Bear Little Bear

[Gator1]

I was wondering what years these were made?

I have one with a maple riser, that my daughter has out grown

Thank you

[reddogge]

They made them in the 60s with Brazilian Rosewood risers. I had one with Maple and I believe they were 70s era bows. Don't know exact dates though.

[Gator1]

Thank you.

[Wade Phillips]

The Little Bear was made from 1965 to 1984.

Originally made with different exotic wood risers.

Then later made with maple risers.

[Wade Phillips]

The Little Bears with exotic wood risers are interesting. These are the first four years from bottom 1965 to top 1968... Each with a different wood riser in the riser.

1968 Bubinga (top)
1967 Brazilian Rosewood
1966 Zebrawood
1965 Shedua (bottom)

A single year can be found with different woods in the risers as Bear used surplus wood & surplus colors of glass in producing this model bow in its early years of production.

         

In 1969, the Little Bear began its decline and became a RH/LH bow with a plastic dowel for its dual shelf.

Then later it went back to a single shelf design, then later was made with only maple risers and then later the riser shape changed slightly. The maple riser Little Bears all closely resemble each other and are not as exciting as the exotic wood risers.

[Gator1]

Those are beautiful.  Is there a market for them?

I need to get my 12!year old a next step 30 lb bow.  

She doesn't like compounds.      

She's been shooting a mad Dog since kindergarten.

[Wade Phillips]

Maple risers usually bring $50 to $100 if straight and good condition. A really unusual one might bring more. At auction, many times prices are simply unpredictable.

Have only seen Little Bears in #10 to #20 as they were advertised, but a heavier or lighter one that is factory original, might bring a premium.

With a growing 12 year old, if you want to stick with vintage Bears, you might want to look at the vintage low end take-downs. You can paint the riser to the child's color of the year, and limbs were made from light weight to adult weights which would accommodate growth. Cost would be about twice or a little more than a Little Bear.

Of course a vintage Bear Mag A Handle is higher end choice that limbs were made from your desired 30# and up (plus lower than 30# if ever needed). Plus the bow works for adults.

[Gator1]

Wade good thought in the magnesium take down riser.  

Thank you

[crazynate]

Wade you the man

[Wade Phillips]

Gator1 - Light weight limbs on an Mag A handle work great for getting beginners started or for kids who have outgrown the Little Bears. With light weight #1 limbs that are 25#, 33#, & 40# on an A riser, I have most increments covered that can not handled by the 12# to 20# Little Bears here at the Arsenal.

Little Bears are great for kids. Below is a shot from last summer with our then 3 year old grandchild on her first day at the beginner's class at the archery range. She is shooting "range arrows" out of a 1967 Little Bear with a Brazilian Rosewood Riser...

She likes to shoot, but her attention span is seldom more than two arrows before it begins to lack any focus what so ever... When there are other kids near her age around, she is more interested playing with them than anything else.

               

[Gator1]

Wade

What is the going rate for an a mag riser???

What length are they.  Great photo thank you for sharing.

[Wade Phillips]

The A Riser can make these length bows with the three lengths of limbs...
#1 Limbs - 56" bow
#2 Limbs - 58" bow
#3 Limbs - 60" bow
Just checked sales over the past few months and see most are very high, far more than I think is reasonable.

I'm used to seeing a Mag A sell for between $150 and $250. The low end for well used but not beat up and the high end for very good to excellent.

I'm not a Bear Mag collector and only have one Mag A handle just for people who visit and want to try to shoot a few arrows. I actually paid less than $50 for the one I have, which was in very poor condition when I bought it. It was so bad that it looked like it wasn't worth 50 cents. A friend of mine who likes Bear Mags & is LH, had it stripped and refinished by a local paint guy in his town who charged only $35. My friend even gave me a new RH grip as he had no use for a RH grip he had laying around. I never even had to pay postage as we crossed paths when it was handed off and picked up. I have less than $100 in the whole project and it looks almost like new except for some wear on the strike plate and shelf and a some discoloration on the latches that I have never tried to clean up (one of thousands of yet unfinished little bow projects around here). Point is if you don't want to pay a lot of money and don't care about not original finish, you can probably find a fixer upper if you look around.

             

I have accumulated several pairs of TD limbs over the years. Many I have used on original wood handles on and off for many years so finding a set of limbs for the situation is usually never a problem. Remember seeing an A, B, and C Mag handle and two pairs of limbs on the trade blanket at our Nebraska Traditional Archers Rendezvous last August that were reasonable. But did not have a use for any of them. It was a popular bow in its day, so there should still be lots of them around to find.

[mangonboat]

The prices for mag T/D risers have really jumped in the past year.

[Gator1]

Great info wade.  

Thank you

[Rick Enos]

Wade,Here is a couple of pictures of a EXP. 29# Little Bear that came from the Bear factory..I purchased this among 3-4 others that came from the reject pile at Bear archery in Grayling....in the grip erea is writen Exp..& where the arrow shelf would be is written 29L looks like not sure...Its yours if you want it....no coin -no strike plate..Don't think its ever had a finish put on it......Don't see icon for posting pic..Let me know if interested Wade.....

[Wade Phillips]

Hello Rick, You bet I am interested in the EXP Little Bear. Can't thank you enough for your generous offer. Just sent you a PM with my mailing address.

[Wade Phillips]

Originally posted by mangonboat:
The prices for mag T/D risers have really jumped in the past year.

Mangonboat - In checking the past few days, can't believe how high the mag handles are right now. Been some time since I really looked at their sales. Guess other bowmen are beginning to realize that Bear's late 1960s T/D system is still as functional and as versatile as it was over 45 years ago.

[NIGEL01]

I payed $200 for a LH riser a year ago from The Footed Shaft and it was in very poor shape with no limbs. If in good and original condition right around $450.

[Wade Phillips]

Originally posted by Rick Enos:
Wade,Here is a couple of pictures of a EXP. 29# Little Bear that came from the Bear factory..I purchased this among 3-4 others that came from the reject pile at Bear archery in Grayling....in the grip erea is writen Exp..& where the arrow shelf would be is written 29L looks like not sure...Its yours if you want it....no coin -no strike plate..Don't think its ever had a finish put on it......Don't see icon for posting pic..Let me know if interested Wade.....

Back to the original subject of this thread - Little Bears...

Rick - Thanks so much for sending the EXP Little Bear. I smoothed up the snag in the glass in the grip area, got a string on it and weighed it.

Where the strike plate would be, is written 29 1/2.

However when I put it on my scale, it weight 34# @ 24".

[Wade Phillips]

Rick -

The 29 1/2 marking on the Little Bear...

Look closely for the "2" under the 1/ as it is almost obscured by the dark smudged horizontal streak where the arrows passed across the unprotected wood of the shelf...

When I first looked at it, I thought it said 29L.

Noticed the small 2 under the 1/ only after I took a greatly enlarged closeup photograph of the poundage...