1961 Paramount P12 Frame
 

I saw this on Ebay and was wondering what this will go for,and why there are no bids on it? I wouldn't mind jumping in the auction but I would like to have an idea on the value.
http://cgi.ebay.com/1961-SCHWINN-P12...item336472a1b0

It's a 1961 frame with late seventies paint and decals, so most serious collectors would not be interested. Also, the water bottle bosses were added since they would not have been on a 1961 frame, and this further devalues the frame for a serious collector. At 25" (63.5cm), it's also a pretty big frame, which will limit the demand.

Everything Scooper says is correct. For collector purposes, keep looking.

If you want it as a regular rider, though, I'd jump on it if it fits you. If I didn't already have a 25" 1967 of the same model, I'd jump on it. (Personally, I'd rather not have the late 1970's graphics - I'd much rather have the period-correct 1961 graphics or the late 196's-early 1970's graphics. YMMV.) I paid in the neighborhood of $400 (including shipping) for my frame, fork and Campy headset (same as the eBay listing is) six or seven years ago and I have never regretted the purchase for one second.

FWIW, mine was yellow, and somebody had spilled bleach or something on it so it had white-ish splotches on the head tube (not the head badge, thank goodness). I had it repainted (charcoal gray - definitely not a Schwinn-approved color, but it looks great)and redecalled, and had bottle cage holders, new brake cable guides, a pump peg and BB cable routers brazed on. I also had the rear end spread to 130 so I could run modern drivetrains. Purists may hate me, but the bike is a rider, not a musuem piece, and I ride it. And I like it. A lot. It is all-day comfy and more agile than the geometry would lead you to believe. Be prepared for a fair amouont of "whip" in the BB, though - this is not the frame for you if you want to stand up and sprint hard for county line signs on a regular basis. (I'm not talking about racing-geometry Paramounts here, so no flames, please - this comment is aimed at this particular frame based on the attributes of my same-sized Paramount that has very similar geometry.)

I say go for it.

+1 XL frame that has been modified and repainted, which really hurts its collectible value.


"Three small dings", conveniently, no pictures of them..... Probably not serious, but....

As far as value, if it is what you are looking for, go for it. May well be worth more to you than many folks, so I wouldn't worry about what others think. I would not be surprised to see it go a lot higher.

Pretty frame. If it is the right size go for it. I'd say anything under $500 and its a good deal.

I had a Paramount track bike that I let a friend try racing on. He crashed and bent the fork. Took the frame to my Schwinn dealer and they sent it to Schwinn for a repair and repaint ($75 back in the day). I was shocked when I got it back, mid 70's decals on a 60's frame. I assumed they would use old decals but didnt.

The Paramount frame went for $295.00 + 55 shipping