You think I would know better as I have been in this same situation at least a dozen(s) of times the past 30 years. Today/Labor Day Monday my wife comes home from a walk around the neighborhood with a friend about 1 PM. She says they are having a garage sale a few blocks down. Around here most garage sales are Saturday, some start on a Friday, few ever on Sunday, I know it is a holiday, but it is a Monday which is a tough day I would think to have one. I had to go by and check it out even though it was the afternoon and anything good most likely would have been gone, they may have even had a 2 or 3 day sale as I was not out much or in the area the past few days. First I was surprised at the number of people there looking at items, and right in front for all to see was a beautiful women's 1973 opaque blue 5 speed Suburban. It had a big/bold $25 price sticker on the black seat for all to see on the bike. Lately most of these I see at yard sales do not have a price on them, and when I ask they say they want $200 or more for the bikes most likely people telling them how much old Schwinn's go for and not knowing this one is pretty much at the bottom of the food chain in money/value as far as vintage Schwinn's go, a women's lightweight bike. Now again I have been down this road many times before. I will decline these bikes in fair or below average condition when offered to me for nothing as there is not much I would want parts wise on them. But when I see a really sharp one at a very fair price I give in to the temptation and buy the thing. I don't know if it is out of respect for the bike, or maybe one of these days I will get lucky and be able to sell one for a $100. Now what happens is almost the same type on thing,. I will put on the only thing it needs which is a set of new tires that will cost me about $50. Then I will be scrambling to sell the bike for $60 which as you can see is a losing proposition monetary wise for myself. Only good thing that comes out of the whole situation is that usually the person purchasing bike from me is so happy with the bike, and I know they are getting a great bike that will last another 50 years.
Now I do not want anyone to take away from this post that I think this bike is a piece of junk or worthless. Just the opposite. These are great bikes as shown by my pumping up the tires on this thing when I got it home and taking it for a ride praying the rotted tires would not blow out. It rode, shifted, stopped like the great bikes these are. A testament to the quality of these bikes. Through the years while other Schwinn's bikes have increased in value, these just have never brought any money. Not because they are not great bikes, just have not become collectable as a lot of the other bikes have become. Now I will be getting my $25 worth out of this bike by just smiling at it when I walk by it the next few days, such a clean good looking bike. Then by the end of the week start to figure out if I want to try to spend $50 on tires even knowing it does not make any sense if I want to sell the bike. Again with my posts my opinion only, do not want to offend people who have these bikes and think they are worth gold. They are worth gold maybe not in money, but in smiles and enjoyment.
Now I do not want anyone to take away from this post that I think this bike is a piece of junk or worthless. Just the opposite. These are great bikes as shown by my pumping up the tires on this thing when I got it home and taking it for a ride praying the rotted tires would not blow out. It rode, shifted, stopped like the great bikes these are. A testament to the quality of these bikes. Through the years while other Schwinn's bikes have increased in value, these just have never brought any money. Not because they are not great bikes, just have not become collectable as a lot of the other bikes have become. Now I will be getting my $25 worth out of this bike by just smiling at it when I walk by it the next few days, such a clean good looking bike. Then by the end of the week start to figure out if I want to try to spend $50 on tires even knowing it does not make any sense if I want to sell the bike. Again with my posts my opinion only, do not want to offend people who have these bikes and think they are worth gold. They are worth gold maybe not in money, but in smiles and enjoyment.
