Withdrawn Schwinn porcelain sign Fabers cyclery old stock San Jose CA

[Nashman]

Rusty areas in the back

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Is this unquestionably an original sign? is there any provenance, such as a picture of in the shop, or an owner that can vouch for it's age/authenticity? I mean NO disrespect, BUT signs like these are being reproduced with all the patina, rust, wear, porcelain, made in India ( for decades), and even the U.S.A. in mass production/ BUT limited numbers. Ebay is RIFE with them.
50.00. I have a strong feeling this is a reproduction so basically drop out of the race, and this is what I'm comfortable with. Sorry for any inconvenience.

 

[Schwinn Sales West]

I love remembering the great old shops, We've lost so many to so called "progress". After Thom's folded in Curtis Park. Sacramento near the old Sac High School, someone put a 30 yard dumpster out front and they took the entire obsolete history from 1920 to 1990 and filled the dumpster. By the time I caught wind of it and made it there, every treasure picker in 100 miles had picked it over. I also remember the bike shop in Land Park Sacramento, College cyclery, it was a hardware store/Schwinn dealership back in the day and like going back in time to walk in there.

I was the Schwinn Rep for Thom's from 1978 to 1983 when I was transferred to the Arizona/SO. Nevada District. If Thom's had any cool vintage Schwinn inventory it was gone long before I called on the Family. Main Street Bicycle in Stockton would have been a better Central Valley pick, IMO.

John

 

[SJ_BIKER]

This display was in the Fabers shop floor.

 

[AmericanSchwinnfiend]

I was the Schwinn Rep for Thom's from 1978 to 1983 when I was transferred to the Arizona/SO. Nevada District. If Thom's had any cool vintage Schwinn inventory it was gone long before I called on the Family. Main Street Bicycle in Stockton would have been a better Central Valley pick, IMO.

John

For sure Thom's didn't have any assembled Schwinn-Chicago bikes left by the time the dumpster was called, but there was a lot of "smalls" as I call them, bits and pieces, cables, nuts bolts and little random stuff. That's really the stuff eBayers love. easy to post and ship. another surprise heartbreak was when Talbot's cyclery of San Mateo folded. That place was known as the toy and bicycle supplier to the uber wealthy of Hillsborough, and I used to get there every week to looky-loo around and buy the inner tubes ad spokes and stuff I needed. Talbots was open Sundays, so that was a big plus for me. I remember the early 1970s when Talbots had all the hand crafted DeRosa road bikes. Going in there and seeing those was like going to the museum to look at great artworks. The San Mateo Peninsula had many Schwinn shops, Olympic cyclery of Redwood City, Steve's of San Carlos on Laurel ave, Kals in Belmont and Burlingame cyclery on Burlingame ave. I remember when Kals was North of Ralston, and sold model airplane engines and other hobby stuff. Kal's evolved into California sports, and sold ball sport stuff in the end. My 1968 Lemon Peeler was purchased new at Kal's.

 

[SJ_BIKER]

Is this unquestionably an original sign? is there any provenance, such as a picture of in the shop, or an owner that can vouch for it's age/authenticity? I mean NO disrespect, BUT signs like these are being reproduced with all the patina, rust, wear, porcelain, made in India ( for decades), and even the U.S.A. in mass production/ BUT limited numbers. Ebay is RIFE with them.

It was purchased by Steve Carlson a now retired art instructor from San Jose state who used to go to Fabers from time to time.

 

[Freqman1]

For sure Thom's didn't have any assembled Schwinn-Chicago bikes left by the time the dumpster was called, but there was a lot of "smalls" as I call them, bits and pieces, cables, nuts bolts and little random stuff. That's really the stuff eBayers love. easy to post and ship. another surprise heartbreak was when Talbot's cyclery of San Mateo folded. That place was known as the toy and bicycle supplier to the uber wealthy of Hillsborough, and I used to get there every week to looky-loo around and buy the inner tubes ad spokes and stuff I needed. Talbots was open Sundays, so that was a big plus for me. I remember the early 1970s when Talbots had all the hand crafted DeRosa road bikes. Going in there and seeing those was like going to the museum to look at great artworks. The San Mateo Peninsula had many Schwinn shops, Olympic cyclery of Redwood City, Steve's of San Carlos on Laurel ave, Kals in Belmont and Burlingame cyclery on Burlingame ave. I remember when Kals was North of Ralston, and sold model airplane engines and other hobby stuff. Kal's evolved into California sports, and sold ball sport stuff in the end. My 1968 Lemon Peeler was purchased new at Kal's.

It might be interesting to start another thread under “General” titled SoCal Bicycle Shop Memories or something similar instead of having this info buried in a for sale thread.

 

[Nashman]

50.00. I have a strong feeling this is a reproduction so basically drop out of the race, and this is what I'm comfortable with. Sorry for any inconvenience.

 

[GTs58]

50.00. I have a strong feeling this is a reproduction so basically drop out of the race, and this is what I'm comfortable with. Sorry for any inconvenience.

I can't prove it, but I'm believing the reproductions were never finished on the back side. The fakes were not finished on the backside and not intended for exterior exposure like the real deal signs.

 

[cyclingday]

The originals of this sign were painted on sheet aluminum, and were double sided.
These porcelain ones were made for the retro nostalgia market, circa the 1990’s.

 

[kenny_hungus]

Yes made in the 1990's...... bought mine back then from memory lane classics for 25.00..............now the sign below is an original sign bought from Steve Castelli at the big TURLOCK SWAP MEET for 200.00 in 1990!!!!