Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - Schwinn Continental - mid-70's in fair shape

Found one today for $17....probably should have just bought it... I mean, you could lose $17 in your pockets doing laundry...anyway, it's (maybe they all are) a 1-piece crank, center-pull brakes, quick release wheels, and the leather(esque?) "Schwinn Approved" saddle....and, it's even my size. It's not rusty & from just a very quick look it looks like it's at least close to riding condition (chain is not dry/rusty, brakes seem to work ok, no binding anywhere). There are lot of scratches..looks like it was used to lock up or lean against things a lot. Color is light blue. I didn't write down any serial #s, but from searching here it looks spec-wise identical to a very nice looking green Continental someone here has. So, is it worth $17? If I bring it home & enjoy it for a while (which, inherently means making sure it's tuned & fully rideable), should I expect to get my money back for cables, tires/tubes (which it may not need...surprisingly enough) & a little of my time if I sell it later? It's a cool bike that I wouldn't mind just having on the wall of my garage ($17 is really cheap for art, right), but I also hate to suck another decent bike out of circulation for no good reason.

Yes, pretty much any bike is worth $17.

In good ride ready shape around here it would be worth $100 to $125.

That is a fair price, and you can most likely recoup your investment plus extras if required.

Frame size is one consideration, larger frames seem to gather interest.

Opaque blue is the color is a light blue, the other blue is Sky, and is a deep blue.

If opaque then a 73 or 74 model.

At that price I would have bought the bike.

Seventeen dollars
Buys a classic steel-and-chrome
American dream bike

Seriously, I have a set price in my mind when I go to a yard sale. If it's under $25, I buy it. Yes it's a risk, but how much of a risk at $25? The only exceptions are Murray's which I don't buy. Huffy's I evaluate the components against the price. I've found some nice "donor" bikes with alloy rims, decent alloy cranks, and new tires with the Huffy badge.
To the OP, don't feel bad, early in my yard sale days I passed on a Raleigh with Reynolds (I believe 571) tubing for $20. I still think about that one. That's when I decided to buy first then regret only if I got stung. The only time I've been stung was when it said "Murray" on the badge. I've purchased over 100 bikes.
EDIT: BTW, I do buy bikes that cost more than $25, but they get evaluated more closely. At $25, if it's all there, I just grab it before someone else does.

Well, this one's at a thrift store & it was about to close...so maybe I will go back on Monday. I was more interested in a pretty new GT mountain bike that I wanted to get some parts from for an urban bike build & figured (maybe I'm warped, but i'm a big fan of the old, US-made, GTs & this one would actually be worth more as a frame to sell on Ebay than it is as a semi crapped out bike with a bent rear axle at a thrift store) I would do some research & if it were still there (big bucks - 60$) I'd probably get both. I figured the Conti would be a great 'real' bike to replaced the POS Columbia that my father dropped off with me for tuning (Here's your bike back, dad, oh..it's no a men's Schwinn Continental that's your size instead of a women's Columbia that's too small and has 26" wheels....I work wonders, eh?). I figured I would sell the frame from the other bike on Ebay and end up with some decent components for various other bikes for free or less....


I used to have the same price rule back in the days when I was buying/selling/flipping/parting old not-so-precious Italian cars....and back then (late '90s) it was amazing how nice a car you could buy for under $200....Never went wrong. I'm sure the same is true of bikes (with an appropriate lower price tag)...maybe not mountain bikes, though.

Mountain bikes are under appreciated to the point I have stopped buying them at any price. There just isn't a market for them around here.

Around here mountain bikes don't sell for huge money, but there seems to be a market for them.

yeah, it's funny....60$ for the stem, shifters, brake levers & brakes (+ probably derailleur & wheels if they both end up being round) is cheap compared to buying those for the bike I want them for...plus a correct QR seat latch for my 'real' GT bike...and, I figured the frame ought to be worth at least $60...maybe.

No, what's really funny is I had to pass by the shop today & so I stopped & looked in the window...both still there, but the Continental is RED....not blue.....it's a good thing it didn't rob me & was supposed to be picking it out of a lineup! ...anyway, center pull brakes, QR wheels, leather seat, but red....anyone know what that would date it as? Still mid-70s, I suppose.

70 was offered in Flamboyant Red.
71 & 72 was also available in burgundy.

No reds in late 60s.

I have same color in a 76 version of Superior, this pic is before clean-up, still brilliant.http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m394/GLVander/Superior%2076/IMGP1553-1.jpg

Yes, pretty much any bike is worth $17.

In good ride ready shape around here it would be worth $100 to $125.

Thats about right. They are also easy to work on and have alot of interchangeable parts.

It's not as strong a red...maybe faded, maybe another color....guess I'll know more tomorrow :)

secured! as a bonus, it's got new tires & tubes & looks/feels like it had just been tuned up with properly adjusted/functioning brakes & newly packed headset/bottom bracket....plus they had a 15% off special....photos pending in the main section here.

http://www.easttnriders.com/forum/images/smilies/worthless.gif

secured! as a bonus, it's got new tires & tubes & looks/feels like it had just been tuned up with properly adjusted/functioning brakes & newly packed headset/bottom bracket....plus they had a 15% off special....photos pending in the main section here.

Nice score. It is great when they come cheap with the new rubber installed and the tune up already completed.

also in catch of the day, but here it is......(btw, Serial # lookup says it's a '73 model, but the closest '73 color I saw was "sunset orange"......is that what this is?)

http://www.fiataccompli.com/bike/assets_c/2009/01/conti_1-thumb-300x215.jpg (http://www.fiataccompli.com/bike/photos/conti_1.jpg) http://www.fiataccompli.com/bike/assets_c/2009/01/conti_2-thumb-300x195.jpg (http://www.fiataccompli.com/bike/photos/conti_2.jpg)

thanks for the help and, er...encouragement...

looks like opaque red. Was available on the 73 LeTour.

It was also my understanding LBS (Schwinn) could order available colors on bikes for reasons, like local college colors or special events.

This Continental appears to a special order. This is a basic red, and should have a deep shine when cleaned and polished.

Appears nice, good luck.

Thanks. I think for the short term it will get more cleaning, some tuning of brakes (to get past that "I think I may stop soon" braking feeling), maybe some buffing & then it will stay at my office to serve the purpose of both art & sometimes around-the-neighborhood transportation when I don't have another bike at work.

bikes under 35 lbs are for weenies, right?

knock around a conti all you want but for a tuneup bike you can't beat em! Ridem all week when the weekend comes your legs are ready for 20lbs of gear on your lightwieght.

Hey, I'm not knocking it....it's a cool bike and I've spent decades riding bikes that are nearly as heavy....I just thought it was funny looking back at what was ad-worthy in '73. Once I adjust the brakes so they actually *work*, it'll be a permanent fixture....probably at my office for impromptu runs through the neighborhood to blow off steam.