1937 Columbia absolutly pristine, Original MINT $150

Made you look! [grin]
Just happen to be in wally world yesterday and Pacific cycles, China is at it again. Chose your toy, boys or gals..

26" Columbia 1937 3-Star Cruiser, 23 photos added 1/8/2015 of the boys black inside of Wally's house on 2nd page of this thread. Enjoy!!




The gals bike wasn't there but that there boys bike ain't no Columbia, regardless of PC labeling it so.

I was on my Black Hawk the other day and I had a guy ask me what kind of bike I was riding. I responded that it was an Elgin from sears and before I could say another word...He said, "I'm going to go over there and get me one of those". Well, now he can....lol.

Even worse than Sears...they are sold at Wal-Mart! NoOoOo....!

http://www.walmart.com/ip/26-Columbia-1937-3-Star-Men-s-Cruiser-Bike/39801995

$149...!
"Split top tube"...cool for a beater project
...buy used!

You know....as much as i HATE Walmart. I'm going to have to go look at it.

Our bikes cost anywhere from $37.00 - $60.00. Today, that is $400 - $1000+, depending on what year your bike was sold. That goes to show that a $150 bike, in 2015, is the trashiest of the trash. The frame might be good for a custom build, but don't leave it outside for one winter and you'll surely have some sloppy welds to fix. The components are going to be junk.

I'll make a few general comments not aimed at anyone in particular.

Lionizing the old bikes through these sorts of comparisons is misleading.

A base model bicycle in the late 1930s (what most people cite as a good time for balloon tire bikes) sold for what today would be $400-500. For example, a relatively basic Elgin was $27.85 in 1938 (http://productimages.goantiques.com/45407/5538965_detail.jpg). That's $466 today (http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl).

What does $466 buy you today? You're comparing your $466 in hand to a $150 bicycle. $466 will actually get you a decent bicycle today, even if they don't look as classy as the older bikes. The most basic Worksman bike starts at $369, and your extra $100 will get you a few add-ons, even if not the most deluxe model they offer. Remember, we're comparing to the basic 1938 Elgin from the ad. A Worksman is a decent bicycle and a pretty sturdy one at that. If you are willing to buy a mid-range mountain bike, you can get a decent machine for your $466 as well- something very sturdy, relatively light, has plenty of gears, and has at least front shocks. Suddenly it's not so much about one being "better". It's more that you can get something decent for your money and it's more about what you want to do with the bike.

So the comparison is not clear cut. What you're doing is comparing what today would be a basic, mid-model bicycle price, not Wal-Mart $150 level stuff. Of course the $150 will seem like junk in comparison- it's not even aimed at the same price rang

classicfan1 said:

Our bikes cost anywhere from $37.00 - $60.00. Today, that is $400 - $1000+, depending on what year your bike was sold. That goes to show that a $150 bike, in 2015, is the trashiest of the trash. The frame might be good for a custom build, but don't leave it outside for one winter and you'll surely have some sloppy welds to fix. The components are going to be junk.

Click to expand...

London gold price $35.10 AN OUNCE (November 6, 1937)

Gold average in 2014, prop $1,250

Bike average price 1937 Prob $25-30

Bike average 2014 prob ah, let's say; $270 bulk

but we got a $150 which would compare to a 30's bike price maybe $20 = 7 1/2 times the money

$20 in gold 1937 is more than an 1/2 ounce maybe .60 of ounce. = $26 USD a half an ounce of gold gets ya 1930's cheapest, rusting-est, poor quality bike.

in 2014 gold that's = to 60% of 1250 = $750


Technology has advanced bikes to arrive at your local china dealer with about a 300% discount.

In other words, relative to the gold standard, on November 6, 1937, wally world's bike's would be the same as buying a the cheapest worst "absolutely pristine, Original MINT" brand new, 30's bike for $6.66.

Wally's $90 bikes for what? 4 bucks?

The point here is that we are still riding the bottom of the line 1937 Schwinn, Westfield, CWC, Silver King, etc... bikes. Most Walmart bikes are one season riders and then they go straight to the dump. I've had beer cans with more structural integrity than these pieces of crap! V/r Shawn

jeff54 said:

made you look! [grin]
just happen to be in wally world yesterday and pacific cycles, china is at it again. Chose your toy, boys or gals..

26" columbia 1937 3-star cruiser

the gals bike wasn't there but that there boys bike ain't no columbia, regardless of pc labeling it so.

Click to expand...

wow!!