Fair price on a Monark Silver King frame?
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Like the last post said, thread doesn't say enough. Silver Kings were made pre and post war. The pre war bikes were 24" aluminum and the post were steel with the exception of the post war 26" Hex Tube bikes...I assume you are asking for info on a prewar aluminum bike so here is my take based on some recent adventures...
The last 38 boys frame I purchased was 175. Was a frame only, in good shape and had a good polish job done to it. It was a bare frame only though and missing Monark specific stuff like seatpost and shim, badge, fork, truss rods, key for locking stem, seized axle adjusters...like I said-bare frame.
Last girl's frame I bought for parts for the above frame cost me 150. Bare girls frame is now for sale for 50 or with rims and fenders and toolbox seat for 200 plus ship.
An ebay seller had an unpolished fair condition boys bare frame and a girl's almost complete bike for parts listed with a 250 minimum bid and no takers-he listed it a couple of times.
So again, depends on condition and what, if any of the hard to find parts are included...
The last 38 boys frame I purchased was 175. Was a frame only, in good shape and had a good polish job done to it. It was a bare frame only though and missing Monark specific stuff like seatpost and shim, badge, fork, truss rods, key for locking stem, seized axle adjusters...like I said-bare frame.
Last girl's frame I bought for parts for the above frame cost me 150. Bare girls frame is now for sale for 50 or with rims and fenders and toolbox seat for 200 plus ship.
An ebay seller had an unpolished fair condition boys bare frame and a girl's almost complete bike for parts listed with a 250 minimum bid and no takers-he listed it a couple of times.
So again, depends on condition and what, if any of the hard to find parts are included...
Sorry. I was on my way to take a look at it, I had no info besides the make.
I am thinking late 30's? Pretty sure it is a 26" Frame only. No fork. No cups. The chain stays were removed, but looked fine.
I am thinking late 30's? Pretty sure it is a 26" Frame only. No fork. No cups. The chain stays were removed, but looked fine.
If it is a round tube, prewar Monark, then it had 24" rims...period. There was a prewar Elgin Gull that was aluminum and used 26" but they are very hard to find (1 year only). 26" will fit on a Monark but they are typically too big to fit with the original fenders...although there have been a couple of bikes put together with 26" and fenders but it has to be the right tire and perfect fenders. If it is a hex tube bike, like I stated before, that bike is a post war aluminum frame and used 26" rims.
The bike in the picture has over 1000, maybe 1500 in parts like restored tool box seat, aluminum rack, horn light and tail light, fenders, etc. There is over 500 just in chrome (rims, crank, stem) maybe 100-200 in pedals. The kickstand (missing-under bottom bracket) goes for 100-150 and the missing battery tube, horn button and wiring add another 200. Tell that to the clown. That is how they get $$$$$$, they spend $$$$$.
And what do you mean by "The chain stays were removed, but looked fine." The chainstays are not removable unless they are broken. Be careful, these frames are brittle and don't take abuse too well.
If the guy with the frame thinks he has a gold mine, then good luck. Keep an eye on ebay, there are a lot of frames available for rat bikes in the 150-200 range, it is the complete, restored original bikes that are worth a lot of money. I just sold a bare polished boys frame with seatpost, shim and badge for 200 to a buddy...no big deal. It was probably worth a max 250 to anyone else.
The bike in the picture has over 1000, maybe 1500 in parts like restored tool box seat, aluminum rack, horn light and tail light, fenders, etc. There is over 500 just in chrome (rims, crank, stem) maybe 100-200 in pedals. The kickstand (missing-under bottom bracket) goes for 100-150 and the missing battery tube, horn button and wiring add another 200. Tell that to the clown. That is how they get $$$$$$, they spend $$$$$.
And what do you mean by "The chain stays were removed, but looked fine." The chainstays are not removable unless they are broken. Be careful, these frames are brittle and don't take abuse too well.
If the guy with the frame thinks he has a gold mine, then good luck. Keep an eye on ebay, there are a lot of frames available for rat bikes in the 150-200 range, it is the complete, restored original bikes that are worth a lot of money. I just sold a bare polished boys frame with seatpost, shim and badge for 200 to a buddy...no big deal. It was probably worth a max 250 to anyone else.
If the chain stays were removed it sounds like it might be a Flocycle. Did the seat stays made a big loop to the rear before coming down to the axle? Was there a metal plate between the crank housing and where the chain stays attached?
Crassly has a good point, if it is a Flocycle, then the chainstays are removable but it won't look anything like the picture. I will try to post an image of a Flocycle but again, it is a rare frame, sought after and worth more than the standard Silverking but the missing pieces are the key and what command the big money.
There is no "assume" it is fact based on research from old catalogs and books...so did you get the thing and how much did he want?
And just for conversations sake, here is a link to Dave's Nostalgin.net site with tons of useful vintage info
and a sample of a Flocycle http://www.nostalgic.net/pictures/1920.htm
And just for conversations sake, here is a link to Dave's Nostalgin.net site with tons of useful vintage info
and a sample of a Flocycle http://www.nostalgic.net/pictures/1920.htm
I am 1000% sure it is not a Flocycle. It is as pictures above, minus everything. :|
He accepted my offer, then backed out. He is now going to take in to every store in town looking for a better deal.
He accepted my offer, then backed out. He is now going to take in to every store in town looking for a better deal.
Re: MONARK SILVERKING
THE MONARK SILVERKING WINGBAR, FLOCYCLE, 26X, AND BOYS M1 DELUXE ARE UNDERATED BICYCLES IN THE HOBBY.... THE USE OF A RELATIVELY NEW MATERIAL AS DURELLIUM/ALUMINUM ALLOY FRAMES WAS A TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT FOR THE BICYCLE INDUSTRY IN THE 1930'S. TO BUILD A PAINTLESS BIKE FRAME THAT GLEAMED WITH EQUAL BRILLIANCE OF PAINT WAS AMAZING. TO STEP OUT OF THE "NORM" IN BICYCLE DESIGN AND MATERIALS WAS A BRAVE MOVE BY SILVERKING. TO ME,THAT'S LIKE THE ADVANCEMNT OF ALUMINUM ROAD BIKES TO CARBON FIBER TODAY . PEOPLE SAY THEY ARE FRAGILE...TO A CERTAIN EXTENT THEY ARE. I RIDE MY '37 FLOCYCLE AND BOYS M1 DELUXE ALL THE TIME (AS SEEN ON DAVE'S CLASSIC BIKES) AND I WEIGH 160 LBS. . IF YOU RIDE THEM IN A NORMAL MANNER EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE. THESE ARE GREAT BIKES AND CAN HOLD THEIR OWN IN DESIGN AND BEAUTY AGAINST THE OTHER TOP BIKES OF THE ERA.
THE MONARK SILVERKING WINGBAR, FLOCYCLE, 26X, AND BOYS M1 DELUXE ARE UNDERATED BICYCLES IN THE HOBBY.... THE USE OF A RELATIVELY NEW MATERIAL AS DURELLIUM/ALUMINUM ALLOY FRAMES WAS A TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT FOR THE BICYCLE INDUSTRY IN THE 1930'S. TO BUILD A PAINTLESS BIKE FRAME THAT GLEAMED WITH EQUAL BRILLIANCE OF PAINT WAS AMAZING. TO STEP OUT OF THE "NORM" IN BICYCLE DESIGN AND MATERIALS WAS A BRAVE MOVE BY SILVERKING. TO ME,THAT'S LIKE THE ADVANCEMNT OF ALUMINUM ROAD BIKES TO CARBON FIBER TODAY . PEOPLE SAY THEY ARE FRAGILE...TO A CERTAIN EXTENT THEY ARE. I RIDE MY '37 FLOCYCLE AND BOYS M1 DELUXE ALL THE TIME (AS SEEN ON DAVE'S CLASSIC BIKES) AND I WEIGH 160 LBS. . IF YOU RIDE THEM IN A NORMAL MANNER EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE. THESE ARE GREAT BIKES AND CAN HOLD THEIR OWN IN DESIGN AND BEAUTY AGAINST THE OTHER TOP BIKES OF THE ERA.
