BOX 28242 SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA 92799
(714) 682-1949
email us at: Oldbicycle@aol.com
Click on the colored letters at right to : Send Email to NBHAA
Welcome to Classic Bicycle Heaven! This website is dedicated to identification, cataloging and restoration advice on bicycle history, especially Classic American bicycles 1920 thru 1965. Be it Schwinn, Shelby, Columbia, Evans, Evinrude, Elgin, J.C. Higgins, Western Flyer, Hawthorne, Hiawatha, Roadmaster, Pierce, Iver Johnson, Indian, Rollfast, Firestone, B.F.Goodrich, Good Year, Bowden, Manton & Smith, Mead, Ranger, Ingo-Bike, Murray, Mercury, Huffman, Huffy, Dayton, Colson, Monark, Silver King, Stelber, Ross, Harley Davidson, Whizzer, Dynacycle, Wasp, Pow-wow, Travis, Marman, Jack & Heintz or what have you, (if you donÕt see the name of your bicycle here...just ask us) National Bicycle History Archive of America (NBHAA) can identify virtually any American-built bicycle or motorized bicycle from this period.
The Archive contains over 30,000 original catalogs, photos and advertisements ranging from the 1860s thru 1960s. Hundreds of books ranging from one of the first English language bicycle books in the 1860s to more modern works such as Pryor Dodge's THE BICYCLE are included. Countless head badges, games, clocks Neon signs, pins, original drawings, blueprints and other bicycle memorabilia are part of The Archive.
Also included are over 50 original old bicycle movies (NOT videos) dating back to the 1930s and mountains of related historical memorabilia. The Archive materials represent a lifetime of collecting and were painstakingly accumulated over a period of nearly forty years. The contents of The Archive were not recently obtained. Aside from limited displays at major museums and industry events, these items have never been on full display to the public. But you will begin to see many of them by merely visiting this site.
We can assist private collectors with information and advice on history and restorations. We are available with movies, videos, slide shows, speaking engagements, and have access to the curator's collection of over 1,000 bicycles. NBHAA is not affiliated nor connected in any way with a defunct museum. Although we do have specific fees for certain services such as copies, we have never and do not ask for "memberships" of any kind. Furthermore, we are not represented by nor connected with any other persons or organizations. Although we do not sell bicycles or parts, we can assist you in locating those who do.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us directly via E-mail snail mail or call (714) 682-1949. Remember, ALL identification requests and inquiries must be accompanied by a photo and self-addressed stamped envelope. We regret that due to the volume of inquiries we receive, we cannot respond to snail mail as rapidly as e-mail (we have a substantial backlog of the latter). All photo submissions become property of NBHAA and we regret we can no longer return photos due to the volume of mail.
Thus, submitted for your approval is the first installment of NBHAA Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). We will be adding to this section over time, so stay tuned for more info and expansions.
NBHAAª FAQ* (*Frequently Asked Questions)
copyright © NBHAA 1997, 1999- all rights reserved
Q: What is NBHAA?
A: National Bicycle History Archive of America is an archive containing over 30,000 catalogues, books, photos and other related items pertaining to bicycles. Our earliest items begin in the 1860s and range through the 1980s. We have rare original bicycle movies ranging from the 1930s through the 1970s. The Archive also has access to your curator's collection of over 1,000 classic bicycles, so we know what we are talking about. NBHAA is an archive, but not a museum.
Q: How can I get identification?
A: We can identify almost any bicycle manufactured in North America between 1920 and 1970. We can also assist with bicycles made prior to this AND after this time. However, our era of specialty is between these dates. Also, since we primarily focus on American-made bicycles our involvement with non-domestic bicycles is limited. In some cases such as Raleigh and certain other imported makes, we do have a good amount of archival material. In other cases, we can advise you where to get information.
Q: What is the procedure for getting a bicycle identified?
A: The best/quickest method is contacting NBHAA via e-mail. If requesting via e-mail, take good, clear photos of the bicycle or part in question. When taking photos, leave people and other objects out of the photo and try to shoot against a neutral background such as a wall or garage door. Scan your photos into JPEG/JPG format and send them as attachments. Do not attempt to bury photos in the actual text of your letter since this may not display properly...or at all. If you do not have a scanner, use some place like Kinko's Copies (in most areas of North America) and have them do the scans for you. Avoid gang scans (bunches of photos all crammed into one scan). Have each photo scanned individually and send each photo individually (our server likes to re-format multiple attachments, which makes it either difficult or impossible to retrieve your pics).Now, if all else fails, send your regular photo negatives to Kodak and ask them to put the photos on a computer disc. You can even have Kodak do both old-fashioned prints AND store your pics on computer disc. This service does exist and is very reasonable.
If you insist on snail mail (the old fashioned way), please be certain to include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. And expect lengthy delays in response time- be pleasantly surprised if response is sooner.
Q: Is there a charge for information?
A: This depends. A simple ID for a private individual is usually no fee. However, we do have fees for copies of original literature, insurance appraisals, etc. These vary depending upon amount of copying required- and there is a limit. For instance, requests for unlimited amounts of information cannot be honored. Information for dealers, intitutions, museums, auctions, etc. are all by special arrangment and vary.
Q: Does NBHAA assist or collaborate with institutions or museums?
A: We are happy to assist organizations, museums, institutions. However, direct arrangements are necessary. We try to accomodate as reasonably and quickly as possible, however, such assistance or collaboration must be scheduled in advance, so don't wait until the last possible moment. .
Q: I have an old red bicycle. It's a (Schwinn, Elgin, Shelby) How much is it worth and what year is it?
A: Without actually seeing a bicycle, no one can tell you precisely how much it is worth or even what it actually is! If they do, they are likely just telling you what they think you want to hear- and everybody likes to hear that they've just bought someting for five bucks that is worth a million! Price guides exist, but A.) the guides are usually wildly skewed as far as realistic prices and B.) the guides very often incorrectly identify years and C.) the guides do not take into account varying conditions of a bicycle, nor how much to deduct if various parts are missing. For instance, on some bicycles, the tank or the headlight alone might be worth more than the entire bicycle itself! And D.) In THIS hobby... and on the internet, nearly everybody considers themself an "expert".
Although age for many collector bicycles can be provided with serial numbers, this too is a tricky business, not always for amateurs and do-it-yourselfers. For instance some numbers were re-used, or placed in different locations; or combined with new model numbers (in cases other than Schwinn). Some bicycles used model numbers as well as serial numbers, others (like Schwinn) did not. For the majority of old bicycles, alas there are no complete serial number records, including for Schwinns prior to 1948 (due to a fire at Schwinn). Some bicycle retailers (such as Western Auto) used as many as a dozen different bicycle manufacturers to make their bicycles, so one needs to knwo both the year AND the actual manufacturer. Not for amateurs.
People have grown accustomed to the speed of the internet and like to get snap, quick answers or do-it-yourself info for everything. So they just wanna ask a question about a serial number and expect to get a whole encyclopedia back. But this is just not possible for oldbicycles. Quick and easy answers and do-it-yourself info are all too often incorrect or misunderstood. Even with serial numbers provided (and they seldom are) there is no real evidence of overall condition, completeness, originality, etc. Value is based on a number of aspects, including overall condition, rarity, completeness, originality. Although there are certain "ballpark" figures for certain bicycles, all too often a ballpark answer turns out to be wrong for all parties. Is the headlight missing? Is the headlight installed original? Is the seat correct? In one instance, a widely touted "mint" Schwinn Aerocycle turned out to be a cobbled middleweight frame from the 1960s with large Wald universal fenders. The tank was fiberglass (far larger than original) with a flashlight embedded in the end. A "1941 J.C.Higgins" turned out to be a 1957 with parts mixed from several years and makers. A "1932 Shelby Flyer Whizzer in original paint" turned out to be a 1952 (missing lots of parts) with a 1947 engine (missing lots of parts) with 1970s imported wheels and a home-grown paint job in colors no Shelby ever knew. Even photos might have confused most observers. But in the absence of an actual inspection, photos are a must. Quick answers without inspection are probably what you want to hear most...but sadly, that's usually all they are.
There is also the gender issue. It turns out that classic-era boys and girls WERE different! Boys generally took terrible care of their bicycles, tinkering, smashing, removing parts, customizing, rough handling. Furthermore, some classic-era boys (especially prewar ones) abruptly went off to war and left their bicycles as unused hunks of metal- candidates for the wartime scrapdrives. Girls, on the other hand, generally took good care of their bicycles, rode them sensibly (even used them for work during the war as adults) and seldom even considered changing anything beyond adding a basket. As a consequence, there are fairly plentiful supplies of girls' bicycles in nice condition...and just the opposite for boys. Factor into this mix the fact that those boys are now men and doing most of the collecting, you end up with higher value on boys' bicycles (sorry ladies!).
NBHAA does have a huge quantity of serial number information for most bicycle manufacturers from the classic era. This, we can supplement with first-hand knowledge of dating we alone have developed since the 1950s.We do not, however, make guesses or search through thousands of numbers without first actually seeing what you have as a bicycle.Gotta SEE it!
Q. What is the CLASSIC ERA for bicycles?
A. We coined a definition published first in a 1978 newsletter and again published and copyrighted in November, 1979 issue of Bicycle Dealer Showcase magazine . This definition included the time period of 1920 to roughly 1965 and included singletube, balloon and middleweight bicycles. It was followed (or in some cases overlapped) by the "musclebike" period which includes Krates and the like. The classic era was preceded by the antique era which covers 1919 and earlier, although we do feel that some bicycles such as the Charlie Chaplin bicycle and others from the antique era qualify as classics.
Q. How do I take photos of my bicycle for identification?
A. We prefer that you take a SET of good, clear color photos. Leave fancy scenery, your car, other bicycles, the family dog and the family and other distracting backgrounds out of the photos- just include the bicycle itself. Take shots from BOTH sides, and 3/4 rear shots in decent light, against a neutral background (even a plain garage door, bed sheet or piece of cardboard will do). If possible, take close-ups of the tank, frame, fenders, seat, paint details, nameplate, unusual features etc. All these will greatly aid in getting proper information to you.
If you use e-mail, scan your photos into JPG format and send them along. No scanner? Try Kinko's or a similar operation. They can usually scan your photos in a matter of minutes. Please have your photos scanned into JPG format. We can read some other formats this may mean complications and take extra time. This is the fastest way for responses. Or you can snail-mail photos to our address. In this case, please include a self-addressed STAMPED envelope (SASE) for a reply. No SASE...usually means no response. Also, do not send photos you want to keep. Make duplicates. We regret that due to the volume of mail and photos, we cannot return photos. All such photo submissions become property of NBHAA and cannot be returned.
Q. Does NBHAA charge memberships or fees?
A. Simple identifications or restoration advice are free to individual collectors. NBHAA has never charged memberships, although we do have fees for Xerox copies, certain research and official insurance evaluations. We do not have memberships- and never, ever have offered them to anyone.
Q. Is NBHAA open to the public for visits?
A. Sorry. Unfortunately, NBHAA is not open to the public. We do not have space, budget, staff, nor a proper building capable of accommodating The Archive while also handling the public. We have witnessed far too many historical endeavours close their doors after attempting to serve two masters. There are expenses, insurance, building requirements, security, all of which would take away from the present goals of NBHAA. At present, we can, however still provide you with the most accurate information anywhere via regular mail or e-mail. However, a very few individual collectors and members of the press who have seen SOME of The Archive (there are also those who haven't, but who claim they have!). Additionally, video crews and a magazine or two have been in to see some of The Archive. The most recent video is being aired on the Outdoor Network on a show entitled Bicycle Journal.
We do plan sometime in the future to have more individual access to NBHAA via the net. At present, a large database is being built that will eclipse anything the bicycle industry and collector hobby has ever known. We do not have a timetable for this development, since it is a labor of love, but expect to see continual expansions and changes in NBHAA's web site. Stay tuned.
Q. Is it better to restore a bicycle or keep it original and won't my bike be worth more restored?
A. This depends upon many factors. Best thing to do? LEAVE IT ALONE if you plan to sell it for profit. Even what you may think of as "cleaning" may actually ruin some important graphic or component. If you plan to keep it, then get busy researching and gathering parts. Quite often, so-called restorations may actually REDUCE the value rather than increase it. And for heaven's sake, don't even dream of doing a rattle can paint job or switching parts from other bicycles. Our general rule is don't restore ANYTHING until you intimately know the history and can do a top-notch job with CORRECT parts, correct paint patterns and good graphics. Your curator was quoted in TRADITIONAL HOME magazine a number of years ago as saying he'd rather have the original dirt and rust than someone's "restoration". This is still true today. "Rattle can resto" can do a lot of damage and very little (if any) good where value is concerned. Also, if your restoration is one that screams, "I've been restored" then it probably is not helping the value of your bicycle much.
Also, the terms, "professionally restored" and "trophy winner" will not always increase your value. A so-called "pro restoration" can mean many things. What did the restorer begin with and did he have precise details and parts to complete an accurate restoration? Or was it simply "restored" by a professional painter? And if so, did he know the right colors and graphics? Of course, winning a trophy simply means somebody, somewhere liked the bicycle. With many such judgings being conducted by either guessing "experts" or "people's choice" the authenticity issue is a huge one. A good example. A 26-inch Hopalong Cassidy bicycle was judged at a large bicycle event. Judges, envisioning themselves as experts, erroneously believed that the cap guns and holsters were missing from the Hoppy and deducted points. Sadly, the Hoppy was dropped from the trophy it rightly deserved. Why? Because it is widely believed (due to numerous erroneous articles and statements) that ALL Hoppys came with cap pistols. No cigar! 26-inch Hoppy bicycles did NOT come equipped with cap guns and holsters.
Of course, to some, restoration is all subjective and relative. There are even-supposed ÒexpertsÓ who go around saying things like "...wellllll the factory just used anything they had laying around- so ya coulda had anything on there..." These kinds of statements are used most often to cover the fact that someone just doesn't know the facts and thus, it is easier to muddy the waters and imply any part could have been used for a restoration when one does not know any better. Oddly enough, people making such statements will likely be the first to criticize a bicycle they have not "restored" as being "wrong" when in fact this ought to be the ultimate irony in the "factory used anything" type of logic! Others may claim that it is "impossible" to restore a bicycle authentically...or that nobody knows what's authentic...or that parts cannot ever be found...all senseless arguments.
The word, "purist" may even be raised as if it is a naughty, vile, evil term. Without descending into a debate over semantics, suffice to say that restoration- true restoration- is exactly what a purist would and should do. As a consequence, anyone who undertakes a restoration, then, by definition IS a purist! Otherwise, if you are not performing a restoration, you are doing a customizing job. Restoration is restoration. Customizing is customizing. They are NOT the same. PERIOD. End of story. Schwinns did not come with Rollfast chainguards. Bicycles from the 30s did not come with imported wheels from the 70s or hubs from the 90s. Original paint jobs were not swimming under a sea of clearcoat.
Back in the 1970s, we wrote an article on classic bicycle restoration. In that article, we stated that Webster's Dictionary defines restoration as a "return to original condition". Thus, blindingly bright blue chrome and paint jobs swimming in clear coats and non-original colors fall more under the realm of customizing rather than restoration.
Q. But I saw it in a book, magazine, newsletter or a web site...so it's gotta be correct...right?
A. Unfortunately, sadly, not always true. Especially when it comes to the classic bicycle hobby wherein people can just write whatever "histories" they like and publish them as fact. Some people don't like to hear (or read) this and even get angry, but the classic bicycle info out there is rife with errors, many of the errors quite serious. Yet the errors are firmly believed by most collectors. We have been tempted to write a correction book on the existing articles and books covering classic bicycles so far in existence. We probably won't try to publish a correction guide on paper since it would be voluminous. However, watch this site for a new section to include corrections of erroneous books, articles, etc. NOTE: We ARE presently working on a guide to correct errors in the books and articles and auction catalogues which have been distributed over the past few years and which are presently available. The working title of our online corrections will be GUIDE TO CORRECTING THE CLASSICS. Watch for new additions to that section very soon!
Here are a couple of good examples of gross misinformation. Take the case of the Sherrell Classic bicycle. A relatively new bicycle, this oughta be a snap to get the facts and history correctly...right? Wrong. Virtually every article, auction catalogue listing, photo caption, etc. we have seen about the relatively new Sherrell bicycle in recent years has been incorrect (go back and check for yourself). Why? One museum published the wrong date several times and it became cast in stone. Spokespersons for such outfits made things worse by repeating the incorrect date...or making up others. Publications did the same, picking up on the lead of the famous museum. Even the venerable, prestigious Smithsonian bought into the hysteria and boldly published (despite our direct advice to the contrary) a date of "1979" in their September, 1996 issue of SMITHSONIAN magazine. AND THIS article made it on the internet! (To this date, the Smithso has defiantly refused to correct their error, stating it unimportant and "purist" to do so...that we'd have to "agree to disagree"). Go check it out for yourself..the article is still online.
Auction houses followed the crowd and published the same erroneous dates (check the date in the past Schwinn Auction catalogue for instance- again- despite our advice to the contrary). There can be no "matter of opinion" about actual dates when things were made. The publishing of a date of model or date of manufacture should never be left to a mere "opinion" or creative fancy.
The original literature for the Sherrell bicycle (and yes, we have it) flatly states, "INTRODUCED IN 1987". So how do all of the auctions and publications and museums come by the earlier date? How do dates for Sherrells suddenly get published as 1979? People- even those who ought to know better- believed it. Of course, everyone feels covered since somewhere in these books and magazines and catalogues, there is some kind of small-print caveat that they are not responsible for accuracy, or some similar statement.
Also, recently with books, publications and articles on the hobby being released in ever-increasing volume and frequency, misinformation is being spread at an alarming rate. We have to decide, are we talking history? Or are we talking customizing? Are we talking mere entertainment disguised as history? One book pictures a Schwinn Aerocycle sitting in majestic shininess... except that the front fender oddly appears flared on both ends...and the braces are most definitely NOT Schwinn...and it has numerous other problems. A knowledgeable Schwinn collector should know that prewar Schwinns with FLAT braces only have ONE rivet at the axle eyelet, not two as found on other bicycles. It was a Schwinn hallmark. Yet, there it is in full color. Check the braces on this one...shown in books and museums. There are numerous other problems with this bicycle we can't even begin to address here. And the concoctions are not limited to the Aerocycle and DX. The Elgin Blackhawk pictured? Wrong headlight, wrong horn and wrong placement for both. Horn belongs on a special bracket attached to the truss rods and should be either an Elgin or EA, not Delta. Headlight should be mounted above the horn. Speedo cable is installed backwards and the screech-owl siren belongs on an Elgin Falcon, not on a Blackhawk. The Whizzer pictured? A Pacemaker, except with a girl's J.C. Higgins front sprocket chainwheel, and engine with parts from different years and versions, and a very missing piston. All in living color, all repeatedly published in books, magazine articles and shown in museums.
All of us should try to use care in stating dates and histories...and regardless of whether you are a collector, editor, writer, auction house, or museum. If you don't know- simply say so. Once misinformation hits print...right or wrong...it's gospel.
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This page, all design and contents, all photos unless otherwise noted are Copyright © 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2004 by Leon Dixon/NBHAA, All rights reserved. The information and photos on this website may not be reproduced in any form without expressed written permission of NBHAA or its curator.
Date of last update to this page: 13 FEBRUARY 2004
