Barn Find?

[dbmeyer]

I've inherited my sister's old Rollfast bike. IIRC, my parents bought it for her in 1951 or 1952, new. Probably from Wards or Sears.

It seems to be unique in that it's equipped with a "springer" fork that I always envied. It's been hanging in a shed (later, my garage) since she stopped riding it in the mid-fifties.

I need to get rid of the thing, but I can't find any comparables anywhere on the web, so I don't know what is a fair price. I can vouch for its provenance, though, since I've had it for the last thirty years after it was given to me by our father for safe keeping.

I have a few recent pictures, and would be happy to furnish more if anyone is interested in buying it.

Doug
Twin Cities, MN

 

[Archie Sturmer]

I believe that the serial number stamping on the rear axle drop-out was started about the middle 1950’s; (as was the middleweight tire size to compete with the European-Atlantic Islander bicycle imports?).

Oftentimes, HP Snyder-built Rollfast bicycles had a date-place code lightly stamped on the bottom bracket crank hanger.

 

[dbmeyer]

Bingo!

Thank you very much, Archie Sturmer.

There is indeed a light stamping on the bottom of the crank hanger housing. I'm pretty sure that it reads "55EH". The picture may render the character as "F", but I'm pretty sure it's "E".

Would the "55" part of the stamping indicate the year of production?

Also, please pardon my ignorance, but I've no knowledge of HP Snyder. I presume it was a company owned by this guy? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homer_P._Snyder Presumably an OEM that made bikes for retail outlets to store-brand?

My apologies to all--I never did include a picture of the bike itself. So here is one.

 

[Archie Sturmer]

Yes, Snyder was a manufacturer, apparently less invested in distribution and retail, and sold bicycles to wholesalers (DP Harris NY) and Montgomery Ward Chicago department stores. DP Harris Hardware sold Rollfast bicycles to hardware stores and sporting goods stores. For example, Island Cycle Supply Co., or Janney, Semple & Hill Co., both in Minneapolis MN, before it burnt up.

Maybe a 1955-B; (I have a 1956-C boys).

Not sure if the ABC sequence re-started soon after when the bicycles were stamped “SE” for the later Snyder Enterprises.
(e.g., 1959-A\SE?)

 

[dbmeyer]

Wow! Thank you so much for the detailed information. I have to admit that I was dead wrong about the date that I supposed that it was manufactured. (I'll have to do a bit of readjustment of my own internal timeline.)

I also took your advice and googled "55EH", and it appears that the bike was indeed manufactured in Michigan City, IN and then wholesaled to Wards, out of Chicago. I know for sure that my parents did a lot of business through Wards and Sears mail order...much like I do with today's Amazon. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I'm here on this forum because I personally have no interest in collecting or even personally overseeing any restoration of the thing. Yet I would like to see it go to a good home if there are interested people. Where can I go to get some idea of what a fair price might be?

 

[Boris]

If someone offers you $125-$150 for it, take it! Springer fork is cool, but it looks like it would be too long to be used on a men's bike if someone were to part your sister's bike out.

 

[mrg]

If it were sold thru Wards or Sears it would be badged Hawthorne or JC Higgins so must have been sold thru another store.

 

[Freqman1]

I agree with Boris’ evaluation. To sell here you must list in the for sale section with a price. V/r Shawn

 

[dbmeyer]

Thanks, Boris and Freqman1, for your thoughts and advice. It is appreciated.

I do understand the rules of the forum, and I hope that my queries have not been misunderstood. Beyond mere identification of the bike, I've simply been trying to assess interest and to try to gauge its possible market value.

As you can see, there have been no avid buyers pinging me to part with it suddenly! <grin>

Yes, Snyder was a manufacturer, apparently less invested in distribution and retail, and sold bicycles to wholesalers (DP Harris NY) and Montgomery Ward Chicago department stores. DP Harris Hardware sold Rollfast bicycles to hardware stores and sporting goods stores. For example, Island Cycle Supply Co., or Janney, Semple & Hill Co., both in Minneapolis MN, before it burnt up.

Maybe a 1955-B; (I have a 1956-C boys).

Not sure if the ABC sequence re-started soon after when the bicycles were stamped “SE” for the later Snyder Enterprises.

This is turning into a very interesting conversation for me, guys!

I never realized that Janney, Semple Hill was a hardware store and distributor. I do know that they had their own private labelled interior house paint because my parents painted the interior of their new house with that brand. All along I thought that that company was "just" a paint company. And I had never heard of Island Cycle (or George Johnson).

It turns out that the Janney, Semple Hill site is now a prime piece of high-value residential real estate in downtown Minneapolis.

LILEKS (James) :: Minneapolis :: Route 66: Mpls 1963

And there are some glowing memories of Island Cycle on FB.

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With these facts in mind, I'd suppose that the bike in question reached our home via Janney, Semple Hill and then through our local village's Our Own Hardware affiliate. (My only thread of evidence for that conjecture is that the paint also came from that hardware store, and we did a lot of business there during the Fifties.

 

[gkeep]

Great story and bike. It looks like the rack carried a lot of riders in it's time.