My first Bear was a polar - that was in 1966. I would gues it to have been a 50's model. It was 38# so I graduted up (traded) for a Bear Kodiak Magnum of 48" so I could hunt. It delaminated about 10 years later.
I now wish that I had never sold a bow (or gun) that I ever had. They just don't make them like they used to - in many cases they don't make them at all.
Bear bows are still available, but overpriced in my book. I also buy them to shoot, not to hang on walls, so I go for functionality not collector value.