7th Annual Bicycle Auction Post Sale Article
The Bicycle Trader
PEDALING OLD BIKES IN COPAKE New York
They call them bone shakers and velocipedes, high wheels and ordinaries, hard tire safeties, pneumatics, balloon tires, air flows and even muscle bikes. We're talking bicycles here, old bikes, and the people who know them well, adore them; they collect them and treasure them and they know just where to get them.
The world's largest antique bicycle auction happens in a little town in New York. Mike Fallon's Copake Auction held the 7th Annual Antique and Classic Bicycle Auction on Saturday, April 18, 1998, and Mr. Fallon and his son and business partner, Seth, sold just under $300,000 worth of bicycles and bicycle memorabilia.
As always, the auction attracted all the big wheels of bicycle collecting from as far away as Japan, England, The Netherlands, Belgium and Canada; and from all corners far and wide of the United States. Suddenly, the village of Copake was filled with bike-minded visitors.
Most rolled into town in vans, mobile homes and trucks large enough to haul home their prize purchases. Others came for the "smalls;" antique bicycle-related ephemera like books, catalogs, artwork and photographs, glassware and china, trophies, medals and stud-back buttons.
Many arrived very early the day before the auction for Friday's dawn-to-dusk swap meet. More than 40 vendors (most of whom were buyers on Saturday) set up temporary shop and did brisk business in a light drizzle under gray skies. They sold and swapped bicycles, gears, pedals, seats, tools, lamps, chains and other assorted bits and parts. Several swap meet buyers reported scooping up some real treasures long before lunchtime.
During the previewing on Friday and the auction on Saturday, bicycle enthusiasts absorbed close to 150 years of bicycle history, all told through more than 200 antique bicycles and 400 more lots of bicycle ephemera to go along.
They ogled over the oldest bicycles at the auction and the newer models, too. In fact, it was the "Children of the '60's," collectors in the age range of 25 to 40, that could be found reminiscing over the Sting Rays, now affectionately known as "muscle bikes," from the era of fast "muscle" cars, banana seats and sissy bars.
Serious antique bicycle collectors, however, were more taken with two 1850's velocipedes or bone shakers; so called because the equal-sized wagon-like spoke wheels, made of wood and wrought iron by blacksmiths, jarred the body.
These are the earliest pedal driven bicycles, with the pedals attached to the front wheel. The ancient bone shakers sold for $3,410 and $1,980. (To all final sale prices listed in this article, the 10 percent buyer's premium has been added to reflect the actual purchase price.)
Collectors scrutinized the much-beloved 1880's high wheels, or ordinaries, which offered faster forward motion with the design development of a gigantic front wheel and tiny back wheel. It is the nostalgic image of the high wheels that popularly represent the notion of "antique bicycle. " However, these bicycles were somewhat hazardous. They would hit even a small obstruction in the road and the rider would instantaneously flip over the handlebars.
"To alleviate these 'headers,' as they were called, bike makers decided to create a safer bike," explains Mike Fallon. The first effort by the English in a "safety" resulted in one of the most unusual bikes at the auction the 1886 Regent Dwarf Safety, known as "The Kangaroo."
The English made the front wheel smaller than a high wheel (from 50 plus inches down to 36 inches), and to compensate for loss of speed, added an innovative concept for the era a geared chain drive. Although the Kangaroo still had unequal-sized wheels, the smaller front wheel made it possible to travel over rougher surfaces.
"I think this was a very early attempt at an all-terrain vehicle," muses Mr. Fallon. "And at the time, Australia was all the rage, and naming things after animals was also a trend. So, they were following a fashion, thinking, well, a kangaroo could go anywhere, even in outback Australia."
The 1886 Kangaroo was purchased for $11,825, while the high wheels at the auction sold for prices around $2,000 to $3,000. A 1889 Victor Model A high wheel that sold for $5,500, was one of 50 uncatalogued items in the auction.
"My philosophy is to take a few late items because it adds surprise and excitement to being here at the auction and participating in it," says Mr. Fallon. " I turn down more than I accept because I try to add only a few very good items."
A culturally-charming bicycle was the 1896 Waverly Ladies Pneumatic (refers to air in the tires, as opposed to hard rubber tires), an ornamented bike made specifically for women. It was stylish at the time for well-to-do women to ride bicycles, so these bikes were designed with no center bar to ruffle the long skirts. The bike also had the original decorated wood cover for the chain to protect the skirt from getting snagged. The 1896 Waverly Ladies bicycle sold for $575.
According to Mr. Fallon, the current hot item, which was reflected at this auction, are the pre-World War II balloon-tire bicycles. These 1930's bikes feature art deco-type style, with "air flow" designs that make each bike look like a streaking comet. Many of these very sleek bikes were created in all shiny silver aluminum (a new concept at the time, instead of steel) with the look of lots of chrome.
Bike manufacturers were really trying to make an impression and do something flashy with these "deluxe" bikes says Mr. Fallon. The nation was in the midst of the Depression, however, and the deluxe bikes were very expensive, so only a few were made. Still, the bikes were intended to be flagships, the top of line.
"These were the bikes that the store would put in the front window, gleaming and glorious, to attract customers," says Mr. Fallon. "Then most buyers would walk in and purchase less expensive models."
One collector from Arizona called the 1930's balloon tire bikes, "an obsession, a total addiction. I save all year to come to this auction and see these bikes. There's a great selection this year, so it will be tough to pick 'the one,' that is if I can get away with just one."
The "one" bicycle most esteemed by nearly everyone at the auction this year was the 1937 Evinrude Imperial model Stream Flow, and for good reason given its bizarre history.
Only a couple hundred of these bikes were made and they were touted as being technologically advanced. "In fact, they were pushing technology so far, they had severe mechanical problems which caused the bikes to break apart and there were all kinds of accidents," says Mr. Fallon. "The design suffered from major engineering flaws, and as you can imagine, it was a marketing disaster."
Evinrude recalled the bikes. However, several dealers kept one, which meant over the 60 years since it was introduced, just a few remained in private hands. Any one of the couple of examples that exist today are extremely rare. Furthermore, the particular bicycle sold at Copake Auction is considered to be the best original unrestored Evinrude in existence, and came with a rare promo "fold out" brochure, the likes of which had never been seen before.
Mr. Fallon recalled auctioning the Evinrude. "That bike had so much action. It opened with a $5,000 bid right away. The buyers knew it had never been offered in public before."
When the final hammer came down, the winning bid was $17,000, or a total purchase price of $18,700 with the 10 percent buyer's premium added in.
Several book lots also inspired a lot of excitement. A two-volume set, Around The World On a Bicycle, by Thomas Stevens, San Francisco to Teheran and Teheran to Yokohama, 1887-88, sold for $1,870. The significance of the books was raised considerably when it was realized that the inscription in the books was between two great historical biking figures, "To Karl Kron, Sincerely yours, Thomas Stevens."
The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the World, the autobiography of Marshall W. "Major" Taylor, was a 1928 rare edition autographed by Taylor to George Hendee's manager, Charles R. Culver. The published sub-title printed by the publisher stated, "The story of a colored boy's indomitable courage and success against great odds." The book sold for $1,100, with three phone bids going and four absentee ballots, too.
"It's an historically and culturally important book," says Mr. Fallon. "Taylor was the first important black athlete in the U.S., and he was lauded around the world as a champion at a time when bike racing was the most important and best-attended sporting event."
The books mentioned above, and many of the auction items this year were from four major collections, those of Roger Johnson, Bob Trimble, Pope Manufacturing Company, and Ed Berry, Sr.
Many lots of ephemera sold well and brought good prices, including unique bicycle-related glassware, of which one buyer commented, "I've never seen it offered or seen so much of it in one place before;" as well as bike lamps and other parts, lithographs, photographs, framed artwork, advertising items, catalogs and accessories.
Several buyers remarked on the excellence and beauty of the bicycle auction's catalog, chock full of enticing photos and intriguing information.
A visitor from Orlando, Florida, noted that the bicycle auction has something for everyone; from a three-wheeled bicycle taxi with retractable top, a "E.T." character bike, and even a "Coca-Cola" bike.
Carl Burgwardt, owner of the Bicycle Museum in Orchard Park, New York, commented on the nice selection of this year's auction lots and called the Copake Bicycle Auction "the first season rust buster," because it gets all the wheelmen and collectors out looking at and coveting the antique and classic bicycles.
A collector from New York City proclaimed, "This is an excellent auction. I get to see all of my bike friends from all over, the variety and assortment of bicycles is terrific, there's a great selection of books and 'smalls,' and the Copake Auction folks run a class operation."
"We had maybe 10 percent fewer people in the auction audience this year," says Mr. Fallon, "but they were good buyers and we had more absentee and phone bidders. But anyone who wasn't here missed out on the uncatalogued surprises. Best of all the mood of the auction was great really, really upbeat."
Mr. Fallon expects the swap meet held the day before the auction to continue to grow and says the collecting trends remain strong for early paper items; like books, catalogs, trade cards and original artwork; plus pre-1890 high wheels and hard tire safeties, and the pre-war deluxe balloon bikes.
"There's always a lot of interest in good original condition or correct restoration bicycles here," says Mr. Fallon. "And we heard from a couple of collectors that this is a unique auction because buyers and sellers walk away very happy."
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