Where have the collectors gone?

[TonyW]

Fred Bear made the 1959 Kodiak for one year.  

Now 1959 Kodiaks will be made every year until everyone on Earth that wants a 1959 Kodiak can have one!

Same goes with the mid-sixty Kodiaks being produced every day in Florida, and the brand spanking new rebirth of the  disco decade Super Grizzlies, and now add to this more takedowns being cranked out than customers with ready cash.

The last ingredient? Consider all of the craftsmen making replica Bear bows and limbs and you can see that the market is saturated in 2014.

Great time to buy!

[PAPALAPIN]

Actually, if you want to collect recurves, now is a great time to buy them if you can find the right ones.

Although collectors that have invested in to recurves probably won't want to sell right now, e8ay will still have good deals on garage sale finds.  Of course you may have to compete with collectors to get your hands on them.

[Shane Reed]

Dave,
  I am sure he would sell, just not at a reduced rate for the times. Some special items will sell at full price to the right collector.

[Mojostick]

Jack is spot on. The demographics of the larger pool of people who'd be interested in the bows of their youth are aging and dwindling.

There will always be collectors, just as guys will always collect old Winchesters and classic cars, but I can't see nearly as many younger bow hunters having the same connection with the old bows.

For myself, I'm from Michigan and used to visit the Museum as a kid, since we had to drive right past it on the way to a family cottage. I don't recall meeting Fred Bear, but we stopped in countless times, so it's likely. My dad is gone, so I can't ask him if we talked to Fred.

In addition, the very first deer in the very first archery season in the country was killed within a couple mile radius of my family hunting property and the old stories are of a few "crazy guys" actually using a bow and arrows in the late 1930's and 40's. From talking with a retired DNR biologist, it's possible that first deer hunt occurred on my land or the ever popular public land right next door.

My county was only one of two even open for the first archery season in 1937 and only a small part of the county was wooded and had "huntable numbers" of deer. Most of the county was deerless farm land, of that era.

So, I have an affinity to the past that others my age probably don't. Other than getting a good deal on a good old bow, why would any random 18-50 year old trad hunter want to shoot an old Bear or other vintage model, when more "modern" materials and string materials are out there? Some will, always, but not as many and the numbers will shrink.