World War II Military Bicycle

Pawn Stars: World War II Military Bicycle | History

Rick makes a heck of a deal when he buys a World War II paratrooper bicycle with all its original parts 

Video

• https://youtu.be/gKp4YtmRdX0

Summary

A person brings a World War II military bicycle to the pawn shop hoping to sell it for $1,000. The experts at the shop examine the bike and discover that it is an original BSA airborne bicycle used by paratroopers. The bike is in excellent condition and could potentially be worth $5,000.

Highlights

• 💲 The person brings a World War II military bicycle to the pawn shop hoping to sell it for $1,000.
• 🚲 The experts at the shop discover that it is an original BSA airborne bicycle used by paratroopers.
• 💰 The bike could potentially be worth $5,000.

Key Insights

• 📜 The BSA airborne bicycle was designed for British and Canadian paratroopers in World War II. It was a folding bike that could be carried by the soldiers during parachute drops.
• 🌍 The bike was used in three significant battles: D-Day, an airdrop into Norway, and in Italy in 1943.
• 🛠️ The bike’s parts are all original, including the embossed BSA seat, tool pouch, and World War II issue rubber tires.
• 🏆 Typically, these bikes are worth $1,500 to $2,000, but this particular one is unique and could fetch up to $5,000.
• 👍 The experts at the pawn shop are impressed by the bike’s excellent condition and originality.

Transcript

1. Rick: (It's a bicycle.) Due to the color, I'm assuming it's probably some sort of military bicycle. Do you know anything about it?
2. Seller: I just know it's from World War II. I came to the pawn shop today to sell my great-grandfather's bike from World War II. The bike's been sitting in my garage since I was little, and my mom said I can sell it and put it to(wards) my college education. I'm not really sure how much it's worth, but I'm hoping I can get a thousand for it.
3. Rick: That is really neat. During World War II, the soldiers over in Europe were shipping everything from bicycles to guns to silverware to artwork—all these things that were considered war prizes—back to the United States. Then, for some reason, your great-grandpa brought a bike back.
4. Seller: Yep.
5. Rick: The sprocket's really cool. It says BSA—Birmingham Small Arms. They made rifles and handguns. It looks like it folds up.
6. Seller: It does. I don't know if that's for shipping or something like that.
7. Rick: You mind if I take a closer look at it?
8. Seller: Not at all.
9. Rick: Sweet. Don't break it, Rick.
10. Rick: I'm not gonna break it. Yes, it folds up for easy transportation. It's pretty cool. What is this, like a little horn?
11. Seller: Ah, no, that's an acetylene lamp on the front of it.
12. Rick: An acetylene lamp?
13. Seller: Yes.
14. Rick: Why wouldn't they just put a flashlight on it?
15. Seller: They had flashlights and all that, but the batteries ran out really, really quick, and that was super reliable. Pour some water in there, it creates acetylene gas, you light it, and it lights up sort of like a blow torch.
16. Rick: This folding bike is really cool. I don't know exactly what it was used for, but there's usually a collector's market for just about anything World War II military, so I guess there's got to be some money to be made here. It's a pretty neat bicycle. Looks all complete. Tell, what are you hoping to gonna get out of it?
17. Seller: I'm hoping I can get a thousand for it.
18. Rick: Would you take 300 bucks for it?
19. Seller: How about 500?
20. Don't be a cheapskate, Rick. This thing is obviously dope.
21. Rick: I'm really intrigued by it. I mean, regular bicycles in this shape from World War II aren't worth a whole lot of money, but it does look military-ish. This thing could have ridden down to Hitler's bunker. You don't want to pass on this bike.
22. Rick: I doubt if they attacked it with bicycles.
23. You never know. You weren't there.
24. Rick: You know what, I'll do the five (hundred) bucks.
25. Rick: Thank you. Okay, go write her up, Chum.
26. Chum: All right, come on with me.
27. Seller: All right. Yeah, this bike has been sitting in my garage since I was little, and I got $500 for it, and I'm happy.
28. Colleague: Wow. Yeah, it's a BSA Airborne bicycle.
29. Rick: So, an Airborne bicycle?
30. Colleague: Yeah, it was a flying bicycle.
31. Colleague: Yeah, actually, it kind of is. It was designed for British and Canadian paratroopers in World War II. They made about 50,000 of them from 1942 to 1945.
32. This is a folding bike that the paratroopers could hold in front of their chest, jump out of planes with, and when they landed, they would unfold it, put it together, and ride around on it.
33. Rick: Okay.
34. Colleague: So, there are three battles that they were absolutely used in: on D-Day in the second wave, they used them on an airdrop into Norway, and they used them in Italy in 1943.
35. Now, the question is, why would you ride around on a bike in a combat zone?
36. They weren't really designed to ride into battle, you know, holding your gun.
37. The British felt that a normal paratrooper unit could get about 20 miles in a day, maybe 25.
38. On a bike, they could get up to 60, maybe even 75. So, they thought that these would really make a difference for the invasion of Europe.
39. Colleague: What I'm amazed about, Rick, is everything on this looks period. I don't see any replacement parts, which is crazy. The seat's definitely BSA World War II. You can see it's embossed. It's got the original tool pouch.
40. Colleague: So, they actually brought... Oh, wow, you actually have them. These multi-tools can basically take this whole bike apart. Amazingly, these are the original World War II issue rubber tires. You can tell because they have "WD," which means War Department. I mean, they're still holding air. It's unbelievable.
41. Rick: Okay, cool. So, what are they worth?
42. Colleague: Usually, they're worth about $1,500 to $2,000, but this is the only one I've ever seen that's completely original, soup-to-nuts (?)
1. I wouldn't be surprised if you got five thousand for this.
43. Rick: Okay. Hey, I gave her 500 bucks for it. I mean, I just had no idea.
44. Colleague: It's a happy accident then. Some collector or museum out there is going to love this.
45. Rick: Very cool.
46. Colleague: It's a good find, man. Usually, when I see these bikes, they are a hodgepodge of original parts and replacement parts. This bike, it's like World War II happened, and somebody put it in their attic and forgot about it. Rick purchased it for a steal, so he's got good gut instinct.