1850's bike

[Andrew Gorman]

I agree- the bike is not as he represented it, and playing dumb is not a professional excuse. If you are not satisfied he should take it back. Hopefully Prewar bikes will have his bikes "for sale" for very long time to come. I pointed out a red flag when he first posted the bike here, and then he clammed up, red flag number 2.

 

[prewarbikes4sale]

Still

I still have yet to read where anyone with knowledge called it a "fake" as a matter of fact the question you asked on the Wheelmen site seems to be answered to the contrary Andrew!

 

[Dan the bike man]

I contacted Leon Dixon who owns mid-1800's bikes, and knows a LOT about them and he said it's FAKE. Three people sent me to him and that was his reply - it's NOT from the 1800's! Also like I said before I contacted Copake auctions and they said it doesn't look right.
I fail to understand if you are so sure it is real, then why not give my money back and sell it to someone else? I've talked to the experts and the experts say it's not 1800's! It's 1900's!

 

[prewarbikes4sale]

Delivery

I drove 6 hours to deliver you the bike and you inspected it and paid me and told me you have been around antiques all you life and it's old and looked Blacksmith made. why now is it my fault?

 

[Dan the bike man]

1st it was dark out, 2nd I thought it looked 1800's but never bought a 1800's bike before (not even 1890's), 3rd you said it was mid-1800's original and I trusted you. No one will force you to refund my money, but from the PMs I've got I don't think too many people trust you at this point. As upset as I am about this, I will praise you as a good business person if you just stand behind what you sell. If I sold something - anything and it was not what I said I'd offer a quick refund. It's the right thing to do. In the end it's up to you.
If you care about your image on this site give a refund. If you care more about the profit you made on this, don't issue a refund. It's all up to you

 

[walter branche]

you bought it

There are many clues that the machine was altered , you purchased the machine and now it is yours , ..if it was an original , draisiene, laufmachine, pedestrian curricle, or whatever and whoever calls it, the money would be in the 50, 000 plus range for an authentic machine with reputable provenance.enjoy what you have, remember if it sounds to good to be true , you know the rest of the song ,. Walter branche ,

 

[squeedals]

I drove 6 hours to deliver you the bike and you inspected it and paid me and told me you have been around antiques all you life and it's old and looked Blacksmith made. why now is it my fault?

I don't think it's ANYBODY'S fault here guys. The bike in question has a lot of mystery attached to it and I get the feeling neither of you knew what it really was, if it is a fake or if it's real. Was it advertised as a mid 1800's bike? Was there a question in the add by the seller saying something like "I'm not sure" How up front a seller is goes a long way in avoiding buyers remorse and sellers anguish and putting his reputation on the line.

 

[Dan the bike man]

Here's what he said

Mike's quote and link to original post: "Early find....What I have found out mid 1800's Original with some period repairs. Pretty cool!"
http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?49517-Mid-1800-s

"mid 1800's original" is the key here. That's where I based my purchase.

 

[squeedals]

Mike's quote and link to original post: "Early find....What I have found out mid 1800's Original with some period repairs. Pretty cool!"
http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?49517-Mid-1800-s

"mid 1800's original" is the key here. That's where I based my purchase.

Yes.....went back and read the posts. So seller said HE was told it's mid 1800's. That's a bit vague, but you are right and it is about trust, but I get the feeling the seller didn't really know what he had. So the bike gets passed from person to person over the years. Price as some here have stated can be an indicator of authenticity. If it walks and quacks like a duck, it's a duck. Reading the original thread, no one put up any red flags, which is odd for this bunch and some replies were from seasoned CABE members, but something that unique is a tough one. I hate to ask.......if you don't mind, what did you pay?

 

[Andrew Gorman]

I'm not going call myself and expert but I do own and ride a Velocipede and have a strong interest in the dawn of cycling. My first thought when I saw the bike was "Oh my. Someone got hosed". I didn't want to come right out and say "It's a fake" since I had not seen the bike in person and out of politeness. I asked for some more pictures which showed bar stock, mismatched buggy wheels and arc welds. Not good signs for an original. If you are selling something, you need to know what you are selling. If you are buying something, you need to know what you are buying. And the old saw "The customer is always right" still holds true. Take a look at all the one star reviews on Yelp...