‘Interaction with customers has been made easier by using social media sites’

I’ve been around classic bikes ever since I can remember. My dad, Paul Wexham ran Cotswold Classics for about 18 years when I was growing up.

I know I might not be everyone’s idea of a typical classic bike dealer, as I’m only 28. But, having been around classic bikes for a long time, I think I’ve worked out what it takes to do OK in this trade. I started by buying a ratty BSA Bantam D1, tidying it up and selling it on. I made a small profit, bought another bike and sold that on. Then I bought another bike and got offered a part exchange against that. By the end of my first year of buying and selling classic bikes, I had 10 bikes – and a fledgling business. Now, six years later, We Sell Classic Bikes is a limited company operating out of an industrial unit near the railway station in Cheltenham and I typically have 50-60 bikes in stock.

I’ve concentrated on building up trust and confidence. I rely on a relatively quick turnover of bikes to enable me to keep re-investing in the business. An important part of my business is interaction with my customers, which has been made easier by using social media sites such as Facebook – feedback from customers is increasingly important. It keeps any business honest. Plus, customers can communicate directly with me quickly and easily. I can let people know when I have bikes for sale that I think would appeal to them.

The most important thing for me is being honest and taking care of my customers. I re-invest just about everything I make to grow the business – ensuring that I always have fresh, quality stock.

I’m looking forward to another good year for classic bikes. I’ve seen growth in the demand for ’70s two-strokes and there’s always a steady demand for traditional classics like Triumph twins. There is also a lot of appreciation out there for earlier vintage machines. So the overall classic bike market seems very healthy, even in these hard times.

I think people understand that a classic motorcycle is unlikely to depreciate, so its a good store of value that’s in your physical possession. That’s important at the moment. Plus it’s an investment that’s a pleasure to own and there are not many investments out there with these qualities. wesellclassicbikes.co.uk