Andy Tiernan's Classic Bike Emporium

[limeyrob]

Anyone who watches YouTube will be familiar with Andy Teirnan as he posts videos of bikes for sale every few days.  But we never get to the see the rest of the business.  He's just done a walk about and I have to say the term "Emporium" is more than justified. Wait until you get to the shelves and shelves of carbs!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O0Uwf_m1SY
In the "for sale" videos he often refers to getting a part from the store to get a bike going, now that makes sense, there must a a whole wall of shelves with just engines!!

[Angus]

Just up the road from me and we visit quite often. Any amazing place, better then many 'museums'

[Colsbeeza]

I purchased my A10 from Andy Tiernan in 1985. I was working dogwatch at the time, and had my first copy of "Classic Bike". Shiftwork was so mind-deadening, I needed some excitement. I just had to get one. It cost 450 pounds and about the same again to import it to Oz. No emails back then, all done by letters back and forth. The file is about an inch thick. I told Andy that I wanted a running bike - his reply was "take it or leave it" in the nicest possible way. All very exciting at the time. It was a rusty salt corroded wreck. The gearbox internals were so rusty I threw them away. Oddly enough the motor wasn't too bad. Amazing how much I was able to recover. It took me 33 years to get it running.
Col

[groily]

Nice video tour Rob, thanks, and some interesting machinery alongside the mundane and less sought-after.
I just hope, given the amount AT must have invested in the stock, that he is able to turn a profit. 

In light of current auction prices (yes, I know, 'as seen' and 'no comebacks' vs at least sort of support) I think reputable dealers are going to face increasing pressure. I don't envy them one bit.
 
A few weeks ago I was literally 24 hours late in spotting an Ariel VH I owned in the '70s at auction with Cheffins. I would have bought it back after 50 years in a heartbeat at £1200 (would have paid more in fact, happily) - see pic! Alloy barrel 'n all, a true comp motor and v tasty.
A 500 twin Fieldmaster went the same day for £1600.

Dealers obviously can't begin to compete with that sort of thing and given that many of us won't turn a wheel on any unknown bike without taking it to bits to see what's inside, the price differentials are hard to justify.

[limeyrob]

I was astonished at the video tour and my first thoughts were:
Charge admission, sell coffee!  I'd go and if he sold parts too I pay over the odds to be able to handle and check over before parting with money.
I follow his prices and they are keen, a few look over the odds but you could go there with £3k and come back with a decent BSA or Matchless 350.
I just hope he can keep going.

[Swarfcut]

 George Yeomans at Drayton Mill was like that back in the day. You could have coffee on the house, good chat in the warm and in the early days complete freedom to rummage and strike a deal for bits. I get the feeling that this business is not run now how it used to be under a change of ownership.

 I wonder whether some of these traders have stock that has not moved for years because they are somewhat dogmatic in their pricing policy. 200 AMAL carbs tells you there is no demand or they are poor value for money compared to new.

 But these folks are surviving, so they must know something.

 Swarfy.

[Sakura]

Nice video tour Rob, thanks, and some interesting machinery alongside the mundane and less sought-after.
I just hope, given the amount AT must have invested in the stock, that he is able to turn a profit. 

Rest assured Andy knows how to make a profit! Naturally he follows the market and buys and prices accordingly. I worked p/t for him after I retired and never needed to order or get him to source a spare, anything needed came out of the stores. He's very reluctant to sell parts because he never knows what be needed next. I once wanted a rare pre-war Villiers air filter for a project of my own. When I moaned I couldn't find one in the stores his reply was "you just haven't looked in the right place"! Never did find one there but I'm sure it was there somewhere.

[limeyrob]

Have you checked your pockets

[Rex]

I just hope, given the amount AT must have invested in the stock, that he is able to turn a profit. 

Hmmm...I flogged him an S8 2 1/2 years ago and he's still got it. His last listing of it was close on £2k under what he paid me, let alone what he listed it for when he first got it.
I don't doubt he's suffering just now, but he's made plenty out of old bikes over the years.