Curtis Anthony has about a half-dozen bicycle lanterns attached to pipes in his living room, but the one that gave him his start has a special place in a display case.
When his stepfather first gave him the kerosene lantern nine years ago, Anthony was not sure whether it was for a bicycle or a motorcycle. He took it to the owner of a bicycle store."I could see him starting to drool," Anthony recalls. "I could tell by the way he was getting so excited, it was worth more."
The lantern was made for a bicycle, and it was the beginning of an obsession.
Anthony, 30, now has four floors of antique bicycles, parts and store fixtures.
He also owns Via Bicycles, a Center City, Penn., store and repair shop. The cluttered shop downstairs has old posters on the walls, as well as bicycle parts. There is a steady stream of bicycles brought in for repair, which is the bulk of Via Bicycles' business. Still, some passersby and bicycle fanciers come in just to admire the collection.
Anthony insists he has no employees - just friends who stop by to help in exchange for parts.
"Somebody might come by and trade an afternoon's work for something," he says.
But the pride of his business remains his antiques.
Anthony has a 19th-century tricycle and several tandems, including one that allows the person in back to steer. He also has a drive-shaft bicycle and a collection of bicycle medals and art.
Customers usually admire the older bikes, but most bring in for repairs the modern, faster models. Anthony, who races about five times a year, says he normally opts for the faster wheels. But when he takes one of the older bikes out for a spin in the park, he admires the smooth ride.
In his apartment next to the shop, Anthony has a collection of chain wheels with different designs and photos of winners at past bicycle races. The walls are covered with pictures of bicycles and cyclists. He keeps a high-wheeler - a bicycle with a large front wheel and a small rear wheel - in his kitchen.
Anthony has something to tell about each bicycle in his collection, but he laments that he doesn't know as much as he'd like.
"If I wasn't so busy I'd be able to do a little more research," he says, adding that much of his research comes from looking at old catalogs and "talking to the old codgers."
He says most of his collection comes from bike shops that have closed.
Occasionally, he will sell one of his treasures.
"It's hard," he says, "but I've got to pay the rent."