1968 Schwinn Fastback 5 speed

I always wanted a black Fastback, so when I saw this one on Craigslist I jumped in the car at 8pm and drove 45 minutes to check it out. I remember the seller wanted way more than I was willing to pay for the bike in the condition it was in at the time, so I told the seller I honestly thought he was asking too much for the bike, and I told him what offers he could expect to get for it etc. Before I left I made him an offer and told him to try to sell the bike at his price but if in a week or 2 he still had the bike to give me a call and I would honor my offer. Anyway, a week to the day later my phone rang and I found myself back at his house picking up the bike. Here are a few before and after shots of the bike. It cleaned up pretty well in my opinion.

1968 Huffy Rail 5 speed

Got this one from a fellow collector. I drove 2 hours and ran an errand for the seller on my way to pick up the bike to knock some $$$ off the final price I paid.

1968 Fenderless 3 speed Stingray

Not much of a story behind this one. I saw it online and bought it. The fenderless Rays are my favorite stingrays so I wanted to have one and here it is.

1972 Ross Apollo 3 Speed

For at least 2 years I was trying to find a Ross Apollo with a large console shifter, but there were 2 collectors ,one in Ca and the other in NY who were buying up every Apollo that hit the market. After a while I had totally given up on the idea of ever sneaking a bike past one of these guys when one day I received an off from my man on the East Coast to purchase one of his duplicates. Anyway, I was so excited I ran out to the bank grabbed a stack of cash and ran out to Long Island to pick this one up. It was worth the cash in the end because I became good friends with the seller and we have exchanged a few more bikes and many parts over the years, and have even gone on a few bike adventures together.

Columbia Playbike 3 speed

Here's one I found on ebay incredibly cheap, and it was only about an hour away in NJ so I drove down and picked it up from the seller. He told me he found the bike while doing some home improvement work at someone's house. The owner of the bike they gave it to him for nothing and he in turn sold it to me for next to nothing . Here are a few before and after pictures. I did not replace any parts on this bike, all I did was use some elbow grease to clean it up.

1977 Ross Apollo 3 Speed.

Here's a bike that was for sale at a local bike shop that I frequent. I remember it was a few weeks before Christmas when I saw the bike sitting in the shop for sale. I asked the owner of the shop how much he wanted and then I made him a counter offer that he said he would consider and get back to me in a few days.Since the shop owner's a friend of mine I thought I had a good shot at getting the bike for my price. Anyway, to my surprise My Fiancee who I had told about the bike went out without me knowing and bought it for me for Christmas. The funny thing is my buddy at the shop didn't even know he sold the bike to my girl lol. In the end he got his price and I got the bike.

1998 Schwinn Apple Krate

Picked this one off Craigslist a few years ago for next to nothing. I went to West 97th street in Manhattan to get it from a guy who bought it for his kid because he thought it would be cool for his kid to have the bike he had when he was 12 years old. I remember walking into the apartment and the kid was sitting on the couch watching TV, His dad said "hey I am selling your bike to this guy" and the kid couldn't even be bothered to reply, he just sort of shrugged his shoulders in a "whatever" sort of way and I walked out of there with the bike.