Did I screw up?

[quiksilver]

About a month ago, I ran across (what I now believe) was the dealthat will probably only come along once ina lifetime - but I passed it up.

Totally random, I was at the hockey rink standing up against the glass, and struck up a conversation with a totally random guy. Somehow, conversation turned to cleaning out household junk, and this guy starts telling me about how he can't let go of things.

Long story short: I guess his wife made him clean out his garage- and he took a whole load of junk to Goodwill. One item being "an oldbow that he won a long time ago."

So, naturally - I say "what KIND of bow?"

Bear Whitetail Hunter.

Hmm... "In good shape?"

"Still in the box. Never fired. Right-handed bow, I'm lefty. And I don't hunt anyway."

It was the whole kit. With armguard, arrows, quiver, sights - the whole bit. I bet the plastic armguard still had that "new rubber" smell... Never even assembled. A virgin.

So, I call Goodwill - and they still have it. Score. Price: $100. Ouch.I haggled them down to $90, but she wouldn't budge any further. I wanted it for $75 (I'm a huge tightwad). So I passed, and nowit's gone.

$90 is a lot to blow on a bow that you never intend on firing... But that was a piece of archery history - and I let it slip right through my hockey gloves. [>:]

Seriously - that was a FRED BEAR WHITETAIL HUNTER - and it was STILL IN THE BOX! I could've had its virginity. Really, you don't have many chances in life to pop the cherry of a 20+ year old bow. Especially one with that kind of history.

But on the other hand, I didn't wanna be "that guy." You know - the closet case who has a house-full of G.I. Joes and Transformers still in the packaging, because "they're gonna be worth a lot of money someday." Besides, my wife may have physically assaulted me if I went to play hockey and came home with another damn bow.

[kickin_buck]

I have one that I use for bow fishing. In fact, I think my buddy has 4 or 5. We see them for sale all the time for around $25. We keep a couple of them a year. When strings start going bad, you just pick up a different one and keep going. Or in my case, you never know when one is going to fall off the boat and end up at the bottom of the river.

[buttonbuckmaster]

I know its a historic bow and all, but I think you were ok missing out on that one IMO.

[mez]

You want a keepsake from the Bear company get a mint recurve. Just follow the prices year to year.They are a good investment if that is how you are looking at it.

[HuntingBry]

Here is what I came away with from that story...
































You have a wife??? God bless that woman.

[Splitear_Leland]

I refused to vote in this poll, but still did. What's up with that?

[SwampCollie]

I look at it like this... from a user standpoint.... its no loss... its old technology and you can buy them on ebay dirt cheap all day long.

From an investment standpoint... I'd have to say that you might have screwed up... of course its too early to tell. But I will say that I learned in the firearms business that there is an ass for every seat.... and sometimes you just gotta find the right idiot. Think about what plain jane Winchester 94's in 30-30 were going for in February/March of 2006 right after the Winchester plant closed down? Guns that sold new for $400 were suddenly commanding $800-900 and people were buying them as fast as they could write checks. Who would have thought that the plastic toys of Luke Skywalker and X-Wing fighters (to keep with the sudden star wars theme on HNI) we got in our happy meals as kids would sell in original package for often as much as a top of the line top name bow with all the trimmings?

As it was put already... if you want to invest in a bow, the Greyling made Fred Bear recurves are a much better investment, and to me, a much bigger part of archery history. I'd love to have one of his early bows backed with aluminum from the B-17 bombers... thats just cool.

[Hunter Dan7]

ORIGINAL: Splitear_Leland

I refused to vote in this poll, but still did. What's up with that?

me too

[Hoytail Hunter]

I voted "you definitely screwed up" for the record, but to make you feel better, I'll say that you didn't screw upbecause the bow is useless anyway. And besides who wants a 20 year old bow that nobody even bothered to take out of the packaging? It must've really sucked for that to happen right?

Seriously, it depends on how much of a collector's item you felt it was.It obviously bothered you enough to post about it so it carries some value to you. At the same time, you obviously didn't buy it because that value wasn't enough to tip the scale at the time.

"The first impression is usually the right impression." My impression though, would've been to buy it just soI'd have a mint piece of history.

My post didn't help you any did it? Well buddy, you waste my time, I waste yours. LOL Jk. Don't feel too bad. I think you made the right decision for you.

[magicman54494]

was it by any chance leaning up against that old corvette? You know, that old chevy just siiting in the garage collecting dust that he would get rid of for $500.