I was riding on two wheels when Schwinn was advertising the Sting Ray and Krate bicycles. My ride had a little engine on it, but it wasn’t a lot bigger than those in the Schwinn ad on the back of the Boy’s Life magazine.
There are all sorts of odd-ball things that come in through the front door. Mostly books, but I’ve looked over everything from puzzles, games, documents, and sheet music – to statuettes and coffee mugs. They call it spring cleaning, but whatever the occasion, we seem to be offered more items for purchase this time of year. There were a few books in this load, but the greater part of it was old magazines.
Hate to call them old, because I remember the time well. Boy’s Life was a magazine that was delivered to our house for a time and I remember the excitement of something arriving in the mailbox with my name on it. I have a vague recollection of the Krate bicycle as shown in the image – but I might have been paying more attention to motorized transportation by then.
The Sting Ray, though… that was the stylish ride when I was a young and on the pedals. I didn’t have the real-deal, but created one – Frankenstein style – by cannibalizing an older bike and buying a set of high-rise handlebars. There was a kid in McAlester who could pop a wheelie and ride on the back wheel alone for as long as he wanted. City blocks.
I wanted to be able to do that.
So, I practiced and crashed, practiced and crashed – but finally got to the point I could keep a “wheelie” going for about as long as I wanted. Got good enough that I started trying to do it on the front wheel by bumping up against the handlebars. That didn’t work out so well.
If I had been a bit younger, I would have been fantasizing over the Krate and its available models: the Orange Krate, the Lemon Peeler, the Apple Krate, the Pea Picker, and the Cotton Picker. Shock absorbers. Shift lever, five-speed. Dual brakes.
And a price tag that had to have been startling back then.
A hundred bucks.
That amount was more than my monthly rent for the little garage apartment I had just a couple of years after the Schwinn ad came out. Of course, I’ve not priced bicycles lately, and it could be that they cost as much as a month’s rent.
The Boy’s Life magazine had a cover price of forty-cents, which is proof of its age. There aren’t many publications to be had for under a dollar these days, and back when I tried stocking magazine titles, most were closer to five bucks each.
These however, can be had for a song – if you happen to be in the market for some memories. Don’t have the space to keep them around so I’ll be working to find a home for them. There is a passion among book people to keep printed materials out of the landfill.
The magazines may be cheap, but the bicycles certainly aren’t. The second image is from a couple of current eBay auctions, which proves that the bike might have been a pretty good investment back then.
We’ll be wheeling at lunchtime, so…
Come visit!
McHuston
Booksellers & Irish Bistro
Rose District
122 South Main St. Broken Arrow, OK!
