# Advice Sought: What is a fair price



## Artifex (Aug 7, 2015)

I am looking at a black 1965 3 speed Schwinn American in excellent condition, very little to no rust.  All original, except seat and tires.   Shift cable is broken, so I don't know if the three speed works.  This is a little out of my normal area, and I would appreciate advice on what a fair Midwest price is?  Thanks!


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## how (Aug 7, 2015)

picture?

I ask for a picture cause I would love to see a 3 speed american, since they didnt come that way
They came single speed and 2 speed. 3 speed Schwinns around that period came with a Sturmey Archer hub
which was made overseas. SInce the Schwinn American was made with only American parts it didnt come 3 speed only 2 speed and single speed American made hubs.


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## Andrew Gorman (Aug 7, 2015)

A fair price is where the buyer and the seller both think they skinned the other party.  SA AW hubs are pretty bulletproof.  With a broken cable it's stuck in high gear and not a lot of fun to ride.  Price really depends on where you are in the midwest and how badly you want to sell and someone else wants to buy.  Check local craigslist ads and see where similar bikes are listed at over and over and over, and for ads that vanished relatively quickly.  For common but cool old bikes there is not a fixed worldwide price.  A girl's english racer would sell itself in Iowa City and languish unsold in rural Iowa.


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## how (Aug 7, 2015)

Andrew Gorman said:


> A fair price is where the buyer and the seller both think they skinned the other party.  SA AW hubs are pretty bulletproof.  With a broken cable it's stuck in high gear and not a lot of fun to ride.  Price really depends on where you are in the midwest and how badly you want to sell and someone else wants to buy.  Check local craigslist ads and see where similar bikes are listed at over and over and over, and for ads that vanished relatively quickly.  For common but cool old bikes there is not a fixed worldwide price.  A girl's english racer would sell itself in Iowa City and languish unsold in rural Iowa.




Americans didnt come 3 speed since they were all American made completely.


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## GTs58 (Aug 7, 2015)

how said:


> Americans didnt come 3 speed since they were all *American made completely*.




Is that really true? I've heard stories from Schwinn dealers that Schwinn was raked over the coals for that false advertising.


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## wspeid (Aug 8, 2015)

It looks like those bikes are being listed on ebay for $100 to $400 but it doesn't look like they're getting bids in the upper half of that range.  That should give you a base idea of worth.  As said, it pretty much depends on where you are and what's hot at that moment, but they're not terribly sought after.


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## Artifex (Aug 8, 2015)

Pictures attached to original post.   Thanks for all the information!  This would be a keeper for me so I am not looking for a buy-it-and-flip-it price, but pricing seems to be all over the place with these locally.   That said, I am not real keen on an incorrect rear hub or the non-stock weird cable routing.  Hmmmm.....


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## Adamtinkerer (Aug 8, 2015)

Chain guard is a 59-63, crank and chain ring are from a 10 speed, and seat is wrong, except for a Heavy Duty, Looks like a mutt, and not a keeper, imho.


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## how (Aug 8, 2015)

yea bike has been fabricated, but its not bad at all. I would change the chainring to the right one, which is very easy to find. Would make a good rider at a price some where around a 100 bucks. Those seats came on more than just a Heavy Duti, they came on some Typhoons and probably others.


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## greenephantom (Aug 8, 2015)

Agreed, the bike is an assemblage of parts to some degree. The Sturmey hubs are good, but if it needs repair it can be troublesome. Front ring easy to switch out. If you want to get decent low gears on it, switch out the rear cog to a 22 or 23 tooth (available new on Amazon for abour $10, the Shimano Nexus cogs also fit). You're going to have to toss a new chain on it anyway. I believe the 22 tooth cog will require a half-link to get the rear wheel to sit right.
Cheers, Geoff


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## Pantmaker (Aug 8, 2015)

If that's a three speed hub where are the bike's brakes?...and if that frame will take caliper brakes it wasnt an American. If the fenders are chrome it could be a Corvette II with the wrong chainguard.


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## Andrew Gorman (Aug 8, 2015)

It's a tricoaster.  Then arm is visible in one of the pictures.


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## GTs58 (Aug 8, 2015)

************************************


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## how (Aug 8, 2015)

GTs58 said:


> Is that really true? I've heard stories from Schwinn dealers that Schwinn was raked over the coals for that false advertising.




I have owned 3 of them and still have one, cant find a part on it that is not made in America
I changed the seat and the reflector


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## GTs58 (Aug 8, 2015)

how said:


> I have owned 3 of them and still have one, cant find a part on it that is not made in America
> I changed the seat and the reflector




We all know that Schwinn used Union spokes, pedals and some of their front hubs. A minor detail that is pretty hard to see without a good magnifying glass. Have you ever seen the Union logo stamped on the butt end of the spokes? Something that nobody would ever see so why would Schwinn have a special wheel building section in the factory for just the American wheels.


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## schwinnbikebobb (Aug 8, 2015)

I think Schwinn got in trouble for the pedals (Germany) and something else that escapes me at the moment.


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## Artifex (Aug 9, 2015)

Wow!!!  Thanks folks - what an education!   Here I was thinking original and what I am looking at us a "bitsa" bike: little bits of everything.   I appreciate your time and expertise!


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