# Incredible Collection/Museum/Hoard of stuff--lots of Balloon Bikes



## ravedodger (Sep 11, 2011)

I found this posted over on The HAMB, a traditional hot rod forum and thought you guys might enjoy the bikes at least--tons of stuff! Sadly, the owner of the collection recently passed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGBJ962eRGc

http://www.youtube.com/user/bitdrive#p/a/u/1/I47qCXxoKwk

http://www.youtube.com/user/bitdrive#p/a/u/2/KQZbDC4BakU

Enjoy!


----------



## Nickinator (Sep 11, 2011)

*Nice*

did i see a silver king?


----------



## Boris (Sep 11, 2011)

That was FUN. THANKS! I think I NEED a T bird pedal car now.


----------



## halfatruck (Sep 11, 2011)

*Auction.....*

better get your funds together the auction is set for november..............

http://www.auctionsamerica.com/events/event.cfm?SaleCode=LH11


----------



## Rust_Trader (Sep 11, 2011)

That's super cool, where's this place at? I wonder if items are for sale...


----------



## Gary Mc (Sep 11, 2011)

That is the most amazing collection of automobiles, automobilia, motorcycles, bicycles, and toys I have ever seen.  The rarity of what's in his collection is absolutely amazing.  Thanks for posting.  Every car/cycle nut needs to see this set of videos.


----------



## halfatruck (Sep 11, 2011)

*Glenville IL*

The RM auction website has the directions .....................


----------



## bikesnbuses (Sep 11, 2011)

Does anyone know the saying; "He who dies with the most toys wins" ?...I think we have a winner....


----------



## hzqw2l (Sep 11, 2011)

*Mega Collectors*

These are always the best types of collections for me to see.  It enforces the idea that there really is a point where collecting becomes an obsession and I don't want to get there.  

Don't get me wrong, it would be cool to have all that stuff but I'm glad I have a limit so nobody has to liquidate it when I'm gone...


----------



## schwinnderella (Sep 11, 2011)

Looks like it will be a fabulous auction and close to me also.The $20.00 entrance fee and 15% buyers penalty will keep out the riff raff such as myself. i ejoyed viewing the videos.


----------



## jpromo (Sep 11, 2011)

Sounds like it must be the Mid-West; those Cicadas are really humming


----------



## teisco (Sep 11, 2011)

That BMW Veritas is a very rare one off car and maybe priceless. Here is a web site post from 2004 that talks about it and states that BMW wanted it back for their collection. 

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8927

I was amazed to see a 49 with large fins and that GM ripped off the design for their Sabre. 

I am sure they are talking about the same car as is in the video.


----------



## dave the wave (Sep 11, 2011)

you would think that the bikes will sell high tacking on the buyers premium.


----------



## Freqman1 (Sep 11, 2011)

While I don't have toys of that magnatude I got quite a bit 'o stuff and I say "he who dies with the most toys--still dies!" You just have a lot more fun getting there. v/r Shawn







bikesnbuses said:


> Does anyone know the saying; "He who dies with the most toys wins" ?...I think we have a winner....


----------



## Oldbikes (Sep 11, 2011)

At 5:37 in the first video is that a Streamflow speedo in the show case, for an Evinrude?!


----------



## markivpedalpusher (Sep 12, 2011)

As side car willie said it's not the person who dies with the most toys who wins. It's the person who plays with the most toys who wins


----------



## benjclark (Sep 14, 2011)

Anyone spot a little sled called Rosebud?


----------



## 1959firearrow (Sep 14, 2011)

that is americana. makes you wonder  how much he had in all of it? and what a bunch of people are about to pay for it? i will admit that its cool to have all that stuff but i hate having stuff i cant use.


----------



## ridingtoy (Sep 14, 2011)

Man...wish I could get there for the auction just for the vintage 1930s trikes alone!

Dave


----------



## Talewinds (Sep 14, 2011)

Gary Mc said:


> That is the most amazing collection of automobiles, automobilia, motorcycles, bicycles, and toys I have ever seen.  The rarity of what's in his collection is absolutely amazing.  Thanks for posting.  Every car/cycle nut needs to see this set of videos.




This ^

We've all seen plenty of auctions and estate sales but what makes this collection unique is that EVERY SINGLE ITEM is AWESOME! (Except for that stupid pink girls NEXT bike) That guy had "the eye" and knew just the right time to pull his wallet out, and when to leave it tucked safely in his pocket.
 Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz would literally $h!# themselves to death at the sight of that stuff.


----------



## Nickinator (Sep 15, 2011)

*found this pic*

Found this picture of his barn wall any one spot anything


----------



## 55tbird (Sep 15, 2011)

*Aerocycle on Wall*

Yes that is apparently an Aerocycle on the wall. Read elsewhere that he also has a Bluebird. I plan on attending the auction but I don't think there will be any steals, but who knows??   Mike


----------



## scrubbinrims (Sep 15, 2011)

I think my adrenal glands would wreck havoc on my body being there live, so I hope items are catalogued and individually pictured to involve an audience outside of the Midwest.
Chris


----------



## Talewinds (Sep 15, 2011)

My intuition tells me the turnout and activity at this auction is going to be, in a word, NUTS!


----------



## HIGGINSFOREVER (Sep 15, 2011)

Its hard to believe that one person collected all that in one lifetime.If he acqired 10 items a day he must of died at about 175 years old.


----------



## Nickinator (Sep 15, 2011)

*chills*

I have the chills knowing he has a bluebird.


----------



## bigworld (Sep 16, 2011)

that is americana. makes you wonder how much he had in all of it? 





Cheap Coach PursesCoach Handbags
Coach Bagscoach outlet
Coach Outlet Stores


----------



## Boris (Sep 25, 2011)

Just bumping this up, so a friend of mine will be able to find it easily.


----------



## rustyspoke66 (Sep 25, 2011)

Great picture, I haven't been to many if any live auctions. As specially one that has what your passionate about. My Eyes are going bad so I enhanced the picture above so it's a little easier to see.


----------



## irene_crystal (Sep 25, 2011)

They will be selling the bikes individually and putting together a catalog to allow absentee bidding. Can't wait for the detailed catalog to come out... Doubt they will help with any shipping though so thats the only bad part.


----------



## Larmo63 (Sep 25, 2011)

*I'm going*

Trudy and I will probably go to this event. It has been our experience that the shipping is terrible if you use a local bike shop. U-Haul truck might just be best?


----------



## rustyspoke66 (Sep 25, 2011)

irene_crystal said:


> They will be selling the bikes individually and putting together a catalog to allow absentee bidding. Can't wait for the detailed catalog to come out... Doubt they will help with any shipping though so thats the only bad part.




I think that might be what we are all looking for.


----------



## redline1968 (Sep 25, 2011)

i read there is a bluebird and erocycle on the block there


----------



## Rust_Trader (Sep 27, 2011)

*And this*

Envinrude?!


----------



## Aerocycle36 (Sep 27, 2011)

*@ Greens07*

I see what you see...Good eye! I guess we won't know until the auction listing comes out.


----------



## Rust_Trader (Sep 27, 2011)

Aerocycle36 said:


> I see what you see...Good eye! I guess we won't know until the auction listing comes out.




Pictures are bad quality when taken from a video but on the video you can clearly see the unique double springs for the seat on that red bike, and the speedo gooseneck on the handlebars.


Yeah can't wait for thy catalog and hopefully they have online bidding.


----------



## Aerocycle36 (Sep 27, 2011)

I heard that there is going to be online bidding and also a 15 percent additional fee on a winning bid, I think they call that the buyer's premium... I don't know. It'll be November 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th.


----------



## Aerocycle36 (Sep 27, 2011)

http://www.auctionsamerica.com/events/event.cfm?SaleCode=LH11   Here is the auction website... No info or photos yet.


----------



## chitown (Sep 27, 2011)

*Fighting for the leftovers!*

I have a feeling that some of these gems have been gobbled up already. I'm sure there was some pre-auction action going on and the auction is the leftovers from the prime pickers who caught sent of this find and who would have swooped in like hungry vultures over some prime carrion with the auction being the Jackals (who showed up late to the kill after seeing full bellied vultures flying in the opposite direction) fighting for the last of the scraps. Now that said, the leftover scraps should be gems in their own right but... my $ says there is no Evinrude in the listing... 

to be continued...


----------



## Talewinds (Sep 27, 2011)

chitown said:


> I have a feeling that some of these gems have been gobbled up already. I'm sure there was some pre-auction action going on and the auction is the leftovers from the prime pickers who caught sent of this find and who would have swooped in like hungry vultures over some prime carrion with the auction being the Jackals (who showed up late to the kill after seeing full bellied vultures flying in the opposite direction) fighting for the last of the scraps. Now that said, the leftover scraps should be gems in their own right but... my $ says there is no Evinrude in the listing...
> 
> to be continued...





Ahhhh, this is an interesting perspective. The conspiracy theory so to speak, and highly likely in these kinds of scenarios. 

 The fact that somebody on this forum all the way from the left coast has already stated that they'd be making the effort to attend shows just how much serious interest there is brewing nationally over this circus. I'm not far, in fact I'll be driving a mere 40 miles or so from the place this weekend, maybe, just maybe I'll drive up there for the insanity that is bound to ensue.


----------



## Aerocycle36 (Sep 27, 2011)

AND a red Evinrude showed up in August, at the Arlington Heights bike show (not 30 miles from the location of this place).... Let the conspiracy theories begin!!!!


----------



## chitown (Sep 27, 2011)

Aerocycle36 said:


> .... Let the conspiracy theories begin!!!!




or to be more blunt... let the jackal cackling begin.


----------



## chitown (Sep 27, 2011)

http://youtu.be/k5rtgYGwllE

Just saw this video... Aerocycle at [:48]

There are tons of threads right now going on about Lee and his collection on various car forums. Several posters knew the museum and Lee and have interesting things to say about them both. One person who knew him said that Lee would state that his collection owned him more than the other way around. This is an interesting perspective and a little scary to think of actually having a collection of this magnitude. I like bikes and cars and history and all but something like this could be paralyzing! But on the bright side, he did save these items (he was a junker paid to clean out properties and garages) and kept them from the scrapper. 

BTW I'm going to try to make it to the circus just to witness if not able to buy anything.


----------



## Aerocycle36 (Sep 27, 2011)

Yeah, it's a yucky red and silver one and it doesn't even have the right rack...nothing there worth showing up for folks, just stay home...


----------



## chitown (Sep 28, 2011)

Read this on a jalopyjournal thread:

"Marjorie is interested in breaking the collection up and selling it to specific collectors of particular items. She would like to see the bicycles get sold to one or two individuals, Artwork and signs sold as one lot and appears to want the license plates to all go to one individual in order to keep it together."


http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=605614&page=2

And some pics taken in 2008

http://www.harley-davidson-hangout....hicago-panheads-forever-sectret-location.html


----------



## Talewinds (Sep 28, 2011)

WOW! That is some interesting dirt being thrown around over at Jalopy, it's becoming quite the contentious and sordid tale. Makes for a disappointing, but much more intriguing tale to accompany the collection. This story will be handed down for years among the bike and car circles.


----------



## Rust_Trader (Oct 5, 2011)

*Lots are available to see on website*

I was checking the RM website and NOW it's available to check the lots for auction.


----------



## dave the wave (Oct 5, 2011)

half the bicycles aren't even posted.


----------



## dave the wave (Oct 5, 2011)

*here's the link to the bicycles*

http://auctionsamerica.com/events/all-lots.cfm?SaleCode=LH11&Category=Bicycles


----------



## dave the wave (Oct 5, 2011)

that's not even worth bothering,most of the bikes have already been sold to collector or collectors. if you look at the videos on youtube there where more bikes than that.big waste of time and money.


----------



## partsguy (Oct 5, 2011)

Heck with the bikes, check out those cars!


----------



## chitown (Oct 5, 2011)

classicfan1 said:


> Heck with the bikes, check out those cars!




After all it was called the Hartung Auto Museum. And I am one who hopes Jay Leno steps up and buys the whole lot! A shame it is being broken up. My favorite is the 1936 Lincoln-Zephyr "Twin Grille" V-12!!!

http://auctionsamerica.com/events/feature-lots.cfm?SaleCode=LH11&ID=r173

But I would add: Heck with the cars, check out those motorcycles!!!

http://auctionsamerica.com/events/all-lots.cfm?SaleCode=LH11&Category=Motorcycles


----------



## cyclingday (Oct 5, 2011)

I'm a little disappointed with the bicycle selection, but I've got to agree with Chitown on the motorcycle selection.

 Yeah baby!

 That 38 Indian Four has my name on it!

 What would one expect to pay for that little gem?


----------



## scrubbinrims (Oct 5, 2011)

Not impressed at all with the bicycle collection...it's good I didn't already plan the trip.
Interested in only one.
Chris


----------



## schwinnderella (Oct 5, 2011)

Any 25+ year collectors remember Monte or Monty who had a similar but smaller collection. I believe he was in the same area possibly in Glenview but more likely further northwest of Glenview.His wife was named Virginia.


----------

