Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - Thrift Store Bike. Is it a Paramount?

I found this bike at a thrift store in town. It appears to be a US made Schwinn. The headbadge reads Schwinn Chicago and is like the black and red badge shown for the 1984 headbadge on re-cycle.com. The downtube has a USA flag sticker on it (like things made in the USA in the 70s and 80s sometimes carried). The serial number under the bottom bracket was K742721. Additionally, there was a lone "8" stamped on the bottom bracket. I found no other numbers on the bike.

211690

I snapped one photo with my camera phone, but it doesn't show much detail due to poor focus I'm afraid.

I'm new here and my prior interest in bikes was primarily in Stingrays and other Schwinn kids bikes, though I've had an interest in getting a Paramount just for what it is. Maybe this is my opportunity.

So is it worth driving back over in the morning and buying it for $99?

I don't believe it's a Paramount; the head badges on Paramounts have "SCHWINN PARAMOUNT" instead of "SCHWINN CHICAGO". We'll need some close up photos of the seat cluster and head lugs as well as descriptions of the components and any decals in order to have any chance of identifying it.

Here's a Paramount head badge:

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7/k4drd/Bicycles/1972%20Chrome%20P15-9/CIMG3296sm.jpg

Beginning in the early eighties, Schwinn switched from a head badge to a decal for Paramounts:

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7/k4drd/Bicycles/1987%20Paramount%20620E%20WK%2087077/HeadTubeDecal.jpg

That rear end chrome makes me think Circuit.

http://gallery.roadbikereview.com/data/roadbike/500/medium/88circuit5.jpg

I'd pick it up for $100.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_iTKbhvyAciI/S6vJCGYjjtI/AAAAAAAAAZA/5B6rL8xcX1M/s800/DSC07950.JPG

The paint, if it's original, leads me to believe it's a 1988 LeTour. The serial number would indicate the frame was made in October, 1987, so it wouldprobably be a 1988 model year bike.

If it's a LeTour, it's easily worth $99.

1988 Le Tour catalog page (http://www.trfindley.com/flschwinn_1981_1990/1988_12.html)

1988 specifications (http://www.trfindley.com/flschwinn_1981_1990/1988_16.html)

It's pretty clearly late eighties, so comparing components on the bike with those in the catalog specs should identify the model.

1981-1990 Schwinn lightweight catalogs (http://www.trfindley.com/flschwinn_1981_1990/index.html)

What are you waiting for? A sale? buy it.

Or just tell us where it is so we can :p

He doesn't want it if it's not a Stingray or a Paramount.

it is not a paramount of any type

wle

If your thrift stores are like mine it is gone. If you don't buy it when you first see it someone else didn't hesitate and picked it up already.

If your thrift stores are like mine it is gone. If you don't buy it when you first see it someone else didn't hesitate and picked it up already.

+1 Pretty much any bike shop branded bike lasts a couple of minutes at the thrift stores around here. There are pickers that visit several times a day.

Watch for it to reappear on your local C/L for $250.