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I live in Chatham Ma and have been looking for a cheap old bike to use as a garden sculpture. Today I purchased one but when I got it home I realized it seemed very sturdy and in fairly good condition.
I don‘t want to ruin a good vintage bike so I need to know if this bike has any value.
It has tags that say “Armstrong Made in England.” Painted On the chain guard it says “Rebuilt in August 1992 by Daniel H Shumann.”
Should I try to resell it to a collector or go ahead and put it in my garden?
It's a rather nice looking functional bike with probably a 3-speed hub. It seems rather a shame to turn something that's quite attractive and functional into a piece to survive the weather/seasons in your garden.
There may or may not be a "collector" market for this bike; my opinion is that this type of bike doesn't usually carry a huge value and tends to be restored by enthusiasts for reasons of nostalgia more than anything else.
You may not be aware, but there is currently rather a shortage of new (and used) bikes and you may find you can swap your good, functional bike against something less so that suits your needs at a local remakery, cycle coop or project and someone who would enjoy using it may get something more out of it. It's up to you!
We can't give a value as such, but in these days of C19, lockdown and disrupted supply lines, any working bike is of use to someone.
You yourself might get value by riding it. You don't have to go all out, just a dawdle round the block or the local park.
If you intend on growing vines or similar over the bike to obscure it, then perhaps an approximation of the bike, made from garden canes and wire would be a better solution. This would be a better idea if there's any risk of theft.
Do consider that ~30 years ago Daniel thought the bike was good-enough to maintain for the ages. That's probably why it looks so good right now, at an age of approximately 60 years. Its too good to let rust away in your garden.
There must be a source of trash bike frames that could do the same job leaving this nice bike to keep being useful.
Is there a real bike under this? Does it matter ?
You shouldn't reduce any bike to dilapidated garbage in pursuit of a quaint or pastoral aesthetic. Doing so promotes the idea that bikes belong to a historical or economic context that is past or other, and thereby is implicitly anti-bicycle.
From the picture it appears that this bike has Sturmey Archer hub. If it was restored and cared for it's likely to be in good shape and could be a reliable daily bike for someone.
That being said, there were plenty of inexpensive bikes fitted with Sturmey Archer hubs, but some valuable ones too. You can usually find a serial number on the rear hub that could give you an idea of the bike's origins and would be a good guide for determining any value. This would be a good place to start if you're inclined to research.
