How To Date Your Fred Bear Bow

How To Date Your Fred Bear Bow

Due to the fact we have the option to market a ton of distinctive merchandise by means of our eBay Drop Off Retail store, certain factors start off to stick out that appear to be to promote really properly. One item that sticks out are the vintage BEAR Recurve Bows.

Not too long ago on an out of town journey we stopped by an antique retail outlet like we ordinarily do and saw this recurve bow in the corner. Because we were currently fairly common with how effectively bows have bought from providing them for a shopper we normally gravitated to it. It appeared to be in great situation and came with a quiver and 3 unique sets of arrows. The inquiring rate was $100.00 and we finally obtained all of it for $75.00.

Based mostly on the dating techniques listed under we identified that this was a Fred Bear Kodiak Recurve bow from 1965 in superb problem. It was a 60″ bow with a 44# pull.

Soon after we got the bow to our keep we seen that inside the massive quiver was a smaller one quiver. Based on a mild embossed marking on this scaled-down, leather-based quiver that we pulled out we ended up equipped to day it to the late 1940’s.

We decided to crack this up into 3 different auctions and started out all three at $9.99. The effects of the auctions are mentioned at the conclude of this write-up.

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Relationship YOUR FRED BEAR BOW

There are a number of characteristics and modifications that were produced to the bear bows around the decades that will enable slim the age of your bow or your potential expense.

1. The Serial Variety: These bows ordinarily have, what appears to be a hand inscription on just one of the limbs that offers a serial quantity along with the size and pull excess weight of the bow. This serial number operates very properly for courting Bear Bows from 1965-1969 when the initial digit of the serial selection is the year of manufacture.

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

Prior to 1965, the serial quantities for all Bear bows had been commenced over each and every thirty day period, building these bows virtually impossible to day by serial quantity by yourself. The “K” series of serial figures (for instance KZ9672) were being started in 1970.

2. Patent Mark: Most of the BEAR Bows we have offered have the logo and the US Patents printed on it along with the day of CANADA 1953. This day that is printed on all bows manufactured amongst 1953 and 1972 is only the day of the patent for a doing work recurve limb and has almost nothing to do with the real design yr.

3. Decals & Silkscreening: In 1948 the little Functioning Bear decal was to start with and then was replaced by the large Standing Bear decal in mid-1953. The large Standing Bear decal also has the terms “Glass Powered Bow” underneath the Standing Bear.

The massive Standing Bear decal was utilised right up until 1955 when it was changed 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 wooden (no laminations of any form) then your bow had to be produced in advance of the mass productions starting in 1949.

  • If the ALL wood bow has a stamp that reads “Bear Products and solutions” in some kind it would have been created right before the early to mid 40’s.
  • If it is stamped “Bear Archery” it would have been made Soon after the early-mid 40’s and Ahead of 1949.
  • Also wood bows with a compact “Running Bear” decal can be dated to 1948

5. The Leather Grip: ALL Bear bows experienced leather grips till 1959. In 1959, the Kodiak Unique taken out the leather-based 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 had a coin medallion of 1 type of metal or an additional. Underneath are the approx day ranges for the sort of coin utilized.

Copper Coin – 1959

Aluminum – 1960-1961

Pewter – 1962

Brass – 1963 – 1970

Nickel-Silver – 1971-1972

ALL cash were being flush with the wood till 1972. In late 1972 the coin was raised above the floor of the bow and arrived in equally gold and chrome included plastic and are still utilized in Bear bows now.

7. Producer Place: in 1978 Bear moved all producing and offices to Gainesville, Florida. If your bow reveals Gainesville on it then it was produced following 1978

8. Model Of The Bow: Verify the Model of the bow. Beneath is a yearly creation chart for the most common Bear Bows.

Wooden Tackle Get-Down 1969-1972
Wood C-Riser Victor Custom made 1973-1975

Magnesium Handle Acquire-Down A-B-C 1971-1978

Kodiak Static Recurve 1950-1953

Kodiak Recurve 1954-1966

Super Kodiak 1967-1976

Grizzly Static Recurve 1949-1957

Grizzly Recurve 1958-1978

Super 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 Unique 1955-1967

Temujin 1968-1970

Tarter 1968-1972

Victor Patriot 1973-1977

Victor 1972

Polar (recurve) 1957-1970

Alaskan (leather grip semi-recurve) 1959-1961

Alaskan (recurve) 1966-1970

Tigercat 1964-1978

Bearcat 1964-1971

Black Bear 1972-1978

Little Bear 1965-1978

With this details you should be in a position to get definitely close to courting your Bear Bow if not pin-pointing it to the calendar year.

If you are hunting to price tag your bow I would counsel 1st logging into your eBay account and do a Done Auction Look for on the standard key phrases that match your bow, i.e. Bear Grizzly Recurve and see what has sold in the previous 30 days.

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Our eBay Success: Inside 6 hrs of listing our 1965 Bear Bow by alone starting off at $9.99 it experienced currently reached $152.50 which was interesting but based mostly on our investigation not astonishing. What was shocking was that it stayed at $152.50 for the future 6 days. On the final working day with 8 minutes left it was up to $182.50 with more than 40 watchers. Ordinarily on these varieties of auctions we are likely to refresh and refresh and refresh the auction all the way to the finish to observe the bidding but we got chaotic composing a lot more listings and forgot. When we did bear in mind to go back again and examine the auction it was around and experienced finished at $282.55

The other 2 auctions for the quivers and arrows marketed for a complete of $80.00. So our first $75.00 Investment at an antique store ended in $362.55 in revenue. That was nearly a $300.00 earnings (minus gasoline and eBay fees of study course).