. Might consider catering to the C&V crowd with appropriate subjects.
I have been looking for one of your frames in around a 21" Hilary Stone UK has a 1977 Moulton 20" for GBP245 plus shipping to USA GBP90 But this come to over $500.00 So I will keep looking.in the US. Of course Dave people buying your frames does nothing for you. but make you feel good. I have found that at my age 82 if I have not made it yet I aint going to. So all the best mate.Enjoy what you have. go ride your bike its the best gift that you will ever have.
Dave one thought. April 8-10 2016 out in Paso Robles California, Eroica.California Ride one your bikes, with of course pre 1987 Equip, Bring along some of your wares, bet you could flog a few out there.Understand a lot of Moulton bikes in that area. Contact Wes at Eroica I know he would give you a fine welcome. Maybe even set up a booth for you. Email me and I will give you Wes Email address Love to get to ride AND WALK with you. The hills a real challenge. John Crump
If you made the "I have a retirement plan..." as a t-shirt, I would buy it!
Count me in for a "Retirement Plan" t-shirt - especially if it shows a Moulton or Fuso bike!
How about the retirement plan with a Fuso badge? I think that first, Dave needs to sell some of the shirts he already has printed. I bought one already, but I think I'll go take a look and see if any others catch my fancy. Cheers!
I agree with Lee and John, the Retirement Plan tshirt concept is really cool, but if it's a Moulton product, it shouldn't be a modern carbon bike! It should definitely be vintage lugged steel -- whether Fuso or Recherche or Dave Moulton, that could be subtly revealed like an 'easter egg'
Are you going to make the "retirement plan" graphic into a t-shirt?
I'll buy one.