BMX Society community forums: dick10 - Viewing Profile

That's tough one. I was lucky enough to catch onto old school bmx collecting early on before the prices went crazy. In fact looking for my first OS Torker is how I learned about eBay! When I started in the mid 90s it was normal to have 3 search pages for Old School BMX. Yesterday I typed that in and I think there were 14 pages.

To this day I go into every bike shop I see. I look around and especially try to see in the back areas near where they repair/build bikes. I am paranoid people will think I'm casin' the joint. And I guess I kinda am, but not to steal anything.

I usually tell a sales person what I am doing and ask for any old parts. The answer is always the same kind of "nope." So I chat it up with them for a minute two. It is only after this, and asking again if they have anything that I get answers like: "Well I do have these old red hubs or old blue brake levers..." It really is kinda funny. You won't usually get anything, but the times you do will give you a rush--the hunt is really part of it.

The older, uglier and more beat-down the bike shop the better. I used to go to this little hole-in-the-wall in San Bernardino. I don't think they had a single new bike, they built bikes out of old parts. I got a JMC mini there as well as some alloy and chromoly V-bars and I think there was a DG and Takara there. Oh and I got my NOS red Super Maxy cranks there. This guy even had a box full of red NOS hubs!

You can try Craigslist, eBay and other papers, but people have caught on that this old stuff is worth money. That or some savvy collector scooped the stuff up as soon as the ad was posted.

So I guess you need to keep an open mind on where you look and what you are looking for. If you find a good deal on an OS part you weren't looking for, buy it. Then, sell it or trade it for what you do want. We all need to keep as much OS BMX stuff out of the landfills as possible.

I think about that sometimes... how many Torker, Tuf Necks, and Tioga Comp IIIs were tossed out just because they were old or the wrong color? I guess it's best not to dwell.

Good luck, and happy hunting.

Not sure if that's the key -- My TA went from my parents' back yard shed and then out to western PA with me for a year. When I came home, I put it in my Aunt's garage because my parents were getting ready to move. I fortunately had the presence of mind not to put it back in the shed!! I eventually moved it out of my Aunt's garage and into my own apartment where it sat dormant for two years, then stuck it in my attic in 2001 and finally pulled it out again to begin its restoration in 2006 -- Glad I did...

Anyway....

The finish on the bike looks pretty good from the pics. What OldskoolPK was trying to say is, don't be quick to strip that old paint off and have it refinished. Take some time to polish it up and see if that does it for you. If you're still not happy with it, then have at it.

For me personally, I like to try to preserve the original finish (chips and scrapes and all) if at all possible. If that were my quad, I'd try to keep it exactly like it is, stickers and all!

Whatever you decide, good luck with it! Enjoy the site and happy riding!!

cool bike, glad you held on to it after all these years.

Did you move around a lot or did you pretty much stay around the same general area? I wonder if that's the key to people holding on to their old bikes, or maybe it's that mom and dad have to stay put and not clean out the garage/basement/attic or whatever.

anyways... just random pondering.

Welcome to the addiction