Re: [CR]Ebay Pile of Bike Junque last Week...

(Example: Framebuilders:Richard Moon)

From: <PUTTER2451@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2003 20:34:31 EDT
Subject: Re: [CR]Ebay Pile of Bike Junque last Week...
To: paulieflt@email.com
cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org

I visited the "pile" and decided that the collection was beyond me. The building that housed the collection was a blacksmith shop many, many years ago, then a gas station. As you'd imagine, the location was within feet of the main road in a very rural area. The building itself was not as weather-resistant as one might hope to protect the goods.

The gentleman who had put the "pile" together was 92, I was told, when he passed away months ago. He had apparently been a bike mechanic, and had operated out of that workshop for many years. It was obvious he threw very little away.

There were collections of children's bike forks, frames, wheels, etc. as well as adult sized groupings of the same but most seemed to be department store items. There were some British pieces such as Dunelt, saw some rod-brake stuff, and more than one Schwinn Varsity. I can't speak for the ultimate value; the pictures seen by the list members viewing e-bay didn't really do the absolute density of the collection justice. To say there was more than you could see from feet away would have been a major understatement. Imagine trying to view a log 18 inches into a beaver dam.

I came away from the site wondering how much fun I'd have rebuilding maybe 10 percent of the batch, and wondering how much would go straight into a dumpster strategically placed between the building and a rented truck. I thought most would become bikes rebuilt for charity.

I am in no way criticizing the collection. It was not mis-represented IMHO, and a real challenge to play with. I just wasn't prepared to spend as much time as would be required to get the project done. I wish the buyer luck.

Les Himel
Chappaqua, NY