Did you buy a $25 bike yesterday? Retired firefighter’s bike ‘sold’ by mistake during stop at neighborhood yard sale

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MANCHESTER, NH – Rick Blanchette was enjoying a leisurely bike ride on Saturday. He was on his way from his home in the North End to SNHU to watch some soccer when a neighborhood yard sale caught his eye.

Being neighborly, he stopped to chat and even found a nice bird bath that would look good in his yard. 

While he was busy chatting, a friend of the neighbor, who was helping out with the yard sale, sold his bike for $25.

“I was talking with a few people when someone else I knew came over and he saw that I had a bike helmet on and he asked me ‘where’s your bike?’ I thought he was joking,” said Blanchette.

But sure enough, his trusty stead – an older-model Diamondback mountain bike – blue with pink lettering and a black seat that needs replacing – was sold to a bargain hunter who knew a good deal when he saw one.

The bike is probably worth about $800, Blanchette figures, given the scarcity of bikes due to pandemic parts shortages.

He’s not mad. He would just like his bike back.

“I went running down the street to see if I could catch him and another lady came out of her house and said she saw the guy bringing the bike over to his car. I guess he decided to ride it home and his wife left in the car. They were gone by the time I got there,” said Blanchette, a retired Manchester firefighter.

Good news, in that it sounds like the guy is local.

The yard sale was a the corner of Union and Campbell and Blanchette figures it was sold around 11 a.m.

“The lady who sold the bike was just visiting her friend and trying to help with the yard sale. I felt really bad for her. It’s just a bike,” Blanchette said.

Still, he’d be happy if whoever scooped up his bike for a cool $25 would be kind enough to return it.

“She felt so bad she gave me the $25 – and the bird bath I wanted, she gave it to me for free. I guess if I get the bike back maybe she’ll change her mind about the bird bath,” Blanchette said.

The whole scenario was more like a bit on a sitcom, once he had time to process it. “Like something you’d see on “Seinfeld,” Blanchette said.

“The bike isn’t new or anything, but it’s pretty nice. I would like to get it back,” he said.

If you’re the guy who bought a sweet ride at a North End yard sale on Saturday, Blanchette can be reached at 603-540-5174.


 

About this Author

Carol Robidoux

PublisherManchester Ink Link

Longtime NH journalist and publisher of ManchesterInkLink.com. Loves R&B, German beer, and the Queen City!