You may be correct for ridable bikes. Neither of the bikes I saw in Indiana were ridable, they both needed all the disposables, except one did still have a saddle. I don't know the makers of either bike or their value, I just know who much they were for sale for. I can tell you you should look closer to bikes in the mid-west (known as fly-over to folks on the coasts) since antiques as a whole are a steal. When I was collecting and selling balloon-tire bikes all the best deals came from the mid-west and mountain states. A bike that cost $1000 in Seattle would be $300 in Lawrence, Kansas. best, Brandon"monkeyman"Ives Coeur d'Alene, ID.
On Thursday, Mar 3, 2005, at 07:04 US/Pacific, wheelman@nac.net wrote:
> No I don't think so. I am a Wheelman and follow and receive copies of
> the
> national magazine and attend the national meets. Unless you find some
> farmer that has a high wheel stuck somewhere in his barn and he is
> totally
> in the dark and needs money bad you will not find a hi wheel bike for
> $600
> - $700 - $800 that is in rideable condition. Trust me, the wheels go
> for
> more than that. My offer still stands, you got it, I'll buy it.
>
> Over 6 years ago I was looking for my first hi wheel bike and ran
> across
> one in rural Pennsylvania on a farm. The old gentleman took me to his
> barn
> to show me the bike. It was all there, all except structural strength.
> The
> steel was now Swiss Cheese as was the wheel and several spokes were
> missing. No where near rideable and it will never be. He started at
> $1800
> and of course I walked. Yes that was ridiculously high for that
> condition
> but that is my point. A rideable condition will not go for $600 no way.
> Hell, some people ask more than that for the silly boneshaker repop
> from
> the 70s and that is a piece of junk.
>
> As an example, I just pulled one of my copies of the Wheelman magazine
> out
> from April of last year. For sale 1886 Columbia Expert $5,500, 1882
> Columbia Expert $5,000. Both from that inexpensive mid western area of
> the
> country. I just think the guy showing those bikes on TV was way off
> base
> to claim that one like that could be had for $700. I guess it helps to
> gin
> up the hobby.
>
> Ray Homiski
> Elizabeth, NJ