How do you deal with it...

[BowHuntingFool]

For you folks that sell bows frequently. I just packaged up one of my Bows I sold and was really bumming out while taping up the box! Sad day here in my household, my stable has one less bow in it..   :(   ....... until the end of August, come on BIG RIVER!!!!!!    

[Mike Mecredy]

I got to tell you, it never gets easier.  Every week I send out several bows.  Bows I've see start from a block of wood, strips of fiberglass, and laminations.  After gluing, grinding, rasping, sanding, buffing and finishing, I try out the finished product, get it tuned, estblish a good brace hieght, then comes the hard part; packing it up and sending it off.  The only thing that makes it better is knowing a lucky, kid or hunter is going to get it on the other end of it's journey.  I agree, every one I ship off is hard to let go.

[gilf]

Doesn't tend to bother me at the time as I tend to have something else on the way that I really want to try, it's only 6 months later that I really regret selling a bow that I may never be able to get hold of again.

[sweeney3]

I never sell one.  I might sometime, but I still like them all, even the ones I don't use much.  I still have my old wheel  bow, even though it's lying behind some old coveralls in the closet.  The rest are displayed on the wall when they aren't in the truck.

[Flatshooter]

Joe, I'm pretty sure I know the bow you're talking about. I was second in line for it and it is a beauty! Tell ya how I feel though. Over the years I've bought and sold nearly thirty bows. All of them were special but it didn't take me long to realized they are just things. Things that brought me a degree of happiness but still just things. I have bought four or five new bows in my life (mostly Widows) but never once thought about putting my name on it. As far as I'm concerned this stuff is just on loan to us anyway. I am very careful with my bows and take care of them but I don't obsess over them. "Claiming ownership of something by putting your name on it never made much sense to me. It's like tattooing your girlfriend's name on your chest... not a good thing to do for a number of reasons.  In the case of a bow it diminishes it's value to some. Don't mean to get too philosophical but that's the way I feel on this subject. The bow gave you a lot of pleasure while you had it, now it will hopefully do the same for someone else for as long as they decide to use it. Anyway, it's always more exciting thinking about the next one than regretting the "loss" of a previous one!

[NorthernCaliforniaHunter]

There was a time, not long ago, when man kept what he was able to carry and what he could use. We are all guilty of too much weight. Stuff is heavy.

Not sure where I'm going with this except perhaps to say that our difficulty in letting go of things we don't use but like may stem from the fact that we have somewhere to warehouse them. Minus the shed or garage just how many bows would you have?

[Chester Thompson]

If you figure it out let me know I am in the process of selling my bow, and unlike you I have nothing to look forward to replacing it anytime soon, so I have been feeling sorry for myself for a few days now.

[David McLendon]

I know what you mean as I just packed up and shipped off the third that I have sold recently. But I have sent three away and will probably replace them with one before long. They come and go except for the one that always knows where I am looking. My go to bow will never leave and is always in my hand when I hunt something that could be hunting me back.

[BowHuntingFool]

Yep its tough to see em' go. The bow I'm waiting on is my first bow I have ever ordered. So in a way it's not so bad..... except the wait.... come on BIG RIVER!

[Dick in Seattle]

Mostly, it never bothered me too much selling bows I'd bought.  I bought a lot just for the sake of trying them.   But I found a few real favorites...the "go to" bows.  Then I lost strength and couldn't pull those.  Shipping them on hurt, but it was necessary.

Now, I'm building.  I shipped one off to a friend, and that was fun, though tense during the wait.  It was a total surprise for him... would he like it... would it shoot well for him.  (He did and it did.)

Yesterday I sent off the only other one to leave my hands... one I built for the HH Longbowmen to circulate and hunt with.  Now I'm doing that wait thing again.  It's on its way to the first hunter.  Will he like it?  Will it shoot well for him?  But big time... will he take some game with it!?

Next one is for a bow exchange, and it's going to a professional bowyer... Yikes!  Will he like it?  Will it shoot well for him?  What will he think of my simple craftsmanship?  

I don't suppose it gets any easier...

[ron w]

Don't bother me to much because I usually am up grading to a better grade of bow when I sell. Or the bow I'm selling is not what I thought it would be so down the road it goes. It's also one of my hobby's that I enjoy. Can't have to many bows..... A golfer don't play with one club....

[BowHuntingFool]

Dick, what your doing with the bows your making is awesome. I supposed it feels good to send one off when she's ready and at the same time waiting for the response is a bit stressful. Kudos to you my friend!

[Roy Steele]

When I started building selfbows 20 years ago.I started building bows for myself.It did'nt take long word of mouth had my little bow venture was'nt only cutting into my deer hunting time.I'd put alot of heart and soul into each bow I built.And it was hard to part with each one.It really got to me.And I know that with each bow it go's to a person that gets joy and happeness from it with each arrow.

[Rick P]

Dont sell them! Maybe, Maybe loan inefinately but never, never, sell.

[Rick P]

Just reread sorry. OK the ones I make go out easily because I know from the first moment while selecting the right stave they are leaving.....so I can buy more vintage bows and go on longer hunts!