Why the constant bow buying?

[Bowwild]

I went through a period that ends... tomorrow or maybe in August?.

I was buying, trading, and selling a bow or two every month or so.  I added up the money spent and thought yikes, "that would make a dent in this or that". But, on the other hand, I won't have fond memories of this or that like I already have of these bows.

Early on I was doing this because I was reading about and seeing pictures of so many great bows here on Trad Gang that I wanted to try. Mostly I was drawn by the appearance of the bow and testimonials about same from people I respect.

I learned quite a lot during that period about what I like. Sure, I could have learned a lot of that by going to some trad fests but most of them are 100's of miles from where I live. My wife wouldn't like the fests and I've traveled too much in my work to do it without her as I hunt bows (yesterday was our 33rd anniversary).

I've slowed down quite a bit now. I have a couple on order (yikes, 3) but all of them are deals such that if I decide not to buy the bow the bowyer won't mind and the bow will be sold in hours to someone else. Some of these long waiting lists compel one to get on the list if the bow is of interest. To date I've only backed out of one pair of limbs and that was before they were built. The bowyer, Brandon Stahl didn't mind.

At this very moment I'm thinking too many bows (more than I can shoot regularly is "too many" for me) is working against me. I feel "ok" with all of them but not a great shooter with any. I'm about 100% inside of 20 yards but only 85% or so (kill zone) at 20-25 and I won't shoot at an animal past that.

I'm not satisfied with my shooting and so I have to make a change and it will likely be sticking with a particular bow or just resigning myself to being a 15-20 yard hunter.

[varmint101]

Like ron w said, I too have had to keep up with latest chatter.  Only one that has stuck is my Tall Tines!  After the reduction and refinish somebody slap me if I ever put that one up for sale.

Now, I still feel like I need a longbow.  Gotta get TJ and LoweBow to quit talking about those Zippers now.

[reddogge]

My bow collection is actually shrinking and four of them are dedicated grandkids' bows. I'm moving away from the classics into more high tech stuff but still have to have a few classics on the rack to look at and fondle.

[JMSmithy]

Originally posted by Cochise:
My story is a simple one..i went from being a man with one bow who chased many women to a man with one woman who chases many bows.
Over all the cost is going to be the same..
And as a bonus I've never had a bow show up at my house at three in the morning, half drunk, screaming obscenties.
Cochise

Amen Brother    

[Gdpolk]

I only have one bow and only want one bow.  

I do however like to shoot different bows to see what's out there.  If I find a bow that I like significantly better than the one I have, enough so to warrant all new arrows, then I'll trade for it.  

Thankfully, my local shop let me shoot close to 200 longbows before settling in on the one that I brought home and in the past few years I've never felt the need to trade for another.  My bow just shoots too good.  I've found plenty of prettier bows but none that out shoot mine, in my hands at least.

[UrbanDeerSlayer]

Being fairly new to the Trad addiction, I've bought a few, and sold a few.  I can't help but look at the classifieds daily.  Picked up a Bamabow recently that is awesome, and am trying to convince myself to stick with it as it shoots great, and go through the whitetail season with it because I shoot it confidently out to 30 yds.......but yet that little demon on my shoulder keeps telling me to "BUY IT!" when I see something interesting...... Definitely got the TRAD ADDICTION!

[Chromebuck]

Every journey is uniquely our own, but honestly I fall somewhere in between Killy and Cochise's analogies.

Spot on!!!

~CB

[Biathlonman]

Because it's fun!  A lot of keyboard jockeys do a lot of talking with no frame of reference, I put my money where my mouth is.  If I'm going to talk about it, I'm going to have spent some time with it.  Like others have said too, if you buy used you usually break even.

USPS have at least three bows with my name on them now!

[Brock]

it is fun and as soon as you find one that is PERFECT you start looking at others....

with my first recurve I swore I would never need a second.....then I needed one as a backup.

You get the drift...but like has been mentioned...it is a somewhat healthy endeavor compared to drinking the money away in bars, chasing lewd women, giving up one dollar at a time in strip club (well scratch that one    ), etc...

I am at 12 bows....I want a Browning Explorer II, Safari II to round off my vintage Brownings I have started.

Then I still would like a Schafer Silvertip, a 59 from Vintage Works and maybe another from John Strunk to save while I shoot the mess out of the vine maple he made for me out of a piece of wood I had for about 10 years collecting dust in my office.

Then....hope to be making my own selfbows...started one in hickory...and hope to do that until I draw my last breath.


Then again I have 5 shotguns, 3 revolvers, 6 pistols (Springfield 1991 and Colt Trophy Gold Cup included) 5 rifles of single, bolt, lever and semi-auto actions and even blackpowder cap lock.  

i think them all together is still cheaper than a divorce...so glad I changed my ways and now focus on weapons and hunting and the great outdoors.  

[LoneWolf73]

Just bought a set of extra limbs yesterday and another bow today. Feels good to have fun!

[Flinttim]

When the kids were growing up and my business was in it's infancy, there was no money for such things.Now they are grown and the business has prospered and I have some disposable cash for such things. Therefore I buy bows and guns. I don't drink or smoke, chase women ,have a car payment,or a house payment for that matter, so I can afford to do what I do.Simple answer to your question-----Because I can.