Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - How much is this Schwinn Le Tour worth?

I picked up a Schwinn Le Tour today via Craigslist. It is my size and in pretty good shape. The only thing wrong with it was there was some lateral movement of the front wheel. I took the front hub apart tonight and internally it looks fine. I think the front hub was just loose, probably because it has these odd safety tabs position between the hub cone and lock nut. I think repacking the hub and adjusting it will fix the problem.

I've done some research on the internet for the bike and found a link to the 1983 Schwinn catalog. It appears that everything on the bike is original, including the saddle and Schwinn brand tires. The guy who sold it to me told me that he bought it new when he was in high school and it has been in storage for years. The serial number on the head tube badge indicates it was made on July 2, 1983.

I'm torn between fixing it up for myself or reselling it. Any idea what something like this would fetch on ebay?

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That looks nice, someone here in Houston is selling on for $50

I would pay more than that. They'd be asking $100-160 on the local CL here.

I think ebay is a bad place to sell that particular bike. 1) Shipping costs are going to reduce the maximum that a buyer will want to spend 2) I don't think this bike would attract a whole lot of attention on ebay. There is a local guy that has re-listed a Schwinn Suburban 4 times now.

I think you will have more luck on craigslist with good pictures. I have two prices in mind for that particular bicycle $50.00 in it's current condition and $130.00 if polish it up and repack the bearings.

I don't know what your " bike market" is , but here, $150-175

Moved to "Classic & Vintage Bicycle Appraisals and Inquiries" as it is more appropriate.

Fix it up, clean it up, and sell it. Around here, it would get $150 to $175 on Craigs List.

Forget about ebay. This is a low end bike. Ebay is better suited towards higher end bikes. With shipping costing around $75, this bike does not have enough value to draw bidders. I have bought bikes like this on ebay for around $25, and then picked them up (no shipping). Great for a buyer, lousy for a seller.

In addition, do you have any positive feedback on selling a bike on ebay? If not, I would not bid on a bike you were selling if it required shipping, as I would not want to be your first shipment.

I sold an '84 Le Tour Luxe in less than 24 hours for $150 on my local C-list. It was in similar nice condition. I'm currently riding an '83 model that's identical to yours, except the Schwinn and Le Tour decals are gone. It's a great old bike and I love it -- but I just bought an '83 Super Sport the same size and 5 lbs lighter. I'm not sure which one I'll end up keeping.

Thanks for the replies and advice. I paid $85 for it, which seems like it is in the ballpark of a fair price in its current condition. I'm going to clean it up, re-wrap the handlebars, repack the hubs, and replace the tires. After that, I may keep it since I don't currently have a spare bike.