ARZJoe

1968 Schwinn Varsity Sport Coppertone, shows very light signs of use.
I purchased this bike last year at a local auction house. I have no clue of her history.

Here are some of the exceptional features of this particular Varsity:
1) Her tires are in amazing condition and look nearly new, with very little cracking.
The rear tire holds air for days, while the front one only for a few hours.
2) Her seat looks brand new, a Brooks B66. They make the same model today,
over 4 decades later. This is one sexy 46 yr old saddle.
3) Generator Light System option is installed off the rear wheel and it looks new.
What makes this special is that the wire used to connect the front light was never
hooked up. In fact, that wire was never even fiddled with, as it is still tied up in a bow,
hanging off of the generator, just like from the factory.
4) She has a beautiful drive train, with a very shiny chrome crank set and a mint
condition chain, freewheel, pedals, and derailleurs. An interesting detail of the rear
derailleur is the end of the shifting cable. It is rather long and curled up, reminding
me of a curly Q. I'd like to know the story behind this. The drive train parts all show
little if any signs of actual use. There is light rust on some of the chrome areas.
5) Her Coppertone paint job is in excellent condition for a bike this age, and it
still has a wonderful glow to it.

She has a few undesirable things going on.
Her blemishess:
1) Fenders: The rear fender has a dent about 4" from the bottom. The front fender
is off center, but does not hit the tire. I tried pushing it back into place, but decided
not to force it and take a chance of damaging it. Both fenders have some light pitting,
as well as rust on the undersides.
2) Rims: the rear rim is true, while the front one has a couple of slight wobbles.
They both have some light rust and pitting. In certain places on the rim sides, a few
tiny bits of chrome have chipped off and rusted underneath. Under certain lighting,
one can see some light cracking of the chrome in a few spots on the sides of the rims.
3) The frame has some paint chips and scratches.
4) The front tire does not hold air for more than a few hours.
5) The front light has significant pitting, and the lens has scratches on it.
6) The kickstand has stains, as do the fender brackets.

These are the highlights and the lowlights.

Even though the tires hold air, I have never ridden her.
The original condition of these tires is just too nice for me to justify taking a ride.
I have never restored a bicycle, including this one.
I wiped it down with diluted soap and water.
I then used the combination of aluminum foil and water to rub off some of the rust.
That is as far as I go.
I am hoping that the new owner will go for a full restoration,
or will simply put her on display as is.

I have had her for a year, hanging out with me in my dining room area.
My original plan was to resell right away. I just didn't want to part with ways.
12 months later, it is finally time.

I wonder how many millions of this color and model were sold over the years.
With so many out there, how rare is one in this condition, and what is her value range?

Thanks,
Joe

Metacortex

The Varsity is pretty much the least-rare bike there is. Schwinn sold nearly *3 million* of them by '78 and I believe '68 through '74 were the peak sales years. It looks to be all original except for the saddle. While the Brooks saddle would be considered a major upgrade that was not what Schwinn installed at the time, the original was a matching color two-tone Schwinn "S" mattress saddle. In this case I'd recommend removing the Brooks saddle and selling it separately since while it won't add much value to the bike it may be worth up to $100 if sold separately.

The overall condition is fantastic and the Coppertone color is very desirable so it might be worth as much as $200 to maybe $300 to a Schwinn collector or nostalgic original Varsity owner. It might be worth a bit more if you could find an original saddle.

Note that other accessories like the generator also aren't worth much with the bike (in fact it may detract from the value if the paint is damaged by its installation), but may be worth money if sold separately. If you sold the bike, saddle and generator set separately you'd extract the most value.

howeeee

I dont think any Varsity came with an S saddle, it came with an all black saddle. You can find Racers with an S saddle. Around here they ask crazy prices for a bike like that, i am not sure they get it,

I sold a mint orange Varsity decked out with everything, couldnt get more than 150 for it,
I sold a never ridden Racer last fall for 250, you can get more on Ebay but I dont think it is worth the trouble.

daf1009

First..welcome to Bike Forums!

Several comments...

(1) Not sure how you get the five miles...but...when I look at the wheels, chain, drive system...I see more than five miles. This bike has been ridden some. Maybe not a lot...but definitely more than that...you would see an almost clean chain at 5 miles...and this one "t'ain't" that...

(2) I agree with Metacortex...millions of Varsities sold...and still available, as these bikes were built like iron clad ships! Many in very good shape, amazingly!

(3) Also agree about the Brooks saddle...take it off, sell it separately...more value...or...as I love Brooks saddles...keep it and put it on one of your bikes! Original saddle, if I remember right, is exactly as howeeee said...a plain black "Schwinn approved" saddle...but...there are other, more knowledgeable Schwinn experts on here that will help you get that right.

(4) The generator should also be separate...although I have found them hard to sell at times.

(5) While this one is quite nice...I have found that most people want the Varsity they had growing up...and, the relative rareness of the Coppertone may stop a lot from wanting this one...

(6) Again, while nice, it is a Varsity...and there are a lot...I think that, given the multiplicity, if you get 150, you would be doing good.

Scooper

1968 Consumer Catalog Varsity Sport Page:


1968 Varsity Sport Specifications:

ARZJoe

Thanks for all of the comments and suggestions.
I just removed the 5-mile reference from the text, and feel a little silly that it is still in the title.
Looks like the saddle and the generator are history.
Now to find the original saddle model, a black "Schwinn Approved".
I've been researching Coppertone Varsity bikes for the past year, and have yet to find
one that is in as fine condition as this one is. Do these come up very often?
Knowing that the red one fetched $350 on eBay is encouraging.
Maybe I will get lucky here in Phoenix on Craigslist.
Any other comments or suggestions are much appreciated.

I love that there is a website like this one, where help can be found so easily. Thank you : )

Metacortex

The OPs bike is a Varsity Tourist model:



The consumer catalog as well as the dealer specifications indicate that the saddle should be a color-matched "S" type on the Tourist model:

Scooper

Right you are. I was reading the OP's description ("1968 Schwinn Varsity Sport Coppertone") rather than looking at the photos. The OP's bike is a Varsity Tourist, not a Varsity Sport.

Mea culpa.

Metacortex

I believe this eBay auction features the type of saddle original to the bike: Orignal Schwinn Messinger "s" Copper Tone Seat Saddle Corvette Hornet Speedster | eBay



For reference the saddle on the bike now appears to be a brand new (or nearly so) Brooks B66, a model currently available that sells for around $150: Brooks B66 Standard Leather Bicycle Saddle - Harris Cyclery bicycle shop - West Newton, Massachusetts

Metacortex

Oh well, it appears the OP didn't learn much here: 1968 Coppertone Schwinn Varsity in Fantastic Condition! All original!

ARZJoe

Whoops, thanks for the reminder.
I just updated that ad.
I threw that up there to see if it strikes a chord with anyone.
You just never know...

ARZJoe

Thank you for the S saddle link.

Clang

For less than $995 you could get a nice Paramount. Or you could get this:

Scooper

True; you never know. More than a few have more money than brains.

Fahrenheit531 

The presentation is nice and all, but I did chuckle when I saw the ad.
For $995 I want seven or eight of 'em in different colors and bar configurations.

CliffordK

A thousand bucks for a Schwinn Varsity?
That is a little optimistic.

Or, was that a typo...

Perhaps the OP meant $99.50

The bike is in reasonably good shape, but the Varsity has always been synonymous with TRASH.

You should forget about it being a collectors item, and just ride it... for another 5 miles.. at which point it will be time to buy a nice bike.

BTW, did you choose to keep the original grease.... just to maintain originality?

I disagree about stripping the generator. It is more or less period correct, and not worth much off the bike. It adds a little to the bike. Removing it will likely leave marks.

To get top dollar for the bike, leave the Brooks saddle on it. But, after a few months on Craigslist, perhaps take the advice and separate seat from bike, and put the bike with the Schwinn seat up for a more reasonable $150 or so while reselling the Brooks seat on E-Bay for whatever a $1 auction will fetch.

CliffordK

Is it just me, or does it look like that bike is about 3 sizes too small for the rider, too low of a seat, and the rear tire looks almost flat.

Where is he looking?

Scooper

It's not just you; that bike is a very poor fit for that rider.

Probably at a pretty co-ed. The location is the UC Irvine campus in Orange County.

Metacortex

He's looking at his buddy on the blue Collegiate:



The '68 Schwinn catalog was shot by legendary photographer Sid Avery. The models in these photos aren't even riding the bikes - they are sitting stationary on the bikes with the kickstands down, which have been airbrushed or cropped out. All 3 bikes in these particular photos have 21" frames, I think they usually tried to use the middle or medium sizes for aesthetic reasons. They probably should have used 23" bikes but I think some of the awkward size appearance is due to the mid-stroke foot positioning, possibly because they are trying to remain still and balance.

CliffordK

I have no idea what you paid for it at auction. Hopefully it wasn't more than about $25. Keep in mind that auctioneers make money by selling stuff for top dollar, and will say just about anything to make you believe you're purchasing something special.

If you're planning to flip bikes, then KNOW YOUR BIKES.

If you can lift the bike with a pinky... and have some strength to spare, then it is worth a couple of bucks. If you need a forklift to budge it... then walk away.

• One piece cranks... sure sign of a cheap bike.
• Claw attaching the rear derailleur... often a bad sign.
• Most of the "quality" bikes from the 60's to 80's would have had lugs. Initially it was probably done to allow thinner tubing. Then styles went with lugs + butted tubing which may have made them redundant, but still demanded by those purchasing high-end bikes.
• Steel Rims... durable, but cheap.
• Look at the dropouts. If they look like they're 2 layers of steel mashed together, then ignore the bike.
• Chrome means steel, and steel means heavy.

If you want top dollar from the bike, then do a full restore. Washing it with soap and water isn't a bike restoration. Clean and repack all the bearings. Adjust the cones. True the wheels. New chain, New brake and derailleur cables as needed. Adjust the derailleurs.

I now polish all my cones before installation, and with an old Schwinn... it wouldn't hurt to get them "better than new".

If there is any dryrot in the tires, dump them too.

Then take it out for a 10 mile spin and make sure it all works smoothly.

There is a very narrow niche for collectors of junky bikes "for display", mostly from the 30's to 60's with "tanks", and I just don't think your Schwinn fits it.

All in all, you could spend a lot of time restoring a $100 bike, and might be able to squeeze an extra $50 for $150 total by making it "road ready", at the expense of adding at least $40 worth of tires and a lot of extra time.

ramzilla

How much does that old thing weigh? Like about 40 or 50lbs? I remember those old Varsitys (and Suburbans). Oh hell yeah! Schwinn made those things to last man. When the planet explodes those damn things will be floating around out in space!!!!!!!!!!!!! ...FOREVER...

Metacortex

They are built like tanks. The Varsity Tourist in the 21" size weighed about 39 lbs. in '67, the '68 model should be about the same: Schwinn catalogs, 1961 - 1970 (628 of 765)

Narhay

While nicely preserved (for the most part) junk, it's still junk.

DMC707

Exactly --- Its your bike - if someone doesnt want it in the first place, then the price shouldnt offend them. At 1000 bucks, you are sorta' waiting for the right millionaire to come along who had one just like that in college, or met his wife while riding one , etc etc. --- but you never know

Some have opined that the bike is "junk" but i disagree --- it may not be something an enthusiast would be into (and this board/forum is primarilly made up of jaded long term cycling enthusiasts -- being "jaded" sometimes brings with it cycicism ) , but there is a market

jyl

If you find someone stupid enough to buy that bike for that price, it would be a shame not to swindle him for more than $1K. Think bigger.