What's With the SKY HIGH Prices??

[WESTBROOK]

What's With the SKY HIGH Prices??

Take a look around Dude! It aint just bows...Been shopping for anything lately??

The folks that build the bows live in the same overpriced world we do.

[Kevin Dill]

For anyone interested: There is a very pretty Windauer Schafer TD Recurve listed on a certain auction site. The starting bid is $600, and they haven't received one bid on it yet.

[jsweka]

I just got my latest issue of Traditional Bowhunter today.  There's a short article towards the end by Doug Humphreys discussing this exact topic.  His point is that you don't need that $1000 bow and one for a few hundred will shoot just as well.  I totally agree with him.

Having said that, I can certainly understand why custom bowyers charge what they do.  It's simple math...cost of materials (exotic woods are expensive), equipment, the 11% federal excise tax (which is a good thin for wildlife conservation), advertising costs, cost to travel to shows, liability insurance, cost for their own health insurance if they aren't covered by a spouse, etc., etc.  There sure aren't any rich bowyers out there and I honestly don't know how they can make a living at it without a spouse with a decent income or a pension from a previous career.

I build my own and will NEVER buy another bow.  I'd love to do it for a living, but my kids would starve, so I think I'll keep my day job.

Just buy what you can afford or are willing to spend on a bow, enjoy it, and be proud of it.  Besides, you have to be one heck of a shot to be able to really say a $300 bow is not letting you shoot as well as you could.

[sexymanluack]

SO VERY TRUE WESTBROOK..!!

[flinthead]

I have bought and traded about 30 bows the last 4 years.All were used and most I sold for about what I paid for them. Have 3 bows that I bought limbs pretty cheap[Hummingbird, Robertson, Dye] and made risers for these limbs. The bows shoot great and I do not mind checkering the grips on my risers. The real magic in bow making is the limbs. The riser is just a handle. Had a original riser for a model on each project. Each has been fun and beats paying 650.00 for a new riser. Just a few options for not paying a fortune for a bow. Also most bowyers make a working mans bow that does not have expensive woods-and shoot the same at much less cost. One opinion, Thanks, Roy

[David Mitchell]

Steve Turay told me that a bow maker once told him that he had discovered how to make a small fortune in the bow making business....first you begin with a large fortune....    

[LimBender]

I think bowyers work hard for what they get, especially making them 1 at a time to your specs.  It isn't a CNC compound bow where 10s of thousands are spit out.  They have shops, inventory, equipment, shipping, electricity, insurance, shows, advertisement, dealing with returns, and the list goes on (as with any business), all for how many bows a year?

The market is efficient.  There actually seem to be more and more great new bows in the $500 to $1000 range.  

In almost any hobby (or product), the mid and upper midlevel stuff is usually reasonable and worth the extra money over the cheap stuff (if you can afford it), but usually that little extra custom or top of the line stuff is gonna cost you, and there is a market for it.  

If you want that expensive bow, save, sell stuff, be patient, and buy it, or just buy a used one now.

[petalumapete]

Funny as I was reading this post I was thinking of Kirk. This man builds a world class bow. If he built you a bow you would be more than thrilled I guarantee it.

I shoot one of his bows. Love it. It is by far the fastest, flattest shooting bow I have seen. It's not just my opinion I can go to any shoot and be stopped at least three times by guys wanting to know who made the bow.
Give Kirk a call I know you will be surprised.

PS warning if Kirk gets you on the phone you will get information overload. He not only makes a good looking bow he test the heck out of them.

[Caughtandhobble]

Just my 2 cents... The best money that I have ever spent in traditional archery was not for any bow. The best bang for my buck was learning how to shoot any bow properly, thanks Mr Jenkins!

[Nala]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

All of the bows I own or have owned in the last 5 years have all been bought USED from the Classifieds.  Right now I own a Barta LB and a 1971 Grizzly.  The Barta was found here and the Grizzly was from **** as it was a gift from my family for XMAS.

I am in no way against or opposed to too good to buy a USED bow.  I look in the Classifieds all the time.

I'd still like to have a Bear TD and I'll get one someday.  I also want a Hill style and I know there are LOADS of great choices for $500 or so, NEW.
Some of the other bows I thought I would love to have are probably going to fall by the wayside in favor of others that are less expensive.  I would rather buy 2 really nice USED bows that I want than 1 brand new one.

Just something about that Bear TD that pulls me in.  I've wanted one for a long time, probably over 10 years.  I got my first TRAD bow in the mid 1990's, it was a Great Northern Critter Getter.  It was my one and only bow I bought new from the maker.  It was one he had on the shelf, not custom made for me.
After that I went into a tiny shop in my hometown that the owner only was open as a hobby.  It was a rats nest, he only sold a few bows a year and Bear was one of his lines.  He only sold compound stuff but when I was there I seen a catalog for Bear TRAD stuff and secretly swooped in on it and took it.  I nearly wore the pages out of that thing looking at the bows, especially the TD.  From then on I have wanted one.

I know there are MANY fine bowyers out there that put out terrific bows for much less money than what I was talking about.  I'm gonna start checking a lot of them out and see what they have.  I also love the Bigfoot bows.

So, I would reckon that my next bow will also be a USED bow or a Hill style BLANK from 7 Lakes.  Who knows though.  I may see something for sale here that I can't live without or it's a great deal and I have to have it.
Right now the only bow I had on my list that I STILL really want is a BEAR TD.  USED or NEW, I'll figure out a way to get one....someday.


Nalajr

[bowhuntingrn]

I'm looking forward to my first truly custom bow...don't know what it will be yet. Every time I think I've decided how to spend that money, I see / shoot something else that piques my interest. When I finally decide, I'll spend what it costs to get it, one way or another. However, I had someone tell me many years ago, "it has less to do with the bow, and more to do with the Indian behind it". I've found these words to be very true time and time again and not just in archery.

[ishoot4thrills]

Originally posted by Nala:
........He only sold compound stuff but when I was there I seen a catalog for Bear TRAD stuff and secretly swooped in on it and took it......

Took it, as in stole it??

   :eek:        

[ripforce56]

Its all in 'what you want to spend" on anything, I love coffee plain black, but I see people spend  $9.00 for  basically coffee with a bunch stuff in it! Same with motorcycles if you want a new Harley its gonna cost you, but there are many other less expensive options for bikes! same can be said for anything, BMW cars are nice but my Civic (paid off) gets me where I want to go! As stated there are many great bow builders who have reasonable prices and many great used ones, any bow is great if you learn to shoot it well.  Its all about how much $$$$ you want to spend! Have fun its only money!

[Cyclic-Rivers]

You have to stop shopping for Mazzaratis, ferraris, jaguars and such when all you can afford is a Honda.

Nothing wrong with a Honda, still will get you where you need to go.  95% of us do not drive fancy cars. just food for thought anyhow.

[Justin Falon]

I've got 5 old custom made bows. Will likely never buy another one. Too expensive. Tired of getting robbed. Make my own bows now. They work for me. Takes time. To each their own.

justin

[Kris]

I'm thankful everyday there are companies and individual bowyers making high end bows!  Aren't we lucky?  The bows they make are worth every cent and I can assure you they are not making a killing either.

Having said that, I mostly buy used custom bows anymore...but that is still creating a market.   I have ordered my fair share of new custom bows and know the excitement associated with that.  Now I prefer seeing and shooting the bow I choose to buy.  

Re: your dilemma, I own two ACS 3 piece longbows and didn't pay more than $650 for either of them.  Peruse the Used Bow forum right here on TG.  You can get into a very nice ACS CX LB for same or better.    

Ultimately I would like to be "man enough" to shoot my selfbows exclusively.  I was re-reading (100th time) my Bowyers Bibles books last night and always find a deep connection with the words and pics on those pages, especially anything written by Tim Baker.  That's where it's at IMO!

Aside from that, I'd happily use any "garage sale" recurve to shoot the fattest buck WI has to offer!

Good luck with your your acquisitions!

Kris

[atatarpm]

One of the best bows I've ever bought was a two-houndred dollar bryan furgasson bow used from another trad-gang member here and you can still buy the same bow from his son Zack coustom built for your hand for around 550$. And they are some of thee best bows. Just look in the right places with the right people. A fellow Texan

[atatarpm]

One of the best bows I've ever bought was a two-houndred dollar bryan furgasson bow used from another trad-gang member here and you can still buy the same bow from his son Zack coustom built for your hand for around 550$. And they are some of thee best bows. Just look in the right places with the right people. A fellow Texan

[halfseminole]

I have no disposable income at all (being on fixed income) but I bartered for the bow being made for me.  I craft powder horns, and one customized for its owner made by a tribally recognized Seminole was apparently a good swap for a custom bow.  All American woods (which suits me just fine, red dirt runs in my veins I swear) instead of super-expensive exotics but the important thing to me is that I used what I had available to me to get it-I don't have $100 to spend on a bow, but I'm really good with my hands and I have a lot of time to work with my heart messed up.  I also make some of my own bows-even if I'm not as good as some of the pros on here, I did it myself to fit me and there's no feeling like that.

Broke?  I'm there with you, but I'm not gonna get upset about it, I'm gonna work smarter.  I thank God that I can still work a little like this to keep me in equipment for the winter.  And I thank Him equally for people who still barter because they make sure I can still participate in trad archery because it is extremely expensive for fixed income otherwise.  

I built custom bespoke computers for various purposes for years.  I cost a lot of money, but I cost less than ordering it from a big box company.  I did what the market forced me to do, and these bowyers do as well.  If I ever get the chance to have another made I'll take it, but as I can't do it now I pray they have enough business to keep them doing it until I have a chance to get one.

Being broke is no fun, but it just means you have to get creative.

[curlis]

Check out Legends bows from California. Great bows, exceptional people to deal with. You will thank yourself!