Well, as if to validate our comments, the bike is now at $500 with 3 1/2 ho urs to go. Since the new eBay procedure disguises the bidder ID's on all but relatively inexpensive items, I can't tell if the high bidder is a lis t member or not. The bike is indeed extremely clean, and has the TA cran k like my ST, which may be more desirable than the Nervar Sport found on so me, as well as the Schwinn badged Shimano Crane GS, which is definitely bet ter than the Huret Allvit used earlier. But it has a cheaper plastic Sch winn saddle in place of the original Brooks B15 and the standard stem shift ers rather than the optional Schwinn-badged SunTour ratcheted barcons. S o even if it ends at $500 compared to my older, more completely original, p erhaps even cleaner and all chrome 1962 Superior, I think this auction repr esents an increase in the prices of fillet brazed Schwinns. I recently a lso saw a Super Sport, one model lower, go for over $350, although that also was an extremely clean example. So I think there is a trend here. BTW, I have no personal interest in this auction.
Regards,
Jerry Moos
Big Spring, Texas, USA
From: Carb7008@cs.com <Carb7008@cs.com> Subject: Are Fillet Brazed Scwhinn Becoming Respectable? To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Cc: jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net Date: Sunday, September 28, 2008, 3:42 PM
Jerry et al,
I too have amazed at ebay prices fetching for the fillet-brazed Schwinns th at I used to occasionally find for a C-note. However, just in general I don't see vintage these or decent vintage lugged as often as I used to and certainly at prices that I considered cheap.
I do like my Sports Tourer and Superior very much but I must admit the fram e weight is more suited to demolition-derby than spirited riding. Perhap s if I was heavier I might have a different opinion. In any case, they a re truly unique and definitely desireable to many collectors, myself and yo u included, so the days of the little-known sleeper fillet-brazed may be ne arly over.
Jack Romans
Sacramento, CA