So I couldn’t attend in person and like many of you followed this auction through Live Auctioneers or one of the other streaming auction sites. Probably not one of the strongest auctions and I think this could have drove the decision this year to combine automobilia with the bicycle auction. From what I heard the Friday swap meet was the place to be with a lot of great stuff available.
The auction seemed to have its normal surprises and anomalies. If bidding in person or through absentee the rate was 18%. If through one of the live auction sites it was 23% both plus the 8% sales tax. With those kind of rates a bidder needs to be careful or you can get over the money quick especially if you have to arrange shipping.
Overall it seemed like bidding may have been a bit depressed. Except for a couple middleweight bikes could get no love. Ballooners for the most part seemed depressed and it appeared to me that the ordinarys (high wheelers) were depressed as well. Part of this may have been that I don’t think there were many exceptional early bikes. The lone Krate pulled a healthy number though.
There were a couple of screaming bargains in my opinion but I’m holding out to see what shows up at Memory Lane and Ann Arbor. I really wanted that Mercury trike with the ‘antenna’ bars and the nicer of the two Sled Master sleds. I was short on the trike but did get the sled.
All photos courtesy of Copake Auctions
The first lot I found interesting was Lot 52. a black 1939 dashboard Columbia with a Lobdell horizontal spring seat.
I thought this bike was on the money with a hammer price of $2100 (final price was somewhere between $2676 and $2790)
Lot 53 was something of a surprise to me. This is outside my wheelhouse but with a hammer of $9250 that puts the final price somewhere between $11788 and $12288. Strong coin but a very unusual machine.
Lot 54 was a 1880s Star. Another one of those outside my realm but looked fairly complete and correct to me. Looked like a decent deal to me. Hammer $4750 Final $6053-$6310.
Lot 57 (late 50s Rollfast) was a real surprise to me and the only middleweight bike to over achieve in my book. A fairly unusual model which I believe is correct. Hammer was $400 which works out to a final price of $510-$531.
One of the bargains in my book was Lot 59, a nice original ’52 Luxury Liner (cat listed as ’49). Hammer on this one fell at $325 (final $414-$432). To highlight what a bargain this was Lot 367 was a bike about the same vintage but a project at best needing a light. This one went for $200 ($255-$266) which maybe left a little meat on the bone for parting.
Considering how soft the price was on the Luxury Liner I was a little surprised by Lot 61 which was a ’40-1 Roadmaster. It does have the reflector badge but I wonder about the red paint. Hammer was a respectable $500 (final $637-$664)
I must be missing something here. No doubt this was a nice, original paint, full boogie motorbike with a fairly scarce speedo. Lot 71, a ca. 1929 Hawthorne Flyer, sold for $3000 (final $3823-$3985). A lot of coin in my book for a non-motorcycle related motorbike.
Lots 80 (girls) and 91 (boys) were a set of Wingbars that looked fairly complete and correct but without seeing these in person it is hard to say. Racks, stems, and speedo housings have been reproduced for these and the fenders looked like repaints to me. Girls hammer $3000 ($3823-$3985) boys hammer $4500 ($5735-$5978). If these weren’t 100% then they were over the money in my book.
Lot 82, a BSA Paratrooper, is another one of those that I haven’t paid much attention to so I’m not sure if this was over the money or not but seemed like a lot to me. Hammer was $1200 ($1529-$1594).
Here are a couple of bargains. Lot 92 was an original paint a girls Goodyear Double Eagle Deluxe aka Clipper. It had the correct badge and looked like a nice, solid example. Hammer $600 ($764-$797). Lot 113 was the boys version of the same bike but was an amateur resto–rack was not painted with correct scheme. Even more of a bargain than the girls bike at a hammer of $1300 ($1657-$1727). Both well bought.
Lot 93, 1936 Dayton Safety Streamline, looked like something of a crap shoot to me. Other than a comically short front fender this one actually looked pretty decent. The fender didn’t deter bidders though as this one hit $8250 ($10514-$10595). Over the money in my book.
From the pics Lot 99, 1940-41 Elgin Four Star Deluxe, looked like a quality restoration. Bidders liked it–hammer $3750 ($4779-$4982)
Lot 138 was a ca. 1938 girls Shelby Airflo Speedline. I question the fenders on this bike and along with the missing guard and rack thought this bike was over the money-hammer $1300 ($1657-$1727). By contrast I thought Lot 100, a boys 1938 Shelby Airflo Speedline, might do better. An original paint specimen a little on the rough side but seemed to present well and not screwed with. Hammer was $5500 ($7009-7306) well bought.
Lot 102, 1935ish Elgin Blackhawk, listed as an older restoration was almost to the point of looking like a super nice original. The market for these seems to be hit or miss but I think this one landed close to the money. Hammer was $2500 ($3186-$3321)
Lot 112 was a nicely restored 1936 Elgin Bluebird. The bike looked correct and complete. Nicely restored bikes always hover in the $10k range. Hammer was $8750 but with fees it was above average money ($11151-$11623)
Lot 142 was an interesting combination of a ca. 1936 Iver Johnson Streamline coupled with a ca. 1914 Johnson Bros Motor Wheel. Bidding went to $1600 on this one ($2039-$2125). Except for the seat the IJ looked complete and correct. I have no idea how complete or in what condition the Motor Wheel was but thought this bitch’n rig would bring more.
Another middleweight that over-performed compared to most. Lot 119 was a 1955 Roadmaster Luxury Liner. Decent, complete bike – hammer of $475 ($605-$631)
Condition certainly hurt the prospects of Lot 147, a late 50’s Schwinnn Jaguar, but I saw some real junk bring more than the $125 hammer on this one ($148-$166)
It was hard to tell from the pics but this early Phantom (Lot 411) looked to have some issues. Not sure what was going on with that seat and the decals looked awful good for one of these. Hammer was $1000 even (1274-$1328).
This Wings Goodyear Colson snap tank (Lot 514) seemed to do pretty good despite condition. Hammer $450 ($573-$598)
The last two bikes we’ll look at here are two Sting-Rays. Six years ago I struggled to get $400 for a really nice Schwinn Fastback. Lot 157 (1966) had no problem today getting a healthy $525 ($669-$697). Lot 293 (1971 Schwinn Grey Ghost) flat shocked me. Granted I don’t track Sting-Ray values too closely but I know I have seen better Ghosts for a lot less money. Hammer was $2400 (3059-$3188)
I hope everyone that participated in the auction either won something or learned something.
Enjoy the ride!
Added material by request!
Lot 145 was described as a restored 1941 Colson (rear steer) tandem. The catalog said this bike sold at Copake in 2005 but I don’t have the catalog for this year and Copake online history doesn’t start until 2006. Hammer $900 ($1147-1196) which I think was close to the money as long as you don’t have to pay shipping on one of these behemoths!
Lot 264A was another tandem rear steer. This one described as an 1890s Fenton and wasn’t a bad looking bike. Selling for the same price ($900) as the much later Colson this may have been the tandem deal of the auction.
A hideous housepaint certainly didn’t help Lot 489, 1890s Stearns rear steer tandem, which looked fairly complete and correct but I’m no expert on these. Hammer was $600 ($764-797). It don’t get much cheaper for a complete TOC tandem.
Ok not a rear steer but winner of most pricey tandem in this auction was Lot 149 an original 1896 Barnes Flyer. Hammer was $3500 ($4460-$4694)
CURTIS L LINDGREN
John Douglas
oldbikeguy1
Jim Lay
Mike
oldbikeguy1
Mike Aughenbaugh
WES