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AMF Debutante and unknown Huffy girls' bikes ID, Value and Potential

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Bike from the Dead

I live for the CABE
Picked up these 2 girls' bikes for free a few months apart. I got the AMF Debutante back in August, and I picked up the blue Huffy just this Sunday. The AMF Debutante looks to be mostly complete, with either the front or rear wheel replaced at some point. The blue Huffy meanwhile is missing a few parts, and it looks like it was in the process of being converted to either a cruiser or a muscle bike.

Normally, I build bikes for myself and no one else, as this is a hobby for me, but I'm strapped for cash right now. After the positive response I got from my last RRBBO entry and my current ORBBO entry, I figured I could try building a bike for the sole purpose of selling it and making some much-needed cash. That said, there are some things I'd like to figure out about the 2 potential candidates for this "Free Marketplace Flip" before I begin.

1. What is the year, make and Manufacturer (mostly for the Huffy, but I'd like to know how old the AMF is too.)
2. What are they worth as they sit right now?
3. What are they worth if I put some work into fixing them up? (The Huffy would probably have to be a custom build given the missing parts and ruined fork. The Debutante mostly just needs a wash and new tires and tubes.)
4. Are the parts worth more than the complete bikes, or is the complete bike still worth something?
5. In the case of the Huffy, would it be better to try and build this bike using only original parts that I'd need to find and purchase, or would I stand a better chance of turning a profit building it up as a custom bike using what parts I already have, while adding some tasteful artistic touches?
6. Would the AMF Debutante be worth more as a custom boy's bike, if I cut and welded a new top tube onto it?
219030-BftD-tale-of-2-bikes.jpg


Candidate 1: AMF Debutante. Here are some details about it that I know:
1. The crank, chain, pedals, wheels and fork all seem to turn freely, though they could probably use new grease either way.
2. The banana seat has a tear that goes right down to the bare metal seat pan.
3. The seat and sissy bar are not currently tightened down in place.
4. Either the front or rear wheel is not original to the bike. Not sure which is original.
5. Paint and chrome are both in decent shape, and could easily shine back up with a good wash (and in the chrome's case,) some steel wool.
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I'm not sure what this plate's for, but I guess it housed a reflector?
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Sticker on base of seat tube. Not sure what the info's about.
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Serial number found on headset.
219047-BftD-amf-debutante-17.jpg
 
Candidate 2: Unknown Huffy.

Here's what I do know about it:
1. It's missing the original crank, pedals, chain guard and chain ring.
2. The fork was destroyed by a previous owner when they cut through the steerer tube and pried it open for unknown reasons. It would have to be replaced for it to ride again.
3. The banana seat and sissy bar could be aftermarket, given the full fenders, 20-spoke wheels, and cruiser handlebars. Not 100% sure of this though.
4. The fork and wheels do turn.
5. The tubes hold air, at least long enough for a few quick photos.
219048-BftD-blue-huffy-19.jpg

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Found stamped on kickstand.
219064-BftD-blue-huffy-22.jpg


Serial number under bottom bracket. Number appears to read "2047."
219063-BftD-blue-huffy-21.jpg
 
Candidate 2: Unknown Huffy.

Here's what I do know about it:
1. It's missing the original crank, pedals, chain guard and chain ring.
2. The fork was destroyed by a previous owner when they cut through the steerer tube and pried it open for unknown reasons. It would have to be replaced for it to ride again.
3. The banana seat and sissy bar could be aftermarket, given the full fenders, 20-spoke wheels, and cruiser handlebars. Not 100% sure of this though.
4. The fork and wheels do turn.
5. The tubes hold air, at least long enough for a few quick photos.
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Found stamped on kickstand.
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Serial number under bottom bracket. Number appears to read "2047."
View attachment 1743947
By the time you count your hours you would be much better off getting a job for the time spent. You’ll most likely lose money even if you don’t count your hours.
 
Last edited:
Ok everyone, thanks for all the feedback. Between the replies I got on here and ratrodbikes.com, I think I got the info I needed. These 2 bikes are clearly not worth the effort to fix up to sell. That's actually something of a relief regarding the Debutante, as I've got bikes that could use most of its parts. The Huffy on the other hand... well, I actually kind of like the frame and the paint. Plus, I'm sure I have most everything needed to build it into a decent rideable bike. Maybe I could try building this bike super cheap, like under $25, mostly using whatever parts I got for free!

To be honest though, after all the feedback I received on this post, I mostly want to build that Huffy out of spite. Having people call a bike "scrap" or "a money pit," no matter how right they may be, just makes me want to prove that point wrong. I like to believe that just about any bike can be made into something cool, no matter how bad it looks at first, and that you don't always have to spend a ton of money to do it. Heck, that's the whole point behind my username; I like to bring broken and castoff bikes "back from the dead!"

Just to prove my point, here are a few bikes I've built so far:

Here is the first bike I ever built, my 1950 Snyder-built Montgomery Ward/Hawthorne, Dumpster Diamond. I paid $20 for this bent-up frame at a swap meet back in 2019, but some who saw it in its rough state thought I "pulled it out of a dumpster." Between that unpleasant comment rubbing me the wrong way, and wanting to participate in the 2020 Rat Rod Bikes Build Off, I decided to turn this "dumpster bike" into a "diamond," hence the name. Did it cost more that I would've liked? Yes. Did I make some mistakes along the way? Absolutely. Did I finish it the way I had initially planned? Not yet. But in the end, I got a cool bike and a good learning experience that's helped me with my latest builds. That, and placing 17th out of 65 finished entries in my class during the Build Off wasn't too bad either, especially for a beginner.
219216-DSC-92082.jpg

219217-BFtD-hawthorne180.jpg


My next example is my latest Rat Rod Bikes Build Off entry, a 1961 Murray Meteor Flite I call Shoestring. I bought this for $40 at the Kellyville swap meet back in April from a guy who thought this bike was good for nothing but yard art. Hard not to see why, but all that did was give me more motivation to fix it up with all that sweet patina intact! Having learned from my previous builds, I managed to build this bike just the way I wanted, on time, and within my $50 budget! And to top it off, I made it into the top 10 of my class for the first time, finishing 7th place in the 2022 Rat Rod Bikes Build Off! I even won an award for it too! Between all the positive feedback it's received from those who have seen it both online and in-person, and just how fun it is to ride, Shoestring has easily become one of, if not my all-time favorite bicycle build to date!
219212-BftD-Rusty-Murray12.jpg

219213-BftD-Shoestring-FINAL-main-SCALED.jpg


Lastly, here is my current project, a 1952 Schwinn Hornet I call Kasual Klunker. It's not done just yet, but I was able set a personal record by tearing this bike down and getting it rideable in just under a month. Like Shoestring, this was another $50 budget build, with the bike costing $40, and the chain an extra $10. I was just throwing it together so I could ride it while I saved the funds to build and paint it the way I wanted, but I ended up loving the bike just the way I've built it. I even fell in love with the original paint and patina after shining it up with some rubbing compound! I've since ditched the $50 budget for this bike, as I want to add a few small personal touches to really finish it off and make it my own, but this bike ended up proving its worth to me in the end. It also helps that I've already received a bunch of compliments on how it's turned out so far.
219214-DSC-8237.jpg

219215-BftD-52-hornet-new-seat-1.jpg


So are these 2 girls' bikes worth the trouble to fix up for a profit? Probably not. Will that stop me from fixing up at least one of them, and maybe adding some custom enhancements to spice things up a bit? Also probably not. Heck, I may just enter that Huffy into the Muscle Bike Build Off going on at ratrodbikes.com right now, just to see if I can build it faster than my Schwinn straight bar!

Either way, thank you all for your advice! I appreciate it.
 
Picked up these 2 girls' bikes for free a few months apart. I got the AMF Debutante back in August, and I picked up the blue Huffy just this Sunday. The AMF Debutante looks to be mostly complete, with either the front or rear wheel replaced at some point. The blue Huffy meanwhile is missing a few parts, and it looks like it was in the process of being converted to either a cruiser or a muscle bike.

Normally, I build bikes for myself and no one else, as this is a hobby for me, but I'm strapped for cash right now. After the positive response I got from my last RRBBO entry and my current ORBBO entry, I figured I could try building a bike for the sole purpose of selling it and making some much-needed cash. That said, there are some things I'd like to figure out about the 2 potential candidates for this "Free Marketplace Flip" before I begin.

1. What is the year, make and Manufacturer (mostly for the Huffy, but I'd like to know how old the AMF is too.)
2. What are they worth as they sit right now?
3. What are they worth if I put some work into fixing them up? (The Huffy would probably have to be a custom build given the missing parts and ruined fork. The Debutante mostly just needs a wash and new tires and tubes.)
4. Are the parts worth more than the complete bikes, or is the complete bike still worth something?
5. In the case of the Huffy, would it be better to try and build this bike using only original parts that I'd need to find and purchase, or would I stand a better chance of turning a profit building it up as a custom bike using what parts I already have, while adding some tasteful artistic touches?
6. Would the AMF Debutante be worth more as a custom boy's bike, if I cut and welded a new top tube onto it?
View attachment 1743911

Candidate 1: AMF Debutante. Here are some details about it that I know:
1. The crank, chain, pedals, wheels and fork all seem to turn freely, though they could probably use new grease either way.
2. The banana seat has a tear that goes right down to the bare metal seat pan.
3. The seat and sissy bar are not currently tightened down in place.
4. Either the front or rear wheel is not original to the bike. Not sure which is original.
5. Paint and chrome are both in decent shape, and could easily shine back up with a good wash (and in the chrome's case,) some steel wool.
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I'm not sure what this plate's for, but I guess it housed a reflector?
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Sticker on base of seat tube. Not sure what the info's about.
View attachment 1743927

Serial number found on headset.
View attachment 1743928
I bought a really nice AMF girls bike similar to yours a few years ago as a donor for a Flameout project that was a $40.00 bike that is a bit nicer than yours, maybe worth $50.00-60.00 on a good day...
 
Sure looks like you're enjoying the old bike hobby. If monetary gain is your aim, the two girls high rise bikes could be a hard sell for profit. They could be fun projects that some youngster would enjoy riding.
Thanks, I am! Well, that was the aim for these 2 bikes, but admittedly, I knew they probably wouldn't be worth all that much, even after I fixed them up. Still, that Debutante has plenty of good parts that could help fix some of my better bikes, and that Huffy would still be a fun bike to put together using what parts I have available. Maybe if I find a better bike to start with, I could try fixing and selling that to someone who'd appreciate it.
 
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