What's With the SKY HIGH Prices??

[LYONEL]

"Snipershot 317"
I love your attitude!

[Kevin Dill]

It's all relative.

I once knew a guy who had next to nothing for money. He showed up one day with a very custom Paul Schafer Silvertip...a real beauty back in the day. This guy was making 40% of what an average blue collar guy earns, and he bought a Schafer! I saw him many weeks later, and he told me he was deer hunting 6 days a week. I asked him about his job, and this is what he said:

"Oh I quit that a few weeks ago. I got an expensive recurve and now all I'm gonna do is hunt"!

[r-man]

In 1979 I thought paying 100$ for a bow was alot, now WoW.

[PaulDeadringer]

A little over a year ago I bought my 1st recurve and since then I've picked up older and newer bears at reasonable prices, thinking I wanted to collect and shoot these bows. But I always found myself looking at custom bow websites wanting one. So I've decided to sale most of my bows until I have the money for THE BOW I want. I also think the prices are justifiable as long as the work is top notch, as I am also in business where I name my price and sometimes people think I'm expensive, but those that pay for my services never complain afterwards. I'd think custom bowyers are the same way.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Take a look at Big Foot Bows Nala. i can build something that fits you to a Tee for $650- $750.. Kirk

[Mudd]

Nala

I see a lot of folks that are truly in love with their bows and shoot them as if they were an extension of themselves. I guess in many ways they are, since these bows were made by them.

Check out the Bowyers Bench forum here and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about.

Selfbows can be very much works of art that shoot as well as any bow on the market or look more like the ones I used to build....a stick and a string. My stick and string got the job done.

The cost in dollars was way less but the personal invest was higher.

Please don't miss understand, if you want a custom bow..then find it and "go for it" but if it's something else that's driving you.. figure it out, then make a plan that'll get you where you want to be.

Good luck in your search!!

God bless,Mudd

[paoliguy]

I think snypershot is on the right track. Shoot what you have and apprieciate what you've got. If I'm having fun I don't feel the need to look at the sticker. I got into Tead to avoid the whole "I gotta have the latest most flashy things" attitude.

I don't begrudge anyone with a nicer, more expensive bow than me. Nor do I feel embarassed to shoot with guys that do. Cool thing about trad, I've never felt snubbed by the guys with far better equipment and / or skills than me (unlike my compound days). We all have our own paths, we should just enjoy them I think.

[D. Key]

I've got a fantastic one piece 50's style custom recurve on the classified for $475.00 (60" and 47# @ 28").  It is in brand new condition and I will guarantee it's quality and shootability.

[Jeff Strubberg]

Welcome to the wonderful world of inflation, also known as "I want a raise every year, too!".

I sat at a stoplight yesterday with a Ford pickup that still had the dealer sticker on the window.  The sale price at the bottom was $61,000.  For a pickup.  A white pickup.  I didn't pay that for my first few houses.

[Mike Falkner]

I have a custom bow, for which I paid $400 (from a friend) about 8 years ago.  Well worth the money.  But these days I'm making meat with a used Bear off the classifieds that I got for $150.  The feel of this bow is so perfect I just keep shooting it and leave my "good" bow on the pegs.

[SactoBowman]

Nala,

If you like Hill bows, check the classified section.  I just sold my almost new HH Big 5 to a Tradganger for $400 shipped.

I guarantee you that you couldn't tell the difference between my old bow and a new one from HH.

I guess my point is there are a lot of bows for sale here that even though its used, looks like brand new.

Btw, I bought a new ACS 3 piece TD and sold it here for a lot less than $1300.

So keep your eyes open and you'll find some really nice bows at very reasonable prices.

Good luck!

[LongStick64]

Trust me you do not need to spend 1500 on a Hill bow. Not even close. I bought this year a new Northern Mist Retro Classic longbow that was half that price. Is it an ACS, nope, but it is everything i would want in a Hill bow. You need to consider how much effort and the material costs included, also the presicion they are made with. Everyones costs have gone way up, and those costs need to be covered in order for the business to continue. You might also ask if they have demo models at lower prices. And if you really have done your homework you must of overlooked Dan Toelke and what he offers.

[kat]

These price threads appear regularly.

There are custom bows out there in the $1200. and up range, and they are selling. If someone has the means, and wants one, so be it.
There is no doubt that with the work that goes into these bows, that the bowyers are not getting rich.

There are many great bows that are more in the range of half of that amount brand new also.

A less expensive bow will shoot and kill just as good as a more expensive bow, therefore it is simply a matter of choice for those who can afford it.

Shoot what you have or want and be greatful for the time you can spend in the woods. Isn't that what it is all about?

[centaur]

Brand new bows from Howard Hill Archery start around $575. The last one I got was a t/d Cheetah, and I think it was $725 brand new, to my specs.
Bows like that no longer cost $200, but this isn't the 1980s, either.  As has been stated, there are lots of really nice bows here on the classifieds for a lot less than $1000. Plenty of real bargains there if you can find bows that fit your specs and desires.

[joe ashton]

Hi  On the lighter side I have two quotes.
1. "This is America, you can have anything you want, just not everything you want."
2. A friend bought a new Mercedes and I said,  "I'd love to have one of those."  And he said "You can, you just can't have anything else."
Now I know these quotes want lower the prices of the newest bows but.... once you've decided you gotta have something you will find a way.
Joe
ps. 7 days, 21 hours until elk season

[Cold Weather]

if your attitude is you will never be able to afford a 1K bow you likely never will.

everyone starts somewhere-and with education/training one can get a better paying job.

lots of info out there on higher income careers-and what it takes to qualify for one.

The Bear bows in my view represent an excellent value for the dollar and shoot very well.  Plus if you see a bow you like-you can save-or get a 2nd job to help pay for it.  As well, a number of bowyers have waits-and you can make installments.

And if you think bows or guns expensive-try watches!

ones I like are not cheap.

[Crash]

Those things we want to do, we find a way.  Those things we don't want to do, we find an excuse.

Are they expensive, maybe, all depends on your perspective.  I have paid $1,300 for a bow but there is no way I will pay $150 for a pair of jeans, just seems ridiculous to me for jeans to cost that much.  Other people probably say it's stupid to pay that for a bow when I could have bought several pair of those jeans with that money.  It's all relative.  

True happiness is not having what you want but wanting what you have.

[johnnyk71]

got a good buddy who builds bows, and he says he could never buy a custom bow now (his bows are very nice). i, myself, haven't been bitten by the building bug, but i've gotten some good deals in the classifieds. i've also dropped some big coin on new ones.

i think used is the best value out there. i have seen some REALLY nice bows go for close to half-price on the classifieds.

[Day Dreamer]

I love my custom recurve. If I could do it all over again, I wouldn't have paid full price. I would have bought used.

That said, I purchased a great northern critter gitter special jackknife in mint cond for 500.

[frassettor]