DISCUSSION: Buying/selling used bows on the auction sites

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Captainkirk
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DISCUSSION: Buying/selling used bows on the auction sites

#1 Post by Captainkirk »

Having just completed my second used bow buy on eBay, thought it might be fun to discuss the hows and whys of auction buying, what to look for or avoid, values, good or bad experiences, tips, hints, etc.
I realize not all of you are into buying off auction sites (and I fully understand!) but for those of you who are considering it or have been very successful, I thought it would make an interesting topic of discussion. What say you, men? These can be some deep and muddy waters compared to buying new or buying from a local shop where you can handle the merchandise!
Aim small, miss small!

Captainkirk
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Re: DISCUSSION: Buying/selling used bows on the auction site

#2 Post by Captainkirk »

Well, first things first; know what you are dealing with!. Many sellers either don't, or are deliberately trying to sell you something that isn't. Most common is to tell you a bow is a classic "1953 Kodiak" because that's what the patent sticker on the limb says.
Here is a helpful guide from eBay that allows you to (somewhat) figure the year of manufacture of your vintage Bear bows:

http://www.ebay.com/gds/How-To-Date-You ... 218/g.html

Please feel free to add any links or information you might have!
Aim small, miss small!

Captainkirk
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Re: DISCUSSION: Buying/selling used bows on the auction site

#3 Post by Captainkirk »

Speaking of dates and Bear bows, one of the quickest ways to narrow down an era of procuction is using the medallion Bear put in the bows. Here, borrowed from the internet, is a photo depicting the various medallion eras:
Image

There are a bunch more links regarding this topic, but rather than risk violating someone's copyright by posting it here, simply Google "how to date a bear recurve bow" and follow the links for yourself. It's imperative to be able to know what vintage your bow is in order to know how much it is worth for bidding purposes....unless you don't care, which is entirely conceivable. Vintage bows are a non-renewable resource and must be viewed as such. In the end, a bow's value is based on how badly you want it and what you are willing to pay to have it. There are a lot of used, beat up and abused bows for sale, if you find a pristine example of what you are searching for, are you really going to let it walk over a few dollars? Only you can answer that question.
Aim small, miss small!

Captainkirk
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Re: DISCUSSION: Buying/selling used bows on the auction site

#4 Post by Captainkirk »

Not wanting to get into the whole dating/value topic here, as it is a huge hole to climb into. Let's just say that before you decide to bid on it you should have a couple things straight in your mind:
1) Is it EXACTLY what you are looking for? If not, why not?
2) Do you have the date of manufacture approximated (if it matters to you) and do you know the approximate market value? (again, if that matters)
3) Have you determined, based on the above and more importantly, your budget, what the MAXIMUM price you will pay is?
I bring this up because, when I decided I would buy a Tamerlane, I realized very quickly there were some very pricey models out there. So, the one I found would have to FIT MY BUDGET, yet not be a piece of junk. And yes, there are a lot of them out there that have seen better days. So I realized I would likely have to up my budget to get a better example...I did so before continuing the search.
Aim small, miss small!

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Tradman
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Re: DISCUSSION: Buying/selling used bows on the auction site

#5 Post by Tradman »

Ebay protects the buyer pretty well.I have been buying and selling on ebay for a long time and have never had any bad issues (lucky i guess) arise from any purchase or sale.The absolute must for a buyer is to "READ THE SELLERS FEEDBACK" That is the key to it all in a nutshell.
IT'S NEVER WRONG TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT AND IT'S NEVER RIGHT TO DO WHAT'S WRONG....LOU HOLTZ

Captainkirk
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Re: DISCUSSION: Buying/selling used bows on the auction site

#6 Post by Captainkirk »

Thanks, Larry, for adding that VERY IMPORTANT POINT!!!
It's not necessarily his number of sales, but the feedback left for him by others with regard to the transactions.
Don't let getting starry-eyed over a great deal cloud (or make you ignore) your judgement!
Aim small, miss small!

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Dan
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Re: DISCUSSION: Buying/selling used bows on the auction site

#7 Post by Dan »

I've bought most of my bows on ebay. One thing that I've found is the number of a particular model of bow for sale at the time can affect the price they sell for. If you keep an eye out and are patient you can pick up very nice bows for very low prices.

Jaydogk9b
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Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2015 12:52 pm

Re: DISCUSSION: Buying/selling used bows on the auction site

#8 Post by Jaydogk9b »

Dan what do you consider low prices? My wife doesn't eat meat, so me trying to buy anything for hunting is very difficult.
Never fear a man with many wepons. Fear the man with only 1, for it is an extension of himself.

Captainkirk
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Re: DISCUSSION: Buying/selling used bows on the auction site

#9 Post by Captainkirk »

Jaydog, most Pearsons can be picked up for the $100.00 and under range unless you are going for one of the upper end models. Bears (depending on the model) are more in the $150.00-200 range and up. Most of the pristine looking ones (no holes, scratches, finish checking) are 200 and above. The really desirable ones range can stretch toward the 1000 dollar mark, but if you know what you want and shop carefully, you can generally get one with a few battle scars for around 150.
Some of the more unusual ones (Shakespeare, Damon Howatt, Wing) usually fluctuate based on what the market will bear.
If you tell me what make and model you are searching for I can narrow it down a bit!
Aim small, miss small!

Captainkirk
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Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2014 8:19 pm

Re: DISCUSSION: Buying/selling used bows on the auction site

#10 Post by Captainkirk »

As an example:
This is the K-Mag I was planning on bidding on before I changed direction and decided on a Kodiak Hunter.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/231770993901?_t ... EBIDX%3AIT

It's in VGC, no cracks, holes of other major defects (from what I can tell) It's been sitting at one bid/one price for three days now and (IMHO) is a steal at 150.00. Auction ends today at noon PST or 2pm central and if one could nab it for 170 or under I would say they got a real bargain.
But the story usually changes in the last half hour when the feeding frenzy starts.
We'll see if this one stays or climbs....
Aim small, miss small!

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