Collecting Bows, Why Bear?

[KawTrooper]

Old Bear bows bring in the high prices. But why?

First, I have one Bear. I have owned five in my life. They are a good bow, no doubt about that.

Why are Bear's so collectable in the first place? Is it Fred? Is it because they are so abundant? Is it because you wanted one back in the '60's and could not afford one, until now?

I see people buying them off of **** for higher prices than I would ever pay, for a bow that might break at anytime.
I don't hang things on the wall to look at..they have to be useful. So excuse me please for not being a real admirer of objects.

There were many good to excellent bows made back in the 60's.
But the Bear Bows live a good life, still.

I would like to hear others comment as to why the old Bear's are the most sought after. Or other bows that are the real prize.

[d. ward]

For me I just love em I guess.And yes I did want one when I was young,I just never had the dough.Now I've sence spent my life savings on them.Does seem weird now that you mentioned it...but like I said for me I just love em..bowdoc

[TRAP]

I'm kinda new at this collecting thing, only being at it for a couple of years, so I'll go first.  

The reasons you brought up are all correct to some degree.  It's because of Fred and the contributions he made to archery, and it's because of the abundance.  Even the rarest bows pop up occasionally.

It's also because of function,  I don't buy vintage bows to hang on the wall either.  If I own one it's been shot and will be shot again.  Some of them, many many times again.  I have no use for a dog that won't hunt.  That's just me.

I realize the fleabay prices look huge but in many cases, but for a fraction of a new bow cost you can buy a Vintage bow that shoots as well as most modern bows.  If they are sound, they are no more likely to break than bows built today.  Any bow from any manufacturer could break.  

There are many other bows that are collected such as Howatts, Wings, Howards, Pearsons etc, etc.  All have their own faithful followers.  

Bottom line for me is, I like bows, especially 1-piece recurves.  If I have $300.00 to spend on a bow, I'd rather buy a bow that has a little history attached to it. A bow built with real wood and built by craftsman. If I choose to sell it someday, I'll likely get my investment back for it.  If I spend that same $300.00 for a modern recurve I'm not going to get much and 6 months from now I'll have even less.

For a quick comparison, take a look at a late 60s Super Kodiak (currently selling for $200-$350)laying beside a 2008 model of the same bow(currently selling for $449).  The craftsmanship and materials difference is like night and day.  In 5 years the 68-69 SK will still be worth $200.00 to $350.00.  Who knows what the 2008 SK will be worth, but I'm betting it will be less than $200.

Trap

[Bjorn]

I remember seeing a '59 Kodiak in '59 and there was no way that I could have gotten one-just didn't have the money, and my parents didn't either.
So I guess I have been making up for lost time, and as Trap said they are a pretty predictable investment too.

[The Great Jashu]

For me its the tradition and what it meant to bowhunting in general. I am from Michigan, Born and raised here. Grayling is still a special place for me. I have a camp in the area that Fred hunted and feel like its important for me to hunt with a bow that was made here.

[reddogge]

Compared to collecting guns they are still cheap.

[Tradgal]

My boyfriend (who hunts with a bow and is now teaching me how to shoot) says that you are just buying a name with a Bear Bow and that there are others out there just as good.  He says you can put "Fred Bear, Happy Hunting" on a bow and it goes up $100.00.  Fred Bear did do more for archery than anybody else so that is why they are so valuable, its all because of his name.  His final note:  they last 50 years so they must be good.  He owns a 1951/52 Bear Grizzley Static and its in perfect shape.

He is looking for a 1958-62 inch Bear Kodiak if anyone has one.......for a deal.

I personally am enjoying and learning to shoot my yard sale bow.....

[TRAP]

With the contributions Fred made to archery I think it's fitting that his "name" adds value to a bow.  You can pay big money for alot of modern recurves because there is a "Name" attached to it as well.  Watch how fast they depreciate after they have been sent to you.  

The classifieds are full of bows that are less than a year old that folks are offerring for 2/3 of the price they paid for them.  Occasionally you'll see a Bear bow listed for 5-10 times it's original purchase price.  The Bears usually move pretty fast.  

Says something about that "name" attached to the bow.  

Trap

[Tradgal]

My boyfriend says he prefers the shooting qualities of the Browning series 2 bows over bear bows including his kodiaks and super kodiaks.He especially likes the browning Explorer 2.He also says the best shooting bears are the 62"ones but they are more rare.

[portugeejn]

My wife grew up 20 miles from Grayling back in the day when Fred was still there.  I also have a few old Ben Pearson bows from the same era (50s & 60s).  I enjoy the history.  I like cool old stuff!

RonP

[PAPALAPIN]

Different strokes for different folks.  Some buy Bears because of the name and the legacy, some buy them because they are damned good solid shooters that have stood the test of time.  For us old farts, a lot of it is nostalgia.  I like bears...but I also like Howatts, Howards Hoyts, Hits, Telums, Brownings, Tice & Watts, Pearsons, and many other brands from thr '60's.  In my opinion the '60's was the golden decade of recurves and I will put any from my collection agains recurves made today.

Another reason to collect bows is for investment.  Bear bows hold their value and in some cases appreciate in value.  They are probably the best know brand name in vintage bows. Most collectibles are held for resale at a later date.  So, from an investment perspective, buy the bows that will increase in value..."BEARS".  

No one can say you or tradgal's boyfriend are wrong.  We all have our favories for our own reasons.

Also, the reason Bows go for high prices on e8ay is because at least two people are willing to pay that much for them.  A bow is worth what someone will pay...no more, no less.

Whatever flips your switch.

[TonyW]

The oldest Bear I have is a 1959 Griz. There it was, hanging on the wall, waiting for me. So after reading these posts, I took it outside. Quiet as a mouse walking on tiptoes and zipped the arrows like it was made yesterday.

Now that I was back in the mode, I took a 63 dogleg Kodiak out back for a turn.  Nice.

Why collect 'em?

So I can go back inside, string a '64, and take it out back for more fun.

Might they break at anytime? Yeah, around 2059 I will begin to worry.

[alaskabowhunter]

Born and raised shooting Bear bows, go with what you know. Name recognition has something to do with the collectiblity of Bear bows. This is due to the popularity of Fred Bear, who was on the cutting edge of marketing archery to the masses.

[Blackhawk]

My first store-bought bow was a used Ben Pearson recurve my dad bought me in the early 60's.  However, the best-looking, best-shooting bows for me turned out to Bears.

I doubt that having Fred on TV on many Sunday afternoons shooting big game with a Kodiak had anything to do with my decision.  

[PAPALAPIN]

Fred made good bows...but his biggest talent was marketing. The videos and magazine write-ups of his hunting exploits, his sponsorship of top tournament shooters, and his general promotion ofthe sport, did a lot to make Bear bows the choice of  the time.  Although Ben Pearsons are solid shooters, they are not in the same class as Bears by most standards.  However, although they were not as well know at the time, Damon Howatt, Hoyt, and Black Widow bows were of far better quality than Bears.  Now I have to qualify that with "in my opinion".   I am sure that Ben Pearson, Earl Hoyt, Damon Howatt, and the Wilson Brothers had nothing but warm fuzzy feelings for what Fred did to popularize the sport, and the effect that had on their sales.

Bear bows,however,seem to capture the nostalgia of the '60's moreso than any other brand.  This may be called the "nostalgia factor", but this coupled with being first rate bows that have stood the test of time are what makes bears so desirable today.

[Grant Young]

There may be quite a bit to the question "was it because when you were a kid, you couldn't afford one?" I sure lusted after them- I would kill twenty minutes of paper route time about twice a week in front of the archery department of the local hardware store thinking about how great it would be to be able to just walk in and buy a $79.99 Kodiak.I have owned lots of bows, Bears and others, but I've only hunted seriously with Bears and they have worked real well for me. I just love them, but there are lots of great bows out there and a bunch of them get and deserve the same regard from their fans. I am just really glad that mine have held up so well that I can still use them and not feel under-equipped.
                                    G.Y.

[KawTrooper]

My first laminated bow was a Bear Alaskan. Orange and black glass,  semi recurve and double (R&L) shelf. Bought used in about 1961.

[Mike Shaw]

Looks like it has all been said..So I will say ....There is just something about a Bear!    

[PAPALAPIN]

Back when I was a teenager I bought a Red Wing hunter  '63 for $32.50, and later a '64 Kodiak for $50.00.  That was stretching my budget.  In '67 I bought a Tamerlane HC 30 for $175.00.  Like all of us Ilusted over the Jack Howard Gamemaster and the Hoyt Pro Medalists but could not afford them, nor justify buying any more bows when I had decent bows for what I was doing.

Now, in my old age I can afford to collect some of those I could not afford back ten.  I just picked up an execellent '69 Hoyt Pro Medalist 6PM for $83.00 delivered.  Now that is less than it sold for brand new in '69.  On the other hand I paid $500 for a 55# '64 Kodiak in near mint condition.  If you bring inflation into play from 1964 to the present, that might be a break even deal although  you don't see too many '64 Kodiaks going that high.

The point is nostalgia and being able to afford them now has a lot to do with what I collect.  I have over 80 recurves and look on them as somewhat of an investment if the economy will ever turn around.

If you are interested in building a collectionm now is the best buying time there is.  Money is tight and the bow market is soft.  Buy 'em up now while ya can get 'em cheap.

[Chuck_Delsandro]

Up until earlier this summer I had never owned or shot a Bear bow. I decided that I would like to have one to hang on the wall, and maybe dabble with in the backyard. So I bought a 45lb 66 Kodiak off a fellow tradganger. I was impressed with it's performance both for its age and weight. I talked with a collector and he suggested I try a 65 Kodiak in a bit heavier weight. So I got myself a 54# 65 Kodiak. Dang fine shooting bow! Quiet, smooth and without hand shock. It was all down hill from that point. I don't consider myself a collector, but it is fun searhing for these bows on the internet, yard sales, etc.

BTW how many Bear bows do you have to own to be considered a collector:)