Help identifying barn finds - Schwinn, Iver Johnson, Uknown?
 

Hi everyone,

I purchased a home and found a few bikes inside a barn on the property and know very little about them. One is a Schwinn, another is an Iver Johnson, and I could not find any identifying marks on the third though the chain seems interesting (skip link?). Any information you can give me about them - year, model, value, etc. - would be much appreciated! I've attached some pictures, but can take more if needed.

Thanks!

+1 Wow!

Very cool, I'm eagerly awaiting more information! Are there any go to IJ experts on here?

Wow, I've never seen anything like that second bike. That IJ is great too. You might try posting these over at thecabe.com, folks there might know a bit more about bikes this old. I'm guessing the IJ is 1900s-1920s, and I can't even hazard a guess on the second bike, because again I've never seen ANYTHING like it.

I don't know anything about the value, but those last 2 are pretty cool. I love the foot pegs on the fork so you can coast on a fixed gear. I am not sure what size person could ride it though.

Damn - last two are very cool! When we bought our house all I got was faulty electrical and high humidity on ground floor :D

Fantastic!!!!!!

+1 don't touch anything.

I just wanted to keep you guys updated and thank everyone for their help. At the suggestion of PatTheSlat I posted the older bikes at thecabe and have gotten a lot of feedback. There seems to be some consensus that the IJ is at the latest from the early 1900s and that the unmarked bike could be as early as the 1890s.

Already offers of $2000 for one of the bikes. Nice.

just curious as to legally or morally you have any obligation to talk to the former owners of the barn about those bikes. These aren't a couple old huffy's.

Legally, would they not be considered abandoned property? Our first house came with a free Ford Maverick. Morally, chances are they knew they were there and just regarded them as "old bikes".

Legally or morally...How much other useless crap did they leave behind that you will have to clean up at your own expense? This is kind of a pet peeve of mine and I certainly wouldn't contact them.

Very cool bikes. Think about the stories they could tell.

No reason to contact the PO.

The response has been crazy! Before I consider selling I'm going to do some more homework, but it really has been overwhelming. Just to clear up the situation with the previous owner's, I don't feel any obligation to contact them because I actually paid for the contents to be left in the house. Without going into too much detail, the contents were going to be sold and due to the age and interesting history of the house I offered to buy them for a small sum in exchange for them not having to empty the house out (per the contract). But I've grown so attached to the house and its history, it would be hard to let these bikes go - it seems they're as old as the house!

Thanks for explaining the situation. You know you have some real cool history there. Those bikes will only get more valuable over time. May be worth hanging on to.

For those still wondering about the second bike, someone over at the CABE dug up this picture, titled "1889 Columbia": http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...6&d=1393415431

Looks a whole lot like the OP's bike to me. OP, in case you didn't see my post at the CABE, I'd suggest contacting the guy who runs vintagecolumbiabikes.com.

I agree great looking bikes! any chance we can get better/more pics to drool over?


http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...0&d=1393098519


http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...4&d=1393098526

I've got an Iver Johnson, semi Auto handgun, a Pony. Iver Johnson made more than bikes................. Looks like a mini 1911 .45

+10 on the wow on these! My oldest bike is 1974, and amazing to see examples that old untouched.

I totally get the idea of it being difficult to sell them because of the connection to the house. I suppose if it were me, I'd keep one for sentimental connection, then sell the other two-- not for the pure profit of it-- but to make sure they got to the proper person(s) who'd fully appreciate them.

But again, wow, I look forward to seeing more of what happens with these.