1952 Guaranty Bicycle Supply Catalog

[rustjunkie]

 

[rustjunkie]

One thing that's interesting about this 1952 catalog is parts that we know from the 1930s and earlier are still available: single-tube tires, bolt-faced Klaxon, New Departure Model A parts, coke-bottle and jeweled grips...

 

[rollfaster]

Thanks for posting this Scott. If only I could have enjoyed being there in the 1930s. After all, I live here. A real piece of St. Louis history. Thanks again.

 

[cyclingday]

One thing that's interesting about this 1952 catalog is parts that we know from the 1930s and earlier are still available: single-tube tires, bolt-faced Klaxon, New Departure Model A parts, coke-bottle and jeweled grips...

I thought the same thing.
I've had guys rib me in the past about my choice of accessories, and I've told them that those items were still being marketed and sold well into the post war years. Some of the timelines stretch between the 1920's to the 1960's.
The nickle plated frame pumps had an incredibly long run.

 

[SirMike1983]

The Sturmey parts in this book appear somewhat out-of-date by 1952-53. I see the WWII era to late 1940s (early) handlebar shifter and the 1930s-40s quadrant as well. The AW hub also appears to take a threaded cog instead of the spline-plus-spring type. It looks as if this company had a large number of older parts on hand or did not change their pictures at least. That's not unusual, given old spares were probably floating around for some time into the 1950s. It's still only 7 years removed from the end of WWII here.

 

[rustjunkie]

...It looks as if this company had a large number of older parts on hand or did not change their pictures at least. That's not unusual, given old spares were probably floating around for some time into the 1950s. It's still only 7 years removed from the end of WWII here.

Def, and I've seen other ads and catalogs that used stock linotype/letterpress blocks that were older than the actual item advertised for sale.

 

[barracuda]

Cool, I always wondered how old these things were...

 

[Cowboy in NC]

Excellent Post- Thanks Guys...-----------Cowboy

 

[OldSkipTooth]

Thanks for that post, unlike today, old parts had a tremendous shelf life. I imagine a leather saddle or rubber grips could sit on a shelf 10 years and still be sold "new", and it would be new.

 

[barneyguey]

One thing that's interesting about this 1952 catalog is parts that we know from the 1930s and earlier are still available: single-tube tires, bolt-faced Klaxon, New Departure Model A parts, coke-bottle and jeweled grips...

Someone was selling reprints of this Catalog a few years back and I bought one off ebay. Maybe they have some more. You might be able find them and get a copy. Can you make a search on ebay?