Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - 72 Schwinn Sports Tourer

A LBS has 1972 (EH077872 serial) Sports Tourer for sale for $250. Price seems a little steep to me. What is a reasonable price for this bike?

It looks like it has most of the original components:

Cotterless nervar crank
Alloy weinman rims
Grand Turismo derailer
Schwinn badged front derailer
Brooks B15 saddle in decent shape.
Skip tooth on the 2 lowest gears on the freewheel

It is the 26 inch frame which is my size.

Unfortunately someone took a rattle can and sprayed most of it a dark green except for the parts that had labels which they left the original green paint.

He has had the bike for at least 5 months. I rode the bike around and it is a very comfortable bike. I also do all my own bike work so tuning one up (this one doesn't seem to need much) doesn't bother me.

I think the rattle can paint diminishes the value. Otherwise, if it had decent original paint, I'd say it might be worth close to that.

I just sold a ’72 Sports Tourer, 22 inch frame, with the same equipment you list (except mine had the Schwinn-badged Shimano Crane RD) for $200 in the Philadelphia area. I’d say its overall condition was a 7 out of 10, and it needed tires.

Totally agree on the paint. Mine was Opaque Blue, which is a “love it or hate it” color in the Schwinn world, but having someone spray paint over it definently hurts its value.

+1 Not worth it with the rattle can paint.

A friend in Iowa (owns bike shop there) has a 26" Cool Lemon with the same features, including the Campy RD, and he is asking $500, yet paint is 9.5 on a 10 scale. I really do not think he wants to sell.

A Sports Tourer with original paint could fetch $250 with with several scratches if the B15 is very good. Your rattle can version drops considerably, in my area under $100 by my book, maybe a little more in a metro area. Repaint on a Schwinn hurts the value in most cases. And from your description very much so if they did not take the time to do it properly and locate replacement decals.

It is a bummer when a bike like this, which are often sought by Schwinn lovers, is alter in a less than quality manner.

I talked to the owner of the LBS (who I've got a good relationship with) about the bike.

I asked if his price was negotiable. He said sure. I asked if he would take $150 for it. He thought about it and said no. He told me he overpaid for the bike in the first place because he liked it (he said he broke his own rule about buying a bike he liked) and he bought it for $125. He said he would take $175 for it.

Regarding the rattle can job, the rattlecanner didn't spray over any of the decals, just the rest of the bike (with a little overspray on the chainrings).

Hubs aren't original either.

About the market I'm in, Knoxville is a college town. LBS is downtown and deals with some new bikes, but a lot of FG/SS conversions & used bikes.

Based on the newer info, is $175 still too much?

Based on the newer info, is $175 still too much?

It totally depends on you and your budget.

If me, and I extended an heart felt offer of $150, I would stand by that and not a dollar more. Now knowing he acquired for $125, thinking he paid to much, I do not understand his logic to expect a $50 profit for having followed his heart on the purchase.

Either revisit and extend you offer with cash in hand of $150, or leave it be by walking away.

As a FG/SS project $175 will be more than I would expect a person would pay for a frame unless pristine. Many of those projects have 4Xs the cost of the frame dedicated to wheels and other components.

Besides you will want to invest in a different RD, the Campy included is not that great. Preserve it, but suspect you will want a better RD if planning to ride.