It would go fairly quick at $2000 but the right buyer may go more. So many get turned into Krate bikes, this is one reason 1968-1973 3 speed and 5 speed bikes in Kool Red, Kool Lemon and Campus Green, Krate forks, and sissybars, and especially Atom wheels and parts and 6-71 thru 1973 disc brake wheels are so astronomically high.
Most buyers wouldn't notice the difference between the 1996-1999 Krate seats, sissybars and forks until it is too late, but I have been riding and building these bikes since they were new in the 1970s and I can do a side by side comparison of the forks and sissybars. Any almost new or NOS seat, especially those not in 1960s-1980s Schwinn bags sealed are suspect. I mean really, how does a 50 year old seat stay brand new and all the round Persons stickers are clean as a baby's butt after a diaper change? My clothes get dirty in a closed drawer!
Trust me, about 60% of the Apple Krate, Lemon Picker and Pea Picker bikes are probably made from these and not original Krate series at all.
It is much harder to fake an unrestored Orange Krate since they were the only orange 20" cantilever frames, at least up to 1973.
That is why you see so many perfect "unrestored survivor" Orange Krates popping up out of nowhere.
The newest scam is 1970-1972 coaster Krates. All you need is the appropriate colored Coaster Stingray, a Pixie or Midget Stingray 16" front with a Superior tire. Then obtain a Krate fork, seat chainguard and sissybar, all of which could come from a 1996-1999 reproduction or the Schwinn parts Department. There are minor differences bur all a seller has to say IF someone calls him out on it is they are Schwinn Approved Restoration parts.
Schwinn Approved is a whole area I am not going to start on. I have probably offended some people already but I am offended by the things I just listed so hopefully we can be even without a battle of wits or words on this. I would discuss my position, but even an edict from Heaven is not likely to change how I feel.
I am not against making some money, but when it costs $400 for an Atom hub with no rim or spokes and some sellers are getting $4-$5 a spoke or $1500 for a disc brake wheel that's when it stops becoming a hobby and starts becoming a playground for opportunists and wealthy people investing in the bikes as a way to enlarge their portfolio. Ten years ago I was buying whole Atom brake 16" S-7 wheels for $100 or so, and complete hubs for $50-$75. I bought a bunch of cadmium spokes identical to the factory ones for $14 a set and S-2 spokes were about the same.
Like everything else this will balloon until it explodes and the bottom drops out of the market. Unfortunately this will probably not happen soon enough for guys like me on disability that need one or 2 parts to finish their childhood bike and cannot pay half their monthly income to buy them.
Enough. I welcome and viewpoints on this, dissenting or in agreement. If my post is better moved to another thread or its own, please help me do it.
I posted a chainguard photo in Stingrays and Musclebikes and the answers I did get told me it may be in the wrong area. Some help there would be cool as I want the thread to be where it will get the most views by those who can ID it. It has been suggested it is possibly European or foreign City Bike. The screened logo is what is throwing me off on that but any help on that is appreciated.
Thanks, Rob
