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1974 Schwinn Paramount

Old 09-06-21, 10:59 AM
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1974 Schwinn Paramount

This '74 Schwinn Paramount is available locally at $1500. It looks to be all campy other than weinmann center pull brakes. It looks to be, from the pic, in very decent shape cosmetically as well. Looking for a realistic valuation range as I may do something crazy like try to buy another bike, : )

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Old 09-06-21, 11:44 AM
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For a local sale $800-1000. Its been repainted in a non schwinn color for 74, other than the paint and decals it looks correct for a 74 P10-9. At $1500 you are in chrome teritory on Ebay. Buyers disapear faster than vaper ware once you cross the $1000 mark
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Old 09-06-21, 12:27 PM
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I got my tall '73, similarly equipped Paramount locally for less than 1/3 of that price. Take into account mine has a checkered past, with a replacement fork and paint stress indicating a wreck at some point in it's past.
I feel you can do better in the price, as others have indicated. $700 would be a reasonable price if you intend to keep it. On the bright side; since the finish isn't original, a color change to your preference will cause no value loss.
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Old 09-06-21, 02:23 PM
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-----

not often one encounters one so all original

the Bullseye pulleys are a nice upgrade

if you purchase it suggest return it to OEM colour cable casing

took some time/use to get that much of the black dye out of the Brooks Pro

please post if you come to a decision one way or the other...


-----
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Old 09-07-21, 12:25 AM
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.
...as you are aware, I live in a high priced market near Frantic Frisco. Still, I don't think I've seen one of these older Paramounts break the $1,000 mark for a local, CL sale. But I know how much labor is involved in doing a repaint of that quality, and it's a lot of hours. I guess I'm not offended that it might be a color that was not originally offered in that year. I mean, I repainted a silver Le Champion in lavender. So it goes without saying I'm a Philistine.
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Old 09-07-21, 05:55 AM
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Originally Posted by juvela
-----

not often one encounters one so all original

the Bullseye pulleys are a nice upgrade

if you purchase it suggest return it to OEM colour cable casing

took some time/use to get that much of the black dye out of the Brooks Pro

please post if you come to a decision one way or the other...


-----
I have a '68 Paramount that I was planning on rebuilding. But I like the chrome on this bike, . So if I buy this, I'll need to sell the '68. The bike is local and I know it won't sell at $1500. I was curious what others thought was a realistic price and this thread is giving me some ideas. Des Moines is a great place to buy old bikes but not a great one to sell.
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Old 09-07-21, 05:56 AM
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Originally Posted by 3alarmer
.
...as you are aware, I live in a high priced market near Frantic Frisco. Still, I don't think I've seen one of these older Paramounts break the $1,000 mark for a local, CL sale. But I know how much labor is involved in doing a repaint of that quality, and it's a lot of hours. I guess I'm not offended that it might be a color that was not originally offered in that year. I mean, I repainted a silver Le Champion in lavender. So it goes without saying I'm a Philistine.
Back in the day, no one cared about a repaint as long as it was done well, right? So I don't lose a lot of sleep over a repaint as long as it is a quality bike. It does make it very hard though for the seller to recoup her investment in a bike though.
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Old 09-07-21, 03:53 PM
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Are you sure its been repainted? it could be a holdover frame from one year to another.
but still that all the money... i want a paramount but that's too high, $700 ish would be my bid if i saw it in person and loved it and had to have it, ...
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Old 09-10-21, 11:27 PM
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Originally Posted by bikemig
Back in the day, no one cared about a repaint as long as it was done well, right? So I don't lose a lot of sleep over a repaint as long as it is a quality bike. It does make it very hard though for the seller to recoup her investment in a bike though.
Make that nigh onto impossible. A good respray may raise the gross price for which you can sell a frame/bike, but that increase will in almost all instances be significantly less than the cost of the paint job, meaning you will net significantly less.

It's a great looking bike, to be sure. $1,500 sounds high to me, but if I was jonesing for a 1970s Paramount and it fit me and I expected to keep it forever, I might be willing to pay that much. The problem, of course, is you won't really know that you want to keep it forever until you have had it for a year or so.

And yes, the frame was repainted At a minimum, it had new decals put on, as that is not the decal design for 1974, at least to the on-line catalog photos I just checked.
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Old 09-11-21, 06:33 AM
  #10  
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If it were all original, local sale, $750 to $900. Given its issues, $500. Lack of care in using the wrong decals, as repops of the correct ones are readily available.

With sellers this far off, I tend to wait. Sometimes they eventually come around. If you go look at it, rather than argue price, I tend to mention what I can afford to spend, along with a comment that it is surely worth more. "I can really only afford to spend $650 on this bike. Its worth more, so I understand if you don't accept my offer. Could you keep my number just in case?"

Never argue what the bike is actually worth. They have already decided that, you will get no where, and hey, its just an opinion in the end anyway.

And the issues, while they hurt value, do not affect ride or other factors. It just will always be somewhat capped value wise.

Personally, I would rather have a bike with worn, scratched up original paint and flaking decals than a repaint. Over the years, I have learned to appreciate "patina" more and more.
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Old 09-13-21, 12:36 PM
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Plus 1^ for original patina....

Only original...ONCE 😁😁😁🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲

On the high side. I think the seller would accept closer to 1200.


Good luck.

Great bike!!!

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Old 09-13-21, 01:18 PM
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If you want to save a buck...
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/bik...379751567.html

1974 Schwinn Paramount - $1,499 (napa county)

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Old 09-16-21, 09:00 PM
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Originally Posted by bikemig
I have a '68 Paramount that I was planning on rebuilding. But I like the chrome on this bike, . So if I buy this, I'll need to sell the '68. The bike is local and I know it won't sell at $1500. I was curious what others thought was a realistic price and this thread is giving me some ideas. Des Moines is a great place to buy old bikes but not a great one to sell.
So big $$$ on this IMO, however if the ask could be brought down a bit it is a very good specimen from what I can see. The color is just fine with me, very close to an original color from another time, beautiful.

Seems to me these come out of Waterford like this fairly often, always wondered if they push for it or if customers bring it to the table. Naturally not what I would do but is what it is.

If the DT livery is not under the clearcoat or you get really lucky and find a Jedi master painter that could swap out for the old style, again, a retro fantastic color that is beautiful would be a plus for me, especially this color, if it is as well done as it looks to be.

We always talk about a repaint as we have done here so to have this color in a quality job is a plus and we know the value is there even if we don't want to pay for it, be glad you didn't have too.
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Old 09-16-21, 09:42 PM
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Originally Posted by 3alarmer
.
... I guess I'm not offended that it might be a color that was not originally offered in that year. I mean, I repainted a silver Le Champion in lavender. So it goes without saying I'm a Philistine.
The horror...
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Old 09-18-21, 05:22 AM
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Originally Posted by 3alarmer
.
...as you are aware, I live in a high priced market near Frantic Frisco. Still, I don't think I've seen one of these older Paramounts break the $1,000 mark for a local, CL sale. But I know how much labor is involved in doing a repaint of that quality, and it's a lot of hours. I guess I'm not offended that it might be a color that was not originally offered in that year. I mean, I repainted a silver Le Champion in lavender. So it goes without saying I'm a Philistine.
3alarmer, I thought you might get a kick out of this. My son's 1973 Le Champion, before & after

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Old 10-08-21, 07:35 AM
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By the way, the prices above are well within a valuation range given eBay prices. I did a check on sold listings and the prices ran from a low of $600 for a complete 70s Paramount (it had cosmetic issues) to a high of $1500, which is way above all the other sold Schwinn paramount prices. A realistic price range for eBay (not a local sale) is $700-$1100. There were 3 bikes within that range, each was in excellent shape, and either entirely campy. I'm thinking for a local sale this is worth $700ish, maybe a little more given the condition but the eBay bikes were in equally as good a condition and had more expensive brakes (campy or dura ace).

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Old 10-08-21, 07:55 AM
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Originally Posted by nesteel
I got my tall '73, similarly equipped Paramount locally for less than 1/3 of that price. Take into account mine has a checkered past, with a replacement fork and paint stress indicating a wreck at some point in it's past.
I feel you can do better in the price, .
ORanges to apples comparison

Some of us would call that a parts bike at that price with a wrecked frame and a replacement fork


But --- the OP's bike would look a lot better at 8-$900. $1500 is full chrome pricing (or used to be )

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Old 10-08-21, 09:25 PM
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Originally Posted by DMC707
ORanges to apples comparison

Some of us would call that a parts bike at that price with a wrecked frame and a replacement fork


But --- the OP's bike would look a lot better at 8-$900. $1500 is full chrome pricing (or used to be )
Some of us would call it the only affordable way to get into a vintage Paramount.
Happened very early in the bikes life. As well as it rides, it was clearly straightened correctly.
At what I paid, I could care less if others look down upon it.
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Old 10-09-21, 07:57 AM
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I think an issue will be the seller’s perception.
negotiating down to a more reasonable price will be delicate, you are offending his judgement.
the graphics are hopefully not clear coated over. If not covered they could be exchanged

this bike probably has 27” wheels, a tire size with limited range of replacement tires. They will also be most probably 70 psi max.

$900 is more reasonable but not attainable
go see, examine the serial #, discuss the above and leave him info to contact you if he would reconsider.
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Old 10-09-21, 09:41 AM
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Originally Posted by repechage
I think an issue will be the seller’s perception.
negotiating down to a more reasonable price will be delicate, you are offending his judgement.
the graphics are hopefully not clear coated over. If not covered they could be exchanged

this bike probably has 27” wheels, a tire size with limited range of replacement tires. They will also be most probably 70 psi max.

$900 is more reasonable but not attainable
go see, examine the serial #, discuss the above and leave him info to contact you if he would reconsider.
Agreed, it is very hard to talk a seller down who starts this high to a more reasonable price. I checked eBay sold listings; $900 is on the high side even for eBay. There are 5 complete paramounts of this era that I found with pricing info. I threw out the high and the low and ended up with a realistic range $700 to $1100; two sold at close to $700 and one at $1100. These were exceptionally clean bikes with a little nicer components than this bike.
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Old 10-14-21, 11:39 AM
  #21  
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beautiful bike and i dont see any problem paying that tag as long as components are period correct and rust free. well, others paid more buying plastic bikes and this one looks like in a mint condition!
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