BowDoc - That 380 price that you mentioned may be the one I picked up several months ago. As I remember, not the best images in the auction, as it appeared to be "a little dirty". It looked a little rough as part of the surface had a lightly camoed look (non-factory). The images in the recent auction look like a much nicer bow.
BowDoc - Being the business you are in, you know better than anyone, how important CONDITION, CONDITION, and CONDITION are to us CRAZY collectors...
Seems that every year there are a couple of the pre-Grizzly Decal Bows that surface at auction.
Maybe the hard economic times and seeing one go for this much may bring more out the closets.
Bill - Don't feel bad about being #2, a couple of years ago I was #2 on a Decal Hunter in better condition than the one in my collection. Before the auction, I had always been more than happy with the one I had as it was the only "Hunter" decal that I knew to exist. But when a better one appeared on auction, I just had to bid... Of course, I was bidding against all the other bidders who who did not have one, and/or had never seen nor ever heard of one. That recipe almost always assures that the auction will have a "Train Wreck Ending".
I've been #2 in many times. I remember loosing a beautiful 3-Lam Signed Deerslayer with distincitve alternating wood colors in the handle. My 2700 bid in that auction caused a head on collision for that "Train Wreck Ending". Although I have four 3-Lam Grumleys with alternating colored handles , and several Deerslayers, I still don't have a Deerslayer with that handle variation...
But just because you loose in one of these auctions with a "Train Wreck Ending", it doesn't mean that you will never find that elusive bow you bid on...
I remember several auctions when I as the #2 bidder against the same guy who aced me out of the alternating wood color handle Deerslayer. He took me to the woodshed on a 56" Walnut Compass Kodiak for 1550. But then a few months later I picked up a 56" Walnut Kodiak from a private party for 300. Being the nice guy I am who enjoys sharing information with fellow collectors, after receiving it, I sent photographs of my 300 bow to the 1550 owner along with a thank you note for saving me 1250 at that "Train Wreck Ending"... priceless...
For me, acquiring a collectible item is just a small part of the collecting. Researching the history and development of the item through documents of the era, seeing other similar items and talking with their owners, having fun along the way, meeting other collectors, making new friends, sharing information with others, and if practical using the item for hunting, are all facets of collecting that are more enjoyable than just acquiring all the different variations the item.
Topic: Fred Bear 1940s Bush Bow (Read 1914 times)
