


Hi CABE members,
I believe I’ve uncovered a "Holy Grail" ephemera set for the 1970s Schwinn lightweight era. I have the August 2, 1976 corporate dealer letter from Thom Smith (Sales Promotion Manager) regarding a promotional poster recall.
The Context:
The letter explicitly orders dealers to "remove and scrap" a previous poster because the "illustration is incorrect." Specifically, the poster features a Super Le Tour 12.2 description, but the bicycle in the photo is clearly a Chicago fillet-brazed frame (Superior/Paramount style) instead of the Japanese lugged frame.
The Survivor Set:
Against corporate orders, this dealer kept the "error" poster and filed it with the original recall letter in the attic. It has been tucked away for nearly 50 years.
The Companion Bike:
To round out the set, I have a Full Chrome 1978 Super Le Tour 12.2 (Headbadge: 0268). It serves as the perfect reference piece to show the "correct" lugged construction and decals that should have been on the poster.
I’m looking for any historical insight or a ballpark valuation for the complete set (Letter + Error Poster + Chrome 12.2). Has anyone else seen a survivor of this specific "scrap order"?
Attached are photos of the "Scrap" letter, the smooth joints on the error poster, and the Chrome 12.2 in my garage.
Thanks for your time and expertise!
by thebicyclefreak_07
1 Comment
Neat but this doesn’t belong in this trash sub