Questions for Serious Bear Collectors

[Tom I.]

What criteria most influences your decisions to add a bow to your collection?  Does weight of pull enter into it?  Does the fact that a bow has been professionally refinished affect your decision?  Obviously, original condition is the most desirable.  Do you collect both right and left handed examples of each bow?
I'm sure I'll think of more questions as this thread evolves....but those ought to get a good discussion started..
Thanks,
Tom I....a semi-serious wantabe collector.

[johnnyrazorhead]

Wade,we're waiting.......

[PAPALAPIN]

For me, weight is not a factor since I am not buying it as a shooter, although as a collectible I tend to favor the more populoar 50 - 55#.

While condition is important, I favor original condition rather than a refinished.

In most cases, price is my major consideration.  Since I have so many bows, I tend to try to keep my purchases at a low dollar.

One of the biggest Bear Collectors trhat I know of is Tom Taylor in Martha's Vinyard.  Last I spoke to him he had over 900 Bear bows.

The qualifying terms for the above is "for me".  Other collectors looking for a particular bow, model, weight, and condition will step up in the price.

Now, I probably don't qualify as a "serious Bear Collector".  While I have about 85 recurves, I only have about 18 Bears.  The rest are various brands.

[d. ward]

thats a great question..I like Bear bows I guess.bd

[alaskabowhunter]

I like to shoot what I own which is  right handed bows and have never acquired any left handed bows. I will buy a refinished bow for my collection. Given the opportunity to replace it with an all original model of the same bow, I will replace it usually. Using the refinished bows for shooters of course or selling them off.Draw weight has little to do with my decision to add a bow, especially if it is one I am looking for. Best advice I can give you is to define what you want to collect and not go at it with a shotgun approach, buying everything in sight. Collect what makes you happy and have fun. (You'll figure out that it is the people you learn about and meet, the friends you make, that are the real benefits from collecting.) Good luck

[johnnyrazorhead]

Chuck,I couldn't have said it better.Ditto from me except for the left-handed part.I have bought a couple of left-handers because they were something I was looking for and just happened to be left-handed but Primarily all my bows are righty's too.

[Mike Shaw]

I'm a sucker For a Kodiak Magnum thats where I got started...Left or right 30# to 70# I collect them all.....Mike

[Tom I.]

Well, I'm left handed and like to shoot what I own also. Lately there seems to be a lot of bidders on lefty Bears and that puts them out of my range. As far as selecting which bows to concentrate on for a collection, my problem is that I like too many of them...love the Super K's, Kodiak Hunters, and some of the Kodiak Specials. Then there's the Take Down's...where does it stop....can't tell ya....
Tom I.

[portugeejn]

Although I am not a serious collector (nor do I play one on TV), I look for the following:

Is it shootable?  I only collect (accumulate) what I can shoot.  (that makes them only right-handed for me)  No aluminum lams, doglegs, compass Kodiaks, or bowrack queens.

Along with the above, what is the finish/condition?  It doesn't have to be perfect by any means, but it should be original and not need to be completely stripped and refinished in order to be used, mostly because I can't afford to send them off, and couldn't do the excellent kind of work that bowdoc and droptine are capable of.  Touch-ups and a coat of wax are OK.

If it needed to be sold, could I get out of it what I paid for it?  (Within reason, I don't mind loosing a few dollars as the price of admission, but 50% of what it cost me might be too much of a loss for me)

I lean toward 40-60 pound, right-hand, early (1950's early 1960's era, for the same reasons as droptine), longbow/semi-recurve rather than full recurve (although not exclusively).  I just like the looks of the old maple Bear bows.

I started out just wanting one Bear bow, as my wife grew up 15 miles from the factory in Grayling, but it just kinda grew and now I have 8.  I keep my eye open for additions, but am not as eager to get "just one more" as I used to be.

RonP

[Bjorn]

Careful Tom you are already hooked and playing with something that is highly addicting, and your tases will change and develop as you collect.
At one time I was only interested in 1959 Grizzlies, I still love them; but today I can't keep my hands off pre 1963 Kodiaks. But in the end, like others said, it is about the people-not the bows.

[kurtbel5]

Yup, 1st we have to talk about serious collector vs me.

I don't really get into original condition if one fell into my lap great, but not paying a premium for it.Not into ones I can't shoot or lowering their value by shooting.

I am a bo ho, not just Bears, any of the vintage makers.

Restoring the ones that people have given up on or let the finish go on, are more fun for me.

Finding the deals, in out of the way places, is the most fun for me other than shooting them.

              Kurt

[vtmtnman]

I have a small collection going...7 bows.Three Bears in the mix.I only like collecting useable bows I can hunt/shoot with.

[TRAP]

You asked "What criteria most influences your decisions to add a bow to your collection?"

I mostly try to find bargains on what other people are looking for just so I can screw with them.  Right Bjorn?  :D  

Unfortunately, what goes around comes around.  

I collect 1954-1962 Kodiaks and have a few other Bear collectibles.  They have to be shooters, I have no space on my wall or in my paypal account for wall hangers.  I don't mind restored/resurrected bows, in fact I kinda like them.  I plan to hunt with them and shoot them often so the protection that restoration brings is a plus for me. Draw weight also influences my decision to add or subtract from my small collection.  

I don't really like any of these people on here so it's all about the bows for me    

Just kidding of course    

Trap

[Horney Toad]

The main thing is to turn into a bow whore and snag everything you can find. Then keep the good stuff and sell off the rest.

[kurtbel5]

Hey Toad
Don't give any secrets away