Uhhh...What Chad said
You can go to ebay and find a lot of good old recurves. An old Browning Mach I just went for about $55. It needed refinishing but it' s a good price for a good bow that needs minimum repair. I' ve also seen old Bears go for $70-$100. Some go over that too. But you could easily find an old Bear recurve for $150 or less. That sure beats payin $200 or $300 and finding out you don' t like it. Another site is
www.women-outdoors.com/traditional There are some used bows up there people are trying to sell and such. There are some of the old Bears, Persons and such, as well as some used cutoms that people are looking to sell. Those would be good places to look if you don' t know anyone who has a recurve/longbow. Then after you get a bow and you have the specifics Chad might be able to help you with other things. Just don' t mention the words " Chek-Mate" or " Crusader" or the place will come alive! lol
Brandan