# Possibly the oldest Schwinn catalog ?  your thoughts....



## bobcycles (Jul 21, 2018)

I was fortunate enough to acquire this very early Schwinn "Advance" catalog showing the first
line of bikes "The World" models.  Small piece about 4 x 6 printed on high quality paper
with an embossed cover and decorative string bow.   Really a gem and only maybe a dozen
pages with not much detail. Has anyone seen this catalog before?
My thoughts are 1895 or 6 and maybe one of the very first Schwinn catalogs in print.

I welcome any commentary or info.


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## bricycle (Jul 21, 2018)

Awesome Bob!


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## ABC Services (Jul 21, 2018)

Does it have 7 models in it? I have a 1896 catalog and it starts with Model #8


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## barneyguey (Jul 21, 2018)

Wow! I love it! Barry


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## ABC Services (Jul 21, 2018)

After reading what you have there, I would guess This is pre catalog " Advance " presented to possible investors or dealers?


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## bobcycles (Jul 21, 2018)

Exactly...that's what I suspected a "pre" catalog to the first line of bikes and yes...it has 
7 models going from #1 - 7
I think my suspicions are confirmed on this one.

A priceless piece of Schwinn history.

Let the insane offers roll in...and watch me turn them dowwwwwwwn


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## fordmike65 (Jul 21, 2018)

@cyclingday


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## sarmisluters (Jul 21, 2018)

Put it in the BobVault 
never to be seen again ?
Or find a Shut up and take my money buyer ?


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## Freqman1 (Jul 21, 2018)

Going from memory here but I believe AS&Co was formed in late ‘95 which I suspect is when this was printed. I actually believe the first year of production was 1896. An absolutely spectacular piece! V/r Shawn


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## bobcycles (Jul 21, 2018)

Does anyone know of another one of these catalogs?  I asked Mark M a few months 
back and he had not seen or heard of this particular item.

An unbelievable find in a mixed lot of vintage paper goods on eBay.


May consider trade for extensive prewar and early postwar balloon bicycle collection.

Check your buildings and send me inventory lists.


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## catfish (Jul 21, 2018)




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## sarmisluters (Jul 21, 2018)

bobcycles said:


> Does anyone know of another one of these catalogs? I asked Mark M a few months
> back and he had not seen or heard of this particular item.
> 
> An unbelievable find in a mixed lot of vintage paper goods on eBay.
> ...




I can trade you a Leon Dixon aka Leeedy autograph 
and picture of him in front of the Chicago plant that I found on the Internet.


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## Freqman1 (Jul 21, 2018)

The only other place might be the Wheemen or the BMA. When I was hunting info on my ‘98 gents roadster things looked pretty scarce but the Wheelmen did hook me up with a copy of the ‘98 catalog. V/r Shawn


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## Rust_Trader (Jul 21, 2018)

bobcycles said:


> Does anyone know of another one of these catalogs?  I asked Mark M a few months
> back and he had not seen or heard of this particular item.
> 
> An unbelievable find in a mixed lot of vintage paper goods on eBay.
> ...






Can you post every page, thanks...


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## cyclingday (Jul 22, 2018)

Wow!
The condition of that is amazing!
It looks like it was made yesterday.


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## RUDY CONTRATTI (Jul 22, 2018)

*BOB Remember when I traded you  and you got the Autocycle maybe you can show us the Letter from the Schwinn in regaurds to the speedo they were requesting,dated 1941*


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## Jeff54 (Jul 28, 2018)

I wouldn't be surprised if that Catalog is moreover,  an  a trade show catalog that was saved from 1895: “The Great Bicycle Exhibition” In NYC. A solicitation for business at the show and public visitors.   ;  or it seems maybe  it became an annual trade show and in 1896, or the print in 1896 is talking about the same event in 1895.   “The Big Bicycle Show at the Garden,” _New York Sunday World_, 19 January 1896.

And if  “The Big Bicycle Show at the Garden,” , then, also cool as a relic of a huge women's movement that  Susan B Anthony was involved, especially bikes.  Potentially, why it's in pristine condition. Like from a woman's TOC locker.

Referenced here; A cool read of cycles in 1890's: http://www.annielondonderry.com/womenWheels.html#_ednref1

And Here, more 1890's  “The Great Bicycle Exhibition” Christian Work: Illustrated Family Newspaper, Volume 60,  NYC published,  Jan 2 1896 : https://books.google.com/books?i.d.=An9PAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA169&lpg=PA169&dq=1895++“The+Great+Bicycle+Exhibition”&source=bl&ots=-4HKRo0YEd&sig=lvqUZtZqXs49ITa7bMeZS4_gbkI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjSyYr-ucLcAhVQwFkKHS2UDHgQ6AEwAnoECAIQAQ#v=onepage&q=1895 “The Great Bicycle Exhibition”&f=false

Now, today 100 year past,  not just one 'Schwinn or bicycles' but Two, double collectible interest, women's suffrage movement in 1895 too. A must have fo any female/woman  Schwinn or bicycle collector as well. “The Big Bicycle Show at the Garden,”  (read the articles Ladies,,,,, and gents too)


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## bobcycles (Jul 29, 2018)

Jeff54 said:


> I wouldn't be surprised if that Catalog is moreover,  an  a trade show catalog that was saved from 1895: “The Great Bicycle Exhibition” In NYC. A solicitation for business at the show and public visitors.   ;  or it seems maybe  it became an annual trade show and in 1896, or the print in 1896 is talking about the same event in 1895.   “The Big Bicycle Show at the Garden,” _New York Sunday World_, 19 January 1896.
> 
> And if  “The Big Bicycle Show at the Garden,” , then, also cool as a relic of a huge women's movement that  Susan B Anthony was involved, especially bikes.  Potentially, why it's in pristine condition. Like from a woman's TOC locker.
> 
> ...





Good ideas ... I'm leaning towards it being as the cover states, an "advance" to a possibly more in depth catalog for 1895.  The 1896 Schwinn
catalog that is presently in the hands of a midwest collector lists the Schwinn bicycle line starting and Model # 8.  This catalog
indeed shows a page by page of models 1-7, so definitely Schwinns first offerings for their line.  Thus far I've contacted numerous
sources on bicycle history and Schwinn history and no one yet can recall seeing this particular catalog.   I'm going to suggest
it's the only one known until someone pops one out of hiding somewhere.  A well made piece with the embossed cover and
ribbon tie up top and remarkably well preserved.  There were 2 other bicycle catalogs (other mfgs} that came with this lot
that were all found together with other late 1800s letters and papers or misc content and origin.  Possibly owned by
a bicycle or hardware retailer in the late 1800s who saved the correspondence or "junk mail" industry paper that was
mailed out to retailers.


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## Blue Streak (Aug 1, 2018)

The Advance Catalog must have been printed after October 1895 as the references below state the name "The World" was not selected for the new bicycle line until November 1895:

October 10, 1895 issue of _The Bearings _(four Schwinn references

















October 31, 1895 issue of _The Bearings _(one Schwinn reference for contest to name their new bicycle





November 21, 1895 issue of _The Bearings _(three Schwinn references












November 28, 1895 issue of _The Bearings _(one Schwinn reference





December 19, 1895 issue of _The Bearings _(three Schwinn references












December 26, 1895 issue of _The Bearings _(one Schwinn reference


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## Freqman1 (Aug 1, 2018)

Blue Streak said:


> The Advance Catalog must have been printed after October 1895 as the references below state the name "The World" was not selected for the new bicycle line until November 1895:
> 
> October 10, 1895 issue of _The Bearings _(four Schwinn references
> View attachment 846818
> ...




Great info. So from this it would confirm that 1896 was the first year of production. Also from this lit we can see the first year they produced Models 1-7 (seven models). Interestingly the '98 cat lists the previous year (1897)Models as 1, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, & 17 (10 models). The 1898 models begin with Model 22 and run consecutively through 32 (11 models). 1898 also introduces their "Chicago" line (Models 31 & 32). Here is my 1898 Model 22 Standard Roadster. Other than the girls bike listed as a '95 (really a '96) and the Schwinn family tandem (probably a '98) in the Bicycle Museum of America I have yet to find a complete Schwinn earlier than mine. V/r Shawn


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## A.S.BOLTNUT (Aug 1, 2018)

Wow , I remember way back in the 1900's when people use to read stuff on paper !


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## auto1cycle2 (Aug 2, 2018)

Great piece of history!


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## SJ_BIKER (Aug 2, 2018)

great find!!


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## frankster41 (Aug 2, 2018)

Oh very nice find!!!!


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## Freqman1 (Aug 2, 2018)

ABC Services said:


> Does it have 7 models in it? I have a 1896 catalog and it starts with Model #8




I believe 1896 is the first year catalog and the lit posted by Blue Streak seems to support this. I'd love to see pics of your cat and if you ever reproduce it I'd buy a copy. V/r Shawn


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## PJ Fitz (Aug 27, 2018)

bobcycles said:


> I was fortunate enough to acquire this very early Schwinn "Advance" catalog showing the first
> line of bikes "The World" models.  Small piece about 4 x 6 printed on high quality paper
> with an embossed cover and decorative string bow.   Really a gem and only maybe a dozen
> pages with not much detail. Has anyone seen this catalog before?
> ...





bobcycles said:


> I was fortunate enough to acquire this very early Schwinn "Advance" catalog showing the first
> line of bikes "The World" models.  Small piece about 4 x 6 printed on high quality paper
> with an embossed cover and decorative string bow.   Really a gem and only maybe a dozen
> pages with not much detail. Has anyone seen this catalog before?
> ...



Bob,

I own the building that was home to the Arnold, Schwinn Company from its inception in 1895 until  around 1902 when they moved to their new factory on what was then known as 43rd Avenue (now 1718 N. Kildare Avenue). It's the building at the corner of Peoria and Lake Streets that is pictured in the add that Blue Streak posted and it still looks much the same. We placed it on The National Register of Historic Places in 1998 and have restored and maintained it ever since.

Thanks to the generosity of folks on this website I've managed to find some photographs a lot of information on the company's early years but am also interested in acquiring any artifacts from those days that may still exist. If you should ever consider selling this rare catalog I would appreciate an opportunity to bid on it. My intention would be to place it in a secured display in our building but to also to reproduce it in order to make copies available to others who might have an interest. 

Your find represents a great opportunity to expand awareness of the early years of one of America's iconic brands in a way that research and written history cannot match. Thanks for sharing.

PJ FitzGerald


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## Mark Mattei (Aug 27, 2018)

Patrick FitzGerald said:


> Bob,
> 
> I own the building that was home to the Arnold, Schwinn Company from its inception in 1895 until  around 1902 when they moved to their new factory on what was then known as 43rd Avenue (now 1718 N. Kildare Avenue). It's the building at the corner of Peoria and Lake Streets that is pictured in the add that Blue Streak posted and it still looks much the same. We placed it on The National Register of Historic Places in 1998 and have restored and maintained it ever since.
> 
> ...



https://www.cyclesmithy.com/pages/schwinn-photographs


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## PJ Fitz (Aug 27, 2018)

Mark Mattei said:


> https://www.cyclesmithy.com/pages/schwinn-photographs




Mark, 

Thanks for the link. You have an amazing collection. I live nearby in Andersonville so I'll have to stop by for a visit some day to tap into your knowledge and talk about times past.

PJ FitzGerald


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## bikemonkey (Aug 30, 2018)

bobcycles said:


> I was fortunate enough to acquire this very early Schwinn "Advance" catalog showing the first
> line of bikes "The World" models.  Small piece about 4 x 6 printed on high quality paper
> with an embossed cover and decorative string bow.   Really a gem and only maybe a dozen
> pages with not much detail. Has anyone seen this catalog before?
> ...



Congratulations on such a great find - buried treasure in a mixed box lot! And it is the gift that keeps on giving because it has also spawned an excellent thread...


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## abe lugo (Aug 30, 2018)

bobcycles said:


> Good ideas ... I'm leaning towards it being as the cover states, an "advance" to a possibly more in depth catalog for 1895.  The 1896 Schwinn
> catalog that is presently in the hands of a midwest collector lists the Schwinn bicycle line starting and Model # 8.  This catalog
> indeed shows a page by page of models 1-7, so definitely Schwinns first offerings for their line.  Thus far I've contacted numerous
> sources on bicycle history and Schwinn history and no one yet can recall seeing this particular catalog.   I'm going to suggest
> ...




Post it for sale at an absurd amount and 5 will show up immediately. It never fails.  Its a Schwinn, they made tons on them....even the catalogs..

Nice little catalog BTW.


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## bobcycles (Aug 31, 2018)

abe lugo said:


> Post it for sale at an absurd amount and 5 will show up immediately. It never fails.  Its a Schwinn, they made tons on them....even the catalogs..
> 
> Nice little catalog BTW.




I hear you on the posting it for sale thing.... but as for tons of these catalogs produced...  I kind of doubt it.  Keep in mind,  the Schwinn folks were new kids on the block,
nothing special, no product to speak of other than a new line of bikes competing with a sea of similar design models produced at the time.  The catalog
is rather petite also and could have easily been discarded.  It's a charming and mysterious piece of Schwinn history for sure maybe perhaps the only
one known at this time.  Time will tell.  I just wish Zuckerberg would stop hassling me with offers for 1/2 of his lame social media beast for it.


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