# The lowly girls bike



## Monark52 (Sep 15, 2011)

Will they ever be worth more than just parts bikes or yard art? There's some real beauties out there and SOME of them should be saved. Just a thought.


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## IJamEcono (Sep 15, 2011)

I have only two. But I bought them because they were cool and will not be parted out. One is an Elgin. Other is a Roadmaster. I had a ladies tank bike, but just sold it. If I find another, I will buy it. Why not?


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## slick (Sep 16, 2011)

You can throw the loaded deluxe girls bikes my way, my girlfriend would love to have them!!


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## how (Sep 16, 2011)

A friend of mine has a theory on this subject, he says so many girls bikes have and are being destroyed for the parts, that soon they will be so hard to find thier values will soar.

I am not so sure. 2 years agp I gave away about 6 real nice ones, they just wouldnt sell at any price. Now I wish i had back the Evans and Hiawatha.

So it seems like the girls bikes are selling now, at modest prices not as collectables, but as good solid cheap riders of which you cant get in a new bike. In 2 cities very close to me, Royal Oak and Ferndale Michigan they are a fad.

Yesterday on Detroits Craigslist there was a womans tank bike Schwinn panther and the guy was asking 2000 for it,,a joke in itself. He claimed in the ad American Pickers have bought the same bike, an outright lie cause Mike and Frank have never bought a woman's bike on the show. Mike has even said on the show they have little value.

I have noticed latley some very high priced woman's bikes on craigslist, obviously novice sellars who dont understand womans bike have little collector value.

HERE are pics of 2 I kept for my wife , the green one a 1952 Schwinn Meteor I paid 20 bucks for and the blue one a 1959 Starlett I paid 45 bucks for.


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## rideahiggins (Sep 16, 2011)

*Coed step thru bikes*

I've sold some girls, err uh, Coed step thru bikes to older gentlemen that want to ride but simply can't get there legs over the top bar of a boys bike anymore. Still a lot of way cool girls bikes out there.


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## SailorMac (Sep 16, 2011)

I agree that the girls bikes are going to get harder to find (perhaps they already are) as they get scavenged for parts.  I find it all a bit sad sometimes too.  I have bought a few girls bikes for the parts, but they've been so nice and complete that I haven't had the heart to break them. So now my wife and daughter have a nicer collection than I do.  Lately, I have been following more of the "ride as found" mentality.  Yes, I clean them up a bit, mostly mechanically, but I try not to stress about the stuff that was missing or wrong on the bikes when I find them. IMHO girls bikes prices will climb, but there still won't be enough collectors for the prices to soar.


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## vincev (Sep 16, 2011)

I have seen many girls bikes go unnoticed over the last 30 years.Many were destroyed,parted out,etc.I would tell a new bike collector to get these girls bikes at modest prices because they are starting to slowly gain a following.Like boys bikes,I would only recommend getting the ornate,deluxe models with all the bells and whistles because there are a lot of "plain Jane" bikes that will only take up space.I'll take a ladies bike that is all tricked out any time.


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## jpromo (Sep 16, 2011)

I don't really discriminate the ladies bikes. I've bought and refurbished one for my girlfriend and sold a few to some younger girls who were both using them for campus commuters. I'm glad that I know they'll be getting ridden and enjoyed.


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## IJamEcono (Sep 16, 2011)

I paid $40 dollars for this bike. I didn't know what I was going to do with it, but the price was too good. I put it on CL to see if I would get any bites, and a woman and her husband wanted to come see it. She wanted to use it as a "commuter." I said it wasn't really a commuter bike, but they still wanted to see it. Turns out she only has a one mile commute with no hills. She's a teacher, and she wanted something older. I tell you, the smile on her face when she was test riding it was the best. She was amazed at the horn in the tank. She thought it had a horn on the handlebars and had NO idea that horns were in tanks back in the day. Her husband commented that her dad would want to restore it, but I talked them out of that. The paint is original and it looks amazing as is. I told her she was going to be the coolest teacher in the school with this bike. Her husband said "she already is the coolest teacher." And they smiled at each other. I loved that exchange. So she bought it and I made a small profit. She emailed me after and thanked me again. Her and her husband were taking turns on it and having a blast. I told her to let me know if she ever wanted a bike for her husband. So even though girls' bikes may not command high dollars, it really is worth it to see the smiles. That's why I will always buy them if the price is right.


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## Talewinds (Sep 16, 2011)

It's funny the regional perspective on things... Around here all there is to be found are bikes in so-so condition anyway, so the girls bikes have a nice parts value and that's about it. There are no more boys ballooners to be found, period. I'm not talking Craigslist, that's not "finding", I'm talking beating the bushes. Conversely, there are still so many girls bikes it could choke a mule. 
 I brought home 5 girls (two with tanks) ballooners week before last and a mens Raleigh road bike, and a mens Ross road bike, and an large American made vintage Columbian vise, all for $60.

 Last week, got a call from a guy all excited to part with some bikes, dropped names like balloon tire, Western Flyer, Schwinn, etc, so I did what you HAVE to do, jump in the car immediately. What I saw before me was the most mediocre lineup of 8 girls middleweight bikes I could ever imagine. I took the Schwinn and just flat refused the rest, buzzkill.

 I literally see vintage girls bikes everywhere every week that are barely cause for a second glance.

 I think it's amazing sometimes the bikes that are presented here in such amazingly GOOD as-found original shape. So far, I have found 1 of those, ever, and of course it's a girls bike.


All that said, there is a female member here that possesses an incredible collection of only girls bikes, truly amazing.


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## Rookie (Sep 16, 2011)

*I had a feeling...*



Talewinds said:


> It's funny the regional perspective on things... Around here all there is to be found are bikes in so-so condition anyway, so the girls bikes have a nice parts value and that's about it. There are no more boys ballooners to be found, period. I'm not talking Craigslist, that's not "finding", I'm talking beating the bushes. Conversely, there are still so many girls bikes it could choke a mule.
> I brought home 5 girls (two with tanks) ballooners week before last and a mens Raleigh road bike, and a mens Ross road bike, and an large American made vintage Columbian vise, all for $60.




So you were the one that bought those bikes from the guy in the metropolitan area?


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## Boris (Sep 16, 2011)

I like a lot of old girls bikes. I think some have absolutely beautiful lines. poolboy1's Mercury Worlds Fair that's currently for sale on this site would be one shining example.


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## Talewinds (Sep 16, 2011)

Rookie said:


> So you were the one that bought those bikes from the guy in the metropolitan area?





Metropolitan area? If by metro area you mean 150mi away in the middle of corn country, then yes. But I know that you do not.
  However, the bikes you're referring to were bought by somebody who is a member here but visits infrequently. I looked at said bikes and did not pull the trigger.


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## ridingtoy (Sep 16, 2011)

Dave Marko said:


> I like a lot of old girls bikes. I think some have absolutely beautiful lines. poolboy1's Mercury Worlds Fair that's currently for sale on this site would be one shining example.




ITA! I'd much rather have some girls bikes in beautiful original condition than the corresponding boys bikes in fair shape. I don't feel funny at all about riding around on a girls model...just as comfortable riding as any boys bike I have. A lot of the older girl's tank models have a very nice style to them IMHO.

Dave


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## Freqman1 (Sep 16, 2011)

I have six girls bikes: '39 & '41 Elgin Miss America's, '41 Monark four bar (loop tail) Deluxe, '50 Columbia Five Star Super Equipped, '55 Schwinn green Phantom, and a '40 Shelby Airflo Speedline. I ride 'em all except the '39 MA which is a project. I have mates (boys bikes) for the Five Star, Phantom, and Speedliine. v/r Shawn


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## meteor (Sep 20, 2011)

Well I guess I singlehandedly started a cash for clunkers program by paying a whopping $150 for a Schwinn girl's Meteor with a lousy seat. It was my first brush with vintage bikes (in July). It didn't take long to find out that girl's bikes are "lowly."  Women do not collect bikes (a few notable exceptions of course) so it makes perfect sense their value is much lower. I personally find the girl's bikes with tanks unappealing. The odd angle for the tank just looks strange to me.


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## Bicycle Belle (Sep 20, 2011)

*Lowly (not)*

I find that with collecting anything..an object's value is determined by who wants it at the moment. At one time you would pay a whopping sum for Beanie Babies and now they sell for a quarter at garage sales. That's just the way it goes.
I love girls bikes because I happen to be a girl . I love that they don't command high prices and hope it stays that way. Some of my favorites such as the Elgin Miss America and the Elgin Skylark do cost a bit more but still not as much as their male counterparts. There are boys frames that I love but I am partial to the curviness of a girls frame. It doesn't have to have all the bells and whistles...I can add that as I go along.


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## scrubbinrims (Sep 22, 2011)

I often come across a vintage ladies bicyle for a part(s) I need, and keep the rest intact, listing locally (and value priced) on craiglist in hopes to find an appreciative new owner, but this is rarely the case and I am in the capital of our state and 2 hours from major metropolitan areas of Washington DC, Baltimore, Hampton Roads, and Raleigh, NC.
The theory that ladies bicycles will become more rare in the future is true, however, there has to be demand on the other end of the equation for values to rise.
In my opinion, I do not see this ever happening except in the cases of well equipped, deluxe ladies bicycles as there have been well over 50 years for this trend to manifest.
I get personal satisfaction for selling a vintage bicycle to a female and will sell for less to a good home, but chances are, a dude will respond to my listing and look it over for parts.
Parting out a ladies bicycle is a travesty for some, but it is not from greed or bad intent, just that that vast majority doesn't want to buy the cow, just the loin and if you are selling cow, you ain't selling.
That being said, I have the utmost respect for the ladies in this hobby and I do wish there were more or just more ladies that would prefer a classic bicycle for a rider versus a shiny new one...but the newer cruisers have neat colors, design, and lotus flowers and such to compete with.
Chris


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## bricycle (Sep 22, 2011)

I have 4 now. a 1896-7 Columbia, a 1899? Pierce, a 1945-6 JCH, and a Super Deluxe Monark.


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## ridingtoy (Sep 22, 2011)

Speaking of girls bicycles, I keep passing this antique/gift store near where I live. They have a '50s girls bike sitting outside FS, and have had it for several weeks. I finally stopped the other day to check it out, out of curiosity. It's a Rollfast model in pretty good original condition. Guess the store owner hasn't heard that vintage girls bikes don't sell for as much as boys...he was asking $595 for it! I'm glad he put the price high, however. It keeps it out of the serious temptation range for me. 

Dave


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## Iverider (Sep 22, 2011)

If there were more women/girl collector's they'd probably be worth a lot more than they are currently. It seems that girls who do like bikes tend to have a single nice vintage bike, or if they have more than one bike, the others are not antiques. Maybe they just don't have the bike hoarding gene? 

I have a girls Higgins Jet flow that I will never part with because it was my grandmother's, but I'm not really looking to collect anything I can't ride, be it girls or boys, and that covers A LOT in the vintage/antique because I'm 6'4" and big bikes seem to be few and far between.

**Edit** I will say a step through frame is much more convenient to mount and dismount. The girls/boys stigma is almost a little lame. In Europe I don't think they are distinguished in quite this way when it comes to city bikes.


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## how (Sep 22, 2011)

meteor said:


> Well I guess I singlehandedly started a cash for clunkers program by paying a whopping $150 for a Schwinn girl's Meteor with a lousy seat. It was my first brush with vintage bikes (in July). It didn't take long to find out that girl's bikes are "lowly."  Women do not collect bikes (a few notable exceptions of course) so it makes perfect sense their value is much lower. I personally find the girl's bikes with tanks unappealing. The odd angle for the tank just looks strange to me.




Here is a pic of my wifes Meteor, I paid 20 bucks for it,,the seat was also destroyed


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## bricycle (Sep 22, 2011)

...Kinda funny how we say we paid $20.00 for a bike for our wife, but we lay down Mucho Dinero for ours.
Actually 3 of mine were about $200 and one $350......


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## how (Sep 22, 2011)

Krautwaggen said:


> If there were more women/girl collector's they'd probably be worth a lot more than they are currently. It seems that girls who do like bikes tend to have a single nice vintage bike, or if they have more than one bike, the others are not antiques. Maybe they just don't have the bike hoarding gene?
> 
> I have a girls Higgins Jet flow that I will never part with because it was my grandmother's, but I'm not really looking to collect anything I can't ride, be it girls or boys, and that covers A LOT in the vintage/antique because I'm 6'4" and big bikes seem to be few and far between.
> 
> **Edit** I will say a step through frame is much more convenient to mount and dismount. The girls/boys stigma is almost a little lame. In Europe I don't think they are distinguished in quite this way when it comes to city bikes.




It has become a fad in some trendy cities near me for men and women to ride vintage bikes. The women use them as riders not to collect. I sell a bunch of Breeze, Collegiate and Suburbans but I dont get much money for them. I list them at about 70 or 80 and usually get about 60. So you have to buy them cheap. I do it mostly for fun. I sold a Breeze to my neighbor yesterday for 40, I had 40 into it.


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## kngtmat (Sep 25, 2011)

I don't mind having a vintage girls/ladies bikes, I have two complete a Tyler and a Rollfast but a few Schwinn frames with two that have good paint on them and the other doesn't, I would mind having girls Spaceliners to go with my two mens of both tank versions.

Rollfast but it is apart so I can take the red spray paint off but I am wondering about just sanding the rest off because I it's not doing well or looking to good on it.




Tyler


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## Monark52 (Sep 25, 2011)

I have three Monark super deluxe's and two spaceliners that are girls models...and I won't part with them. They're just too cool!


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## Larmo63 (Sep 25, 2011)

*We have this weird one...*

I like some old girls.....


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## carlalotta (Sep 26, 2011)

I think most people on here know where I stand on this topic haha
http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/album.php?albumid=419
http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/album.php?albumid=18

I would like to point out that there seems to be some confusion with people equating "lowly" with "little worth." Lowly means having or suited for a low rank or position, humble in manner or plain or prosaic in nature. Little worth is exactly that, not valuable or worth much.  Chances are if you are giving ladies' bicycles away because you cannot sell them, they have little worth. I suspect the men's version of the same bike is likely worth little as well. 

Now I will admit that a very rare ladies' bicycle will not bring as much as their very rare male counterpart. However, when looking at the Elgin Skylark, Ladies twin-flex, or Colson Hi-Lo, all bikes with highly sought after male counterparts, they will always bring good money because they are collectable and rare. No one will be giving these away anytime soon; and if you are, call me!! I suspect ladies' bicycles would be even more collectable and more on target with the men's pricing if there were more ladies in this male-dominated hobby. However, there are not (lucky for me  haha) I can certainly appreciate a rare men's bicycle; however, I won't be bidding on one anytime soon, lucky for all you guys ...then again, I think my Skylarks may be lonely and need a Bluebird to keep them company, who knows??


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## 1959firearrow (Sep 26, 2011)

I think they're just as awsome as guys bikes. It actually makes me cringe to see a really nice original girls bike be parted out based on the fact that its a girls bike. I've been trying to get my girlfriend into them so i have a riding buddy. Here is mine


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## Pedalin Past (Sep 26, 2011)

*Buy Them....*

I'm riding a 26" three speed girls bike, 70's vintage.  So far the only work required has been to lube the chain and air up the tires.  Buy the girls bikes and make them roadworthy.  I've had good luck selling them at shows.   Don't forget, the girls remember the thrill of riding a bike also....Paul....


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## Waterland (Sep 29, 2011)

I've been cruising craigslist for a vintage (1950's or earlier) bicycle for awhile now, but unfortunately, most have been out of my price range and the ones that were in my range have sold before I could get to them.  I finally came across what was listed as a 1940's Monark Rocket bicycle and only for $50.  It was a girl's bike in what looked like fair condition from the tiny craigslist picture, so I figured I'd buy it to start off my vintage bike collection.  When I got it, it wasn't in the best condition, but still rideable.  It has some non-original parts such as a newer crank and pedals, a newer seat, and a newer rear fender.  It was also spray painted yellow at one point (the ad said "original paint").  In the end, it wasn't a bad buy for $50; it was the vintage I was looking for, and if I want I can restore it to original specs or customize it to my liking.  It will make a nice daily rider at any rate.

When it comes to vintage and antique bikes, I don't mind whether they're a girl's or boy's bike, as long as it appeals to my tastes.  I like the step-through frame of girls' bikes because it's easier to mount and dismount; I have a bad back so sometimes it's hard to swing my leg over the top bar of a boy's bike.  It's also to my advantage that girls' bikes sell for less since I can't afford to spend too much on bicycles.


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## Freqman1 (Oct 2, 2011)

One of the ladies here asked to see a pic of the Miss America so I pulled the girls out for some fall photos today. v/r Shawn







Freqman1 said:


> I have six girls bikes: '39 & '41 Elgin Miss America's, '41 Monark four bar (loop tail) Deluxe, '50 Columbia Five Star Super Equipped, '55 Schwinn green Phantom, and a '40 Shelby Airflo Speedline. I ride 'em all except the '39 MA which is a project. I have mates (boys bikes) for the Five Star, Phantom, and Speedliine. v/r Shawn


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## ridingtoy (Oct 3, 2011)

Shawn, thanks for sharing the pics! Beautiful set of ladies you have there.

Dave


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## Zephyr (Oct 3, 2011)

A little kinda reply to the poster about girls not having the collectors gene. You might be right as an average but for some its different. I own over 100 bikes in my collection. About 50% are not antiques and 20% are items for sale or to fix for sale. The 50 others are older from 1978 down to 1940. I have a lots of ladies and even kids step through. I have a 1940's Humber ladies and a 1940's CCM ladies as well as a 1940's Hercules rod brake ladies to name a few. Ladies bikes are awesome. My Humber still rides like the day it was made and its in very good condition. Found that one heading for recycling at the dump. I beleive there's beauty in both type frames.


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