Tricycle Fetish Blog

Q: Just came across this trike today and was hoping someone might be able to help with identification and approximate age. Any help would be appreciated.

A: If your tricycle doesn’t have a headbadge, it will be hard to pin down a maker.  It looks like a Gendron tiller type velocipede that was probably made circa 1880′s, give or take.  They produced velocipedes like this for years, even up through the 1910′s, but with just steel wheels and no rubber, it probably is an early one.

There were a lot of makers who made velocipedes like this (Colson, Columbia etc.) and there aren’t a lot of distinguishing differences between them – other than the headbadges.

Q: I I found this old tricycle in an old house in the 1960′s it did not have the back wheels .everything else is original.I  wonder if anyone could tell me how old it is and what it would sell for as is.
thank you    Jim G.

A: Your tricycle looks to have been made around the 19-teens.  You can purchase our online price guide and appraisal service for a value estimate…but seeing the condition and the amount of rust, I wouldn’t get my hopes up for a high value.

Recently we received this photo of a young boy in the 1970′s riding an early 1900′s strap steel velocipede tricycle.  Lee Ferber of Peola Valley Pottery sent it the photo of his son.  His son was the third generation owner.  The original owner was his wife’s father in the 19-teens, who then passed it on to his daughter.  Now Lee plans on passing the tricycle down to his grandson next year when he turns 3.  This really is a good example of the great quality of early 1900′s craftsmanship.  Take one look at the tricycles sold at Wal-Mart today, it’s pretty obvious that they won’t make it a hundred years.

A reader recently sent us this photo of a tricycle that was found in her grandmother’s attic.  It is a strap steel tricycle with a wooden seat.  It dates to the early 1900′s, but seems to be unmarked.  Anyone with any thoughts as to what brand this might be or who the maker might be is asked to leave a comment with your theory.