Trading in Bow?
 

How many of you guys or gals do this versus selling it yourself or just keeping the old bow as your back-up? I've been seriously considering buying a new Diamond Outlaw set-up from the local pro shop. Lots of good bows out there I know but I like the way it feels and shoots and the price - $500, everything included. I'm bringing in my six year old Parker Buckhunter that I started bowhunting with next week to have them look at it for a possible trade in but I'm thinking for what I get for it in all likelihood, I might as well just keep it as a second bow. Any advice or input is much appreciated. Thanks.

Pretty much any time you trade anything in you get the short end. They are not going to give you full price because they in turn are going to turn around and sell it. If you trade it in you are doing so for convenience so you don't have to worry with the sale but you will come out on the short in most times.

I dont worry with a back up bow unless I was going on a trip somewhere. For the most part you can get your main bow fixed fast unless something catastrophic happened to it. Plus I doubt you would shoot it much and keep the string changed and such so that it would be ready on a moments notice. I mean really, just how many people do you see using their back up bow?

Id keep it. Considering the beating you'll probably take, You never know when a family member or close friend might need it. Thats how i got my first bow, and after years of gun hunting and gun collecting, i wasnt sure if bowhunting would be the thing for me. Well, no one bothered to tell me that bowhunting was ADDICTIVE!!! half the time i dont even use a gun anymore, and it all began cause my brother-in-la gave me his old (2 yr old) bow.

As a Pro Shop owner, I try not to take them in on trade. I first try and get them to see the benefit of having a back up bow. If they still insist I will consign it for them. It's hard to take one for trade, the mark up on bows isn't all that great. Selling used bows isn't always that easy, so I try and stay away from them.

I may be different
 

Any bow I've owned for four year of use, I considered as totally depreciated(my cost went to zero) and of greater use, to me, as a backup.
(I've got one old bow with one fixed draw length and an overlarge fixed grip, that will fit one in a thousand archers. Kind of knew it would remain with me)

And buying a new bow isn't getting any cheaper. You pay what the market wants; not what you want. For that reason, I take real good care of my main bow and backup, to extend out their use. When I buy a bow, in my mind, it's at least for four years, and I'm not prepared to leave it in the closet, over that period.

I've noticed over the years, stuff of people's winding up taking up space in the closets and garages.

WOW.... for a 6 year old bow that was cheap and unpopular in the first place.... I'm sure you'll be insulted when they offer ya $50 and honestly they would be hard pressed to sell it to ANYONE!

For decent trade-ins you need to be talking of top end models and then the best way to do business is to upgrade and trade-in EVERY season so as not to lose much. For example, buy a top shelf rig now for $1,000 and trade off each Spring from around $600.... this will allow you to shoot the best bows in the industry eacch season for only $400.

As it is now, the unpopular Diamond will be tough to resale the minute you walk out the door so trade-in will most certainly be a slap in the face this time next year. LOL!

Good luck

Well I guess now I know my cheap and unpopular bow won't bring a dime, which is what I was sort of asking to find out anyway. Since I'm fairly new to bowhunting and not as knowledgeable as some others, that's why I was asking. I was interested in the experiences of those who have sold bows. I didn't think I'd get much if anything because I know the bow is entry level, but was simply looking for some insight. My current bow has been good enough to help me kill 8 deer in those six years. And so will my cheap and unpopular Diamond when I buy that. Thx guys! BTW, though Parker bows are cheap and unpopular apparently, I've always had nothing but good experiences with the company and its products.

Not to upset IL-Cornfed,but I have a Parker Bow and like it. I have the Buck hunter, sure it was an entry level bow but it fit's me. I had a very small issue with it and the Person I delt with at Parker sent me the part for free and I was able to get it repaired. this Bow shoots very well and I see no need to change it out. Besides, Bow hunting equipment is getting too pricey. Nothing wrong with innovating new equipment to make the better mousetrap but we all killed deer years ago and still killing deer with the same equipment.

CVG Ohio

I agree CVG my old Matthews FX I bought for 250.00 kills em dead with no problem if I do my part and hit em where it counts. My Brother in Law just droped 1,150 on a Matthews Z7 when he had a year or two old Parker that was a super nice Bow. He just had to have one I guess.

Nobody is saying the cheaper bows don't work - just that they are worth about nothing used - especially for trade in.