Any info on Hunter bike?

[2Slow]

I found a bike at an estate sale today. The lady is not sure how much she wants for it. She knows it has some value but will not sell it until she has more info. It is labled Hunter Gear Z. It looks like 1940'-50's english or german type bike. Black with gold lettering and red pinstriping, front and rear sprung seat, mechanical brake levers that run under the handle bars. It has a double top tube. I have looked all over the web and found nothing. I should have taken a camera,
Has anybody heard of this bike?

 

[deorman]

There is currently a custom maker in Cal. who has made some old style road bikes in the past, and a long ago defunct Hunter Arms Co. that made "Hunter" bikes, but I think those are REALLY old, as in wooden rims.

 

[StephenH]

Almost certainly not the same as the California custom maker.

I find this by googling:
http://www.oldroads.com/arch/ENG2006_11 ... 35_PM.html
"I have a Royal Hunter made in Holland.It resembles a before Raleigh Phillips,Hercules or Dunelt in the fenders and Chain guard.Not saying identical or made by them."

http://www.cyclingforums.com/singlespee ... kes-2.html
"I have great memories of my Sturmy Archer equipped Royal Hunter "English Racer" which I got as a birthday present in about 1956."

http://www.oldroads.com/arch/FSW2007_4_ ... 40_PM.html
"FOR SALE: royal hunter 3 speed posted by: dave on 4/23/2007 at 11:27:18 AM
i have a 3 speed bikeall i can find on it is roya hunter sturne archer brakes hub says its a 1955 dont know much about it rides and shifts good no kickstand could e mail pics would like 65.00 or o.b.o.
by: 199.26.172.80 "

I don't know that "Royal Hunter" is the same as "Hunter", even.

One problem you have with foreign bikes is they may be VERY uncommon here, and people assume that because they are "rare", they must be valuable. Well, they may be as common as dirt in Amsterdam, so the rarity in the US doesn't necessarily equate to being valuable. You can imagine that some guy in Mongolia with a 1960's Schwinn might think he really had something, but we wouldn't get too excited about it.

My unexpert guess: Any bike with rod brakes that is more or less in working order is worth maybe $100-$150 in women's frame, $200 in men's frame, and then worth more depending on the condition. I don't think the "Hunter" brand would really be worth any more than a Raleigh, and if the parts are hard or impossible to get, might be worth less, especially if not currently rideable. If you had to start replacing tires, tubes, chains, rims, brakes, etc., to make it rideable, deduct that. Men's frame Raleighs in pretty good condition go for $300-$400 or so, seems like.

 

[2Slow]

Thanks for the info. I am waiting for the seller to call me back. Who knows what she thinks it is worth. The bike is a men's frame and rideable. It has modern tires and wheels.