How To Day Your Fred Bear Bow

Since we have the opportunity to offer a great deal of distinct merchandise through our eBay Fall Off Store, certain matters get started to stick out that feel to sell exceptionally well. One particular product that sticks out are the vintage BEAR Recurve Bows.

Not too long ago on an out of city vacation we stopped by an antique shop like we commonly do and observed this recurve bow in the corner. Given that we ended up by now relatively acquainted with how effectively bows have marketed from advertising them for a client we by natural means gravitated to it. It seemed to be in fantastic problem and came with a quiver and 3 different sets of arrows. The asking price tag was $100.00 and we finally got all of it for $75.00.

Primarily based on the courting procedures listed beneath we established that this was a Fred Bear Kodiak Recurve bow from 1965 in outstanding ailment. It was a 60″ bow with a 44# pull.

After we bought the bow to our retailer we found that inside of the significant quiver was a smaller sized solitary quiver. Based mostly on a light embossed marking on this lesser, leather quiver that we pulled out we were ready to date it to the late 1940’s.

We resolved to crack this up into 3 distinct auctions and began all a few at $9.99. The results of the auctions are outlined at the end of this post.

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Courting YOUR FRED BEAR BOW

There are numerous attributes and changes that were produced to the bear bows about the a long time that will assist slender the age of your bow or your opportunity investment decision.

1. The Serial Amount: These bows typically have, what seems to be a hand inscription on just one of the limbs that presents a serial amount together with the size and pull bodyweight of the bow. This serial number is effective very very well for dating Bear Bows from 1965-1969 when the 1st digit of the serial range is the year of manufacture.

For example, a serial variety of 5L212 would be a 1965 Bow.

Prior to 1965, the serial numbers for all Bear bows ended up started above each thirty day period, producing these bows almost unattainable to date by serial variety by yourself. The “K” sequence of serial figures (for case in point KZ9672) have been started off in 1970.

2. Patent Mark: Most of the BEAR Bows we have marketed have the logo and the US Patents printed on it together with the day of CANADA 1953. This date that is printed on all bows produced involving 1953 and 1972 is just the day of the patent for a functioning recurve limb and has absolutely nothing to do with the actual design year.

3. Decals & Silkscreening: In 1948 the tiny Jogging Bear decal was 1st and then was replaced by the large Standing Bear decal in mid-1953. The massive Standing Bear decal also has the phrases “Glass Run Bow” below the Standing Bear.

The big Standing Bear decal was made use of until 1955 when it was replaced with silk-screening the identification on the bows. By 1956 the silk-screening appeared on all bows.

4. All Wooden vs Laminate: If your bow is ALL wood (no laminations of any sort) then your bow experienced to be produced ahead of the mass productions starting in 1949.

• If the ALL wooden bow has a stamp that reads “Bear Merchandise” in some sort it would have been designed right before the early to mid 40’s.
• If it is stamped “Bear Archery” it would have been manufactured Just after the early-mid 40’s and Ahead of 1949.
• Also wooden bows with a small “Managing Bear” decal can be dated to 1948

5. The Leather-based Grip: ALL Bear bows had leather-based grips until finally 1959. In 1959, the Kodiak Distinctive eliminated the leather grip and in 1961 the Kodiak did the exact, as nicely as the Grizzly in 1964.

6. The Coin Medallion: Commencing in 1959 all Bear bows experienced a coin medallion of a person form of steel or a different. Beneath are the approx day ranges for the variety of coin applied.

Copper Coin – 1959

Aluminum – 1960-1961

Pewter – 1962

Brass – 1963 – 1970

Nickel-Silver – 1971-1972

ALL coins were flush with the wooden until 1972. In late 1972 the coin was raised above the surface area of the bow and came in the two gold and chrome lined plastic and are continue to utilized in Bear bows nowadays.

7. Manufacturer Place: in 1978 Bear moved all producing and places of work to Gainesville, Florida. If your bow shows Gainesville on it then it was built just after 1978

8. Model Of The Bow: Check out the Product of the bow. Beneath is a yearly output chart for the most preferred Bear Bows.

Wood Cope with Choose-Down 1969-1972
Wooden C-Riser Victor Custom made 1973-1975

Magnesium Manage Just take-Down A-B-C 1971-1978

Kodiak Static Recurve 1950-1953

Kodiak Recurve 1954-1966

Tremendous Kodiak 1967-1976

Grizzly Static Recurve 1949-1957

Grizzly Recurve 1958-1978

Tremendous Magnum 48 1966-1976

Kodiak Magnum 52″ 1961-1977

Kodiak Hunter 58″ and 60″ 1967-1977

Tamerlane 1962-1968

Tamerlane HC-30 1965-1967

Tamerlane HC-300 1968-1972

Kodiak Special 1955-1967

Temujin 1968-1970

Tarter 1968-1972

Victor Patriot 1973-1977

Victor 1972

Polar (recurve) 1957-1970

Alaskan (leather-based grip semi-recurve) 1959-1961

Alaskan (recurve) 1966-1970

Tigercat 1964-1978

Bearcat 1964-1971

Black Bear 1972-1978

Tiny Bear 1965-1978

With this data you must be able to get definitely near to dating your Bear Bow if not pin-pointing it to the 12 months.

If you are seeking to cost your bow I would suggest initially logging into your eBay account and do a Finished Auction Lookup on the general key terms that match your bow, i.e. Bear Grizzly Recurve and see what has offered in the earlier 30 days.

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Our eBay Outcomes: Inside of 6 hrs of listing our 1965 Bear Bow by alone starting up at $9.99 it had currently arrived at $152.50 which was remarkable but primarily based on our investigate not stunning. What was surprising was that it stayed at $152.50 for the following 6 days. On the past day with 8 minutes remaining it was up to $182.50 with over 40 watchers. Normally on these styles of auctions we are likely to refresh and refresh and refresh the auction all the way to the finish to look at the bidding but we received hectic composing much more listings and forgot. When we did bear in mind to go back again and look at the auction it was over and experienced ended at $282.55

The other 2 auctions for the quivers and arrows offered for a whole of $80.00. So our original $75.00 Financial investment at an antique retailer ended in $362.55 in income. That was almost a $300.00 financial gain (minus fuel and eBay service fees of training course).