DISCUSSION: Buying/selling used bows on the auction sites

[eidsvolling]

One bit of advice I'm reluctant to share but will anyway.

Many people selling bows have no idea what they have in their hands. They list Kodiak Hunters as Kodiaks. They misspell Kodiak as "Kodiac." They list right hand bows as left hand and vice versa. They list longbows as recurves and vice versa. They list bow specs incorrectly. The errors can be maddening but are also opportunities. Errors often mean that other buyers won't find something that they're looking for, which reduces buying pressure and prices on the misidentified items. I have frequently taken advantage of these errors, just like the ambush predator that all of us aspire to be. So open your mind to these possibilities, and don't let a too-specific eBay search blind you to the prey in front of you.

[Captainkirk]

Excellent point, Charles. Always, always look at the photos and take the description with a grain of salt. Surprisingly few people actually know anything about trad archery; that's why they are selling the bow...usually an inheritance, estate sale, pawn shop trade for cash or someone 'gifted them' and they don't care. On a run-of-the-mill bow doesn't make much difference, but on an old Kodiak or Pearson, etc...if you know the rare & valuable ones, you can often score, big time.

[Longtrad]

That reminds me of those posts you will see every once in a while where someone shows some dirty old bow with a rattle can camo job they bought for dirt cheap, then they wipe off the paint to reveal something wonderful like a 59 kodiak.

[Captainkirk]

That reminds me of those posts you will see every once in a while where someone shows some dirty old bow with a rattle can camo job they bought for dirt cheap, then they wipe off the paint to reveal something wonderful like a 59 kodiak.

Right, Clay.
I could not believe that I got my Tamerlane for the price I did when comparable T-lanes were bringing $1100 and above. The seller knew what he had and knew the history of the T-lane too.
Sometimes things just fall into place. I think you scored BIG TIME on that Shakespeare you got. Once I saw a Kodiak Special on eBay that had been all painted up with rattle can paint but the guy knew what he had and pointed it out in the description.

[Captainkirk]

Anyone can bid. Winning is the hard part.

Or, not!