I have recently procured a (campus?) Green ladies Schwinn Collegiate, Chicago Schwinn, in great condition from 1973. I have no idea what to price it at judging by the very few things I can find online to compare to…
Does anyone have any advice? (For reference, if needed, I am located in Minnesota, Twin Cities area, and this still has a sticker on it from the Hopkins Schwinn Cyclery from way back when and I feel like that local element would definitely bode well for the metro area! Hopkins is a first tier suburb of Minneapolis.)
Thanks in advance for any and all help! 😁
by MoJo_So_Dope8
7 Comments
Also, I forgot to include that it’s a five speed. But that is hopefully easily inferred from the photos.
As for condition, I say “great shape” with the caveat being that I’m a vintage bicycle novice & generally speaking, quite easy to please. However I did take it out for a spin today and she’s nice and tuned well, rides great!
I did happen to be given this bike along with another ladies cruiser that’s only a couple years old too, so honestly I’m just trying weigh my options for which I should keep and which I should sell. I can probably get $100-150 for the other one, and I prefer to keep this one because I do adore the true vintage pieces when their available. However, if this Collegiate would net me more than $150, then I’d consider polishing her up and putting her up for sale… I’m more in need of funds than I am an awesome, beloved bike sadly.
It’s probably worth like $20. But how much you can for it depends on your area. In my area I could probably sell it for $120.
It’s a tough sell, it would only MAYBE be worth something to a Schwinn aficionado. To everyone else it’s a heavy klunkly steel boat anchor on wheels. Right now the used-bike market is a little soft so don’t expect alot.
Almost everything on it is steel, including the wheels, meanwhile most parts on current bikes are made from alloy now.
There are ’boutique’ bike companies (Like Linus) that make bikes to look like this, and they’re much lighter and they charge like $500-$700 for them.
If you need a bike and you like this one, by all means keep it and enjoy it. It’s gonna be comfortable with those cruiser bars, and it’s got fenders and charm.
BUT…be really careful in the rain though, because steel rims don’t stop great when wet.
It is from 1973. It doesn’t really have any collector value. Schwinn made lots of these bikes, and they built them to last. The paint on old Schwinns was also very durable, so it’s not that rare to see a 50 year old Schwinn that looks pristine. I would say in a big market you may find someone willing to pay $100, but probably not $200.
A lot of love for Collegiates on the [CABE.](https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/early-70s-schwinn-collegiate-just-got-it.198145/#post-1345812)
What it’s worth to you (to keep it) is solely based on how much you like it and want to ride it. What it’s worth to someone else is solely based on how much THEY want it and how much it takes to buy one in the Twin Cities (I’m in Minneaoplis). Everything else, all the comments on weight etc are meaningless in that context. Those comments only matter if you are trying to decide on buying this bike or that bike based on whatever factor is important to you.
I would go on Craigslist and survey asking prices on similar Schwinns in similar condition. Start a little high to find test the waters and adjust from there.
This bike looks to be in great condition. The better it looks to the buyer, the more you can get for it (within limits of course). I’d suggest doing a thorough cleaning, polish it up. You can remove much of the rust from the chrome parts with steel wool, you’ll be amazed at how much that will improve the look. Park Tool has great videos on YouTube on bike washing.
Good luck!
In that condition, I’d list it at $150, maybe $200 if you are patient and take some really great pictures in the sunlight immediately after cleaning it. It’s a high-nostalgia bike, but not a valuable bike just because there’s so many of them.