Annual Auction in New York is an International Bike Collectors' Heaven

COPAKE, N.Y.

:The father and son team of Mike and Seth Fallon recently conducted their 14th annual antique bicycle auction, which draws collections from all over the world. This year's sale included registered bidders from England, Japan and all over the United States.

The weekend event starts with a swap meet, which is up and running by 6 am the day before the auction and lasts all day. The swap meet is located in a sheep meadow behind the gallery. This year, the weather was cooperative and it was a spectacular weekend with more vendors than ever, according to Seth Fallon.

Vendors from all over the United States, Canada and England offered "everything bicycle" - from early boneshakers, high wheels and hard tire safeties through 1960s Schwinn Krates, Whizzers, fine racing bicycles and, of course, many parts and memorabilia.

The event has evolved into a social affair, where old friends get to meet once a year. During Friday's preview, the staff played movies about Major Taylor and other cycling subjects. On Saturday morning the atmosphere is all about bicycles. Most of the small gallery's seats have names on them and, with just two hours to view, everyone is focused on the task at hand.

New to the sale this year were the 330 eBay Live Auction bidders participating in the sale in real time from their home computers. A total of 44 items went the eBay way, totaling $8,220, and the new technology did not seem to slow Mike Fallon's auctioneering pace of approximately 100 lots per hour.

"We wanted to reach out globally and offer this sale to a new market, but the real buyers were still in the sales room and on the phone lines," commented webmaster James Thompson, who was running the online auction simultaneously.

The Fallons start every auction with an item to benefit St Jude's Children's Hospital. This year many customers gave a total of 22 items, which made $990, the top lot being $200 for a Copake Auction sweatshirt. "We have very generous clients" observed Meagan Tranchita, the auction's office manager.

The first lot, an English silver-plate inkwell with cut glass wells, sold quickly to collector Ed Berry Jr. Many of the old time Wheelmen remember this object from the Roger Johnson collection. Johnson was a pioneer bicycle collector and one of the founders of the Wheelmen. The inkwell was the very last item from the family. With much anticipation the coveted inkwell sold quickly for $7,150.

The next lot was added to the sale just before the start, a very rare "common sense" hard tire safety with Elliot Hickory wheels passed and was later sold for $3,100.

Copake always has some interesting uncataloged machines turn up. An 1890 Eagle safety high wheel was found at a Florida flea market and traveled north to Copake, selling to a bidder in Los Angeles for $11,550. An 1890 Victor model C cushion tire safety bid to $7,425. Cushion tire bicycles were manufactured between solid tire and the revolutionary pneumatic tire invention.

The auction's first expensive balloon tire bicycle, a rare 1938 Mercury model with "Twin Lite Head Pod," made $8,800. Other prewar balloon bicycles included a 1937 Silver King Flo-Cycle, which sold for $2,640, a Manton & Smith boy's model in original condition brought $3,850 and a 1937 Roadmaster Supreme girl's made $2,750.

The top balloon lot, a 1936 Elgin Bluebird, went to California for $11,000.

Early period machines are highly sought after. A British Rudge 46-inch high wheel sold for a very reasonable $4,675; a child's hard tire safety brought $4,400; a Michaux boneshaker went to a phone bidder from Canada against lots of gallery bidders for $5,500; early steel tricycles ranged from $375 to $1,100.

According to Mike Fallon, the most undervalued models are the high-pressure pneumatics made circa 1895-1920s. "I've seen very few pneumatic safeties bring significant prices," he said. "Usually chainless models or Harley Davidson and Indian always fly, and any wooden frame 1890s pneumatic always brings great prices."

Copake Auction saw an upward movement this year. A stunning 1897 Sterling man's pneumatic with original catalog, paper work and accessories made an astounding $3,520 against a conservative $900-$1,000 estimate. A rare 1926 Indian pneumatic with a pal-style sidecar sold to motorcycle collector Chris Frost for a reasonable $5,775. Manufactured by the Indian Motorcycle Co. in Springfield, Mass., these machines always generate considerable interest.

A circa 1905 Columbia chainless two-speed sold for $1,980, which was close to the high estimate. A wooden framed ladies pneumatic safety "Brightwood" made in New York in good original condition sold just over the low estimate for $3,575.

Copake's bicycle sales always have interesting smalls. Included in this sale were exotic parts, ephemera, collectibles, posters and advertising. Highlights include a 1930s Elgin Bluebird handlebar stem, $220; a Capital Mfg Co. 28-inch wheel cyclometer, $587; majolica jardinière, $1,320; 1901 Pierce bicycle catalog, $357; 1890 brass bugle, $1,100; Nineteenth Century Star bicycle poster (as found) $1,210; and a shaving mug with high wheel graphic, $770.

Prices reported include buyer's premium.