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American Pickers led me to this recent purchase

1970s1970s Posts: 3,093 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited August 7, 2018 5:24AM in Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum

Frank and Mike visited the Marx toy museum some time ago. I just caught wind of a rerun and noticed an item on the show I have been looking for to add to my 1970's collection. So I got in contact with the guy in the middle. Francis is the owner of the museum, and he said he had a gem mint 1970's Big Wheel Deluxe in mint condition. He got it directly from a guy who worked at the factory in western Pennsylvania.


Every kid in America had to have one of these in the 70's. Production began in 1969 and ended in 1976 I believe as they switched to a different style. The one pictured is the DELUXE version. There are smaller versions that did not have the hand break and saddle bag behind the seat. Not only is it near impossible to find one of these in mint condition, but finding a box in mint condition is unheard of.

You all know how it feels to finally come across that one thing that had been alluding you for quite some time. Well, that's how I feel today. I couldn't send the paypal funds quick enough this morning after Francis sent me the pictures. Thanks for letting me share. I know this is a sports card board, but no one else in this world would understand finally finding that impossible something but the people here.

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    VintagemanEdVintagemanEd Posts: 922 ✭✭✭

    That is so awesome! That was my favorite toy growing up! I wore that thing out on the driveway. Congrats!

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    DrBusterDrBuster Posts: 5,308 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Sweet! I destroyed the wheel with the handbrake sliding mine around! That and the green machine...good times.

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    BaltimoreYankeeBaltimoreYankee Posts: 2,904 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 7, 2018 5:50AM

    That is really cool. I was too old when the Big Wheel came out but they were all over the place in Brooklyn in the '70's.

    Daniel
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    divecchiadivecchia Posts: 6,528 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I remember those like it was yesterday. I always wanted one, but money was tight back then.

    Cool piece.

    Thanks for sharing. Donato

    Hobbyist & Collector (not an investor).
    Donato's Complete US Type Set ---- Donato's Dansco 7070 Modified Type Set ---- Donato's Basic U.S. Coin Design Set

    Successful transactions: Shrub68 (Jim), MWallace (Mike)
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    pjb103183pjb103183 Posts: 1,330 ✭✭✭

    Nice to see a WV shirt...you from the mountain state?

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    DrBusterDrBuster Posts: 5,308 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 7, 2018 8:45AM

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    StingrayStingray Posts: 8,843 ✭✭✭

    I had one of those back in the day. Don't ride it too long, the front wheel ends of getting a flat spot and the wearing a hole in the tire!! :)

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    72skywalker72skywalker Posts: 1,539 ✭✭✭

    It is funny that you posted this. Last month my wife and i were at a tag sale and they had a Green Machine for sale. (It was actually painted orange for some reason) but it still worked and was one of the larger versions. I actually was still able to fit in it (5'7" 160 lbs) so for $20.00 i had to have it. Even though I was told it would be a waste of money I knew it wasn't ( I spent over $25.00 for lunch and that was gone right away). Well, my kids and neighborhood kids loved it so now to make a long story shorter, thanks to Letgo.com and craiglist we now have a small fleet of 3 green machines (2 mint condition green ones and 1 non mint orange one) .

    Collecting Yankees and vintage Star Wars
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    UFFDAHUFFDAH Posts: 1,671 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Big Wheels and Green Machines provided countless hours of entertainment back in the day!!

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    CWCW Posts: 1,199 ✭✭✭

    Very cool! Congrats!

    I have fond memories of riding my Green Machine around the block for hours on end.

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    Downtown1974Downtown1974 Posts: 6,725 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Wow!! What an incredible piece of nostalgia. I had one exactly like the one you purchased. Rode it until it was unrepairable. I used to chock the back wheels with rocks and do massive burnouts with the front wheel.
    Congrats on a great pick up. Having the original box is the icing on the cake.

    MY GOLD TYPE SET https://pcgs.com/setregistry/type-sets/complete-type-sets/gold-type-set-12-piece-circulation-strikes-1839-1933/publishedset/321940

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    ldfergldferg Posts: 6,739 ✭✭✭

    I wore several big wheels out back in the day. Great post and congratulations.



    Thanks,

    David (LD_Ferg)



    1985 Topps Football (starting in psa 8) - #9 - started 05/21/06
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    vintagefunvintagefun Posts: 1,975 ✭✭✭

    Not only did I have the toy, but also that same haircut as the kid on the box. The Green Machine was quite possibly the best Christmas present Santa ever brought me.

    52-90 All Sports, Mostly Topps, Mostly HOF, and some assorted wax.
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    1all1all Posts: 506 ✭✭✭

    Awesome! Did it come with the quarter already jammed inside the hole between the handlebars?

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    stevekstevek Posts: 27,749 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Come on...ya gotta tell us what ya paid for it. :)

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    coinspackscoinspacks Posts: 971 ✭✭✭✭
    edited August 7, 2018 2:55PM

    I had a blue one called a little wheel ?

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    stevekstevek Posts: 27,749 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @1970s said:

    @stevek said:
    Come on...ya gotta tell us what ya paid for it. :)

    Right in the ball park of what someone would pay for a 1975 Topps regular issue George Brett PSA 9. ;)

    So around 2k?

    I'm not sure if you took it out of the box or not. But I would think that taking it out of the box would diminish the value a lot, possibly by 95% or more.

    Looks like it needed assembly, i'm not sure. Never had one.

    In any event, perhaps you didn't care about the money, you just wanted to relive your childhood a bit, and that's cool. Either way, i hope you enjoy it. :)

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    prgsdwprgsdw Posts: 503 ✭✭✭✭

    So awesome. I rode mine with the handlebars upside down like all the cool kids. ;)

    I literally rode mine until it broke into pieces. I loved the heck out of that thing. Raced my brother around the house on his tricycle. LOL

    The Doomsday Collection
    Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor | All-Time Dallas Cowboys | Bob Lilly Master | Pro Football HOF Dallas Cowboys

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    ahopkinsahopkins Posts: 1,095 ✭✭✭✭✭

    That's awesome. I remember this episode. I'm an avid watcher. I'm always scanning in the background for unopened cases.

    Andy

    Andy

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    GilbeyGilbey Posts: 201 ✭✭✭

    My dad had a store at a mall on Long Island and when it closed and sometimes when it was open, I was always ripping around the mall on my big wheel. Those were some good times.

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    sinoth23sinoth23 Posts: 152 ✭✭

    Sweet pickup. Brings back many memories . Had the same one, but it was a garage sale beater. Congrats.

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    baseballfanbaseballfan Posts: 5,451 ✭✭✭

    WOW!! great pick up. I loved mine, wish I stilled had it. boy that brings me back to the 1970s.

    I often think about that big wheel, the steering would break I was on it so often and my father would take it to work, he was a mechanic and have it welded back together for me. boy that was a simpler time. thanks for the memories, and that is money well spent. the green machine just didn't live up to the big wheel for me but that is a great pick up too.

    Fred

    collecting RAW Topps baseball cards 1952 Highs to 1972. looking for collector grade (somewhere between psa 4-7 condition). let me know what you have, I'll take it, I want to finish sets, I must have something you can use for trade.

    looking for Topps 71-72 hi's-62-53-54-55-59, I have these sets started

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    KendallCatKendallCat Posts: 2,977 ✭✭✭✭✭

    That is so sweet. Got my first concussion from one back in 1972-73. Older brother and I were on it and he pops a wheelie with me on the back and my head split open on the driveway like a melon. Remember it like it was yesterday. Love the fact you got the box as well. Thank you for sharing.

    KC

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    maddux69maddux69 Posts: 2,130 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Nice pickup and story behind it! While I was a little younger and got the next generation big wheel, I shared some good memories as well. I remember setting up ramps to jump it and even once tried to jump a 15 foot ditch Evel Knievel style. Needless to say it didn't work out too well and I had a few stitches to show for it.

    Jason

    eBay Store


    Greg Maddux #1 Master SetGreg Maddux #2 Basic Set
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    PopeyesSpinachPopeyesSpinach Posts: 194 ✭✭✭

    Mike seems like a cool dude but Frank is a whiny midget. I keep waiting for a bunch of garbage from one of their picks to topple over on him but it never seems to happen

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    rln_14rln_14 Posts: 686 ✭✭✭✭

    by the the time the first big wheel came out, i weighed too much for it, i wanted one bad, but never got one, but i am not emotionally scarred from that, not at all

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    rexvosrexvos Posts: 3,274 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @1970s said:

    That was my ride of choice

    Looking for FB HOF Rookies
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    DrBusterDrBuster Posts: 5,308 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 14, 2018 7:11AM

    @rln_14 said:
    by the the time the first big wheel came out, i weighed too much for it, i wanted one bad, but never got one, but i am not emotionally scarred from that, not at all

    You can get one to ride now:

    https://www.highrollerusa.com/shop/product-category/adult-size-big-wheel-trikes/
    https://www.highrollerusa.com/shop/high-roller-adult-size-big-wheel-drift-trike-m20/
    https://www.highrollerusa.com/shop/high-roller-adult-size-big-wheel-drift-trike-commercial-version-m20/

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