Author Topic: If a person wanted to sell a bow?  (Read 5000 times)

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Offline Prarie Bowyer

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If a person wanted to sell a bow?
« on: August 12, 2011, 04:47:15 am »
Just curious if anyone has tips or pointers on the best place to move the occasional bow.  I can see that I'll have a large collection soon.  Making them is as much fun as shooting them for me. 

Offline Del the cat

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Re: If a person wanted to sell a bow?
« Reply #1 on: August 12, 2011, 05:50:25 am »
I made a website, using Google sites, cost me nothing. It's not too hard as there are sample sites which you just modify by putting in your own text and pictures. :D
It gave me loads of contact with people wanting bows.
I just sell a few each year to people who really appreciate the craft.
(Click the globe symbol under my username to see my site.)
Del
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: If a person wanted to sell a bow?
« Reply #2 on: August 12, 2011, 02:52:21 pm »
I give my surplus away, it makes me feel better. I have sold 3-4 total and get the nervous shakes each time.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline Prarie Bowyer

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Re: If a person wanted to sell a bow?
« Reply #3 on: August 12, 2011, 04:28:04 pm »
@ Del~ I've been looking into that.  Definately on the to do list... unless by some miracle the demand for unemployed BA level economists goes up between now and then :laugh:  I considered attaching myself to a political campaign or party but I scored too high on the IQ entry exam. :P

I'm not certain I want to go into full operation but I like making them and only realy need 2-5 for my self.  The extra income would be useful.

Why would you get the nervous shakes?  Fear of exploding bows?  I don't trust stick bows for that reason.  I'd like one but I feel better when I can controll the wood that is used and put at least some bamboo in it.  The more research I have done the more I think Bamboo is the best allround wood for bows.  That said I'm dying to get my hands on some palm wood.

Offline Hawkeye1974

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Re: If a person wanted to sell a bow?
« Reply #4 on: August 12, 2011, 04:42:46 pm »
Gentleman please post your websites I would like look/buy one or two.
If a guy can fire 3 arrows 125 meters he not only deserves his own movie.  He deserves his own reality show!!! 

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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: If a person wanted to sell a bow?
« Reply #5 on: August 12, 2011, 05:52:31 pm »
Im a worry wart and I worry about the bow holding up, the finish holding up, the grip stitching staying put and of course just general satisfaction and so on. Its just my nature is all. I trust stick bows 100% when built correctly, try breaking a well built osage flatbow........it aint easy!
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline mullet

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Re: If a person wanted to sell a bow?
« Reply #6 on: August 12, 2011, 09:05:00 pm »
 I'd worry more about a bamboo backed bow blowing up or pulling a splinter than a stave bow. I've had some spectacular explosions over the years with boo backed bows.
Lakeland, Florida
 If you have to pull the trigger, is it really archery?

Offline Justin Snyder

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Re: If a person wanted to sell a bow?
« Reply #7 on: August 12, 2011, 09:42:23 pm »
Gentleman please post your websites I would like look/buy one or two.
Only paying advertisers are allowed to post their website. You can see a list of websites for advertisers here,
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,6543.0.html
and here.
http://www.primitivearcher.com/pages/ads/ads-list.html
Everything happens for a reason, sometimes the reason is you made a bad decision.


SW Utah

Offline Del the cat

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Re: If a person wanted to sell a bow?
« Reply #8 on: August 13, 2011, 10:56:10 am »
Hmmm, I see the globe sybol under my username has been removed.
Presumably it has been considered 'commercial'?
I'd repectfully request someone checks out my site and reviews the decision.
I have never touted for 'business' here, and I merely hand a few bows over in person to people who actually come to my door, which would exclude just about everyone on PA!
My site and specifically my Bowyers Diary are a resource for people wanting to learn about making bows, which is I believe why most of us are here.
Anyhow if my site is now persona non grata, maybe a link to my Bowyers Diary would be acceptable? As this is the main bow building resource.
http://www.bowyersdiary.blogspot.com/
Del
« Last Edit: August 13, 2011, 11:00:05 am by Del the cat »
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Offline Prarie Bowyer

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Re: If a person wanted to sell a bow?
« Reply #9 on: August 20, 2011, 05:29:21 am »
Ha ha ha "Persona Non Grata" :laugh:

I liked your site.  I'm starting to think about building a self bow or so.  I need that like a hole in the head.  No, no I'm not.  I'm sticking to my laminated bows.  I have tools and skills for that. 

Question:  What if you soaked the wood in hot water. Wrapped it in foil then heated as you do?  I'm about to do this very type of bend and I'm researching what I need to do to make it a success.  My Lyptus strikes me as light and brittle. No so dense so I pretapered the ends and will build it back up in laminations.

Offline Del the cat

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Re: If a person wanted to sell a bow?
« Reply #10 on: August 20, 2011, 06:53:14 am »
Question:  What if you soaked the wood in hot water. Wrapped it in foil then heated as you do? 
I have no idea, but I suspect that maybe it would combine the worst of both methods ;).
I use the foil to chanel the airflow over the whole area I want to bend, so I don't think the water would help. I don't know if olive oil and the other stuff people apply helps or just makes us feel better. Maybe rub it over with your wife's most expensive face cream? I should stop the wood showing any signs of ageing if we believe those TV ads ::).
It's all trial and error, and waht works for one guy doesn't necessarilly appeal to another who has different stuff lying around to use.
Del
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Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: If a person wanted to sell a bow?
« Reply #11 on: August 20, 2011, 11:53:55 am »
I sold a few bows in the past, mostly donate them to charity auctions now. The bottom line is you have to stand behind your bows, if one breaks, replace it or refund the purchaser's money, no questions asked. I give  a year warranty but have replaced a bow that was on it's second owner because I felt it was the right thing to do. 

And yes, they will break and fairly often. I got a run of bad bamboo once, every bow I made from it had a bamboo failure. I spent 6 months in my shop working feverishly to replace broken bows.

Several wood bow makers have gravitated to glass laminated bows because of the unavoidable failure rate of wood bows.

You may make one that you can shoot a lifetime but put the same bow in someone else's hands and it may break. If you make a bow for yourself, more than likely you will be the only one shooting it. Put one in someone else's hands and more than likely they will shoot it, all of their friends, cousins and distant relatives will shoot it as well. Before you know it KABOOM, and you are in the shop making a replacement.

Just a few realities of selling bows. I have never had to replace a bow I gave away(repaired a few) or donated for a charity auction.

Offline Kegan

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Re: If a person wanted to sell a bow?
« Reply #12 on: August 26, 2011, 03:13:41 am »
Online classifides on another archery site is how I usually do it. I'm with everyone else- stave bows are extremely reliable, but even they break. I sell mine for next to nothing, barely enough to make it worth it (which is why I really don't like building wooden bows upon request; sometimes you miss weight and have to start over, sometimes they break, and a LOT of time and care goes into a wooden bow- certainly more than the ~$90 I usually charge for one). As was said before, I've gravitated towards modern composites for that reason. You can build one to almost exact weight in a few days and it's less likely to break under the sorts of abuse people regularly put bows through.

That being said if you're just looking to move a few to good homes because you like making them a web site is the way to go, just be careful where you post it. Most places are like PA here, advertisers spend a lot of money to be able to promote on these sights, and moderators everywhere will be looking to protect their right to advertise.

Offline Justin Snyder

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Re: If a person wanted to sell a bow?
« Reply #13 on: August 26, 2011, 10:58:51 am »
The smaller ads for PA are extremely cheap, and the exposure you would get is super. Word of mouth from a group like this is the best advertising you can get. I would get some kind of website and pay for an ad with PA.
Everything happens for a reason, sometimes the reason is you made a bad decision.


SW Utah

Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: If a person wanted to sell a bow?
« Reply #14 on: August 26, 2011, 11:33:47 am »
Another thing, sometimes newbie bowyers see a goldmine when they start making bows and start selling them much too quickly.  I once taught a guy to make bows who sold one of his first to an unsuspecting guy who knew nothing about bows for $400. I saw the bow, it wouldn't have made a good tomato stake, the buyer didn't know how bad it was.

I made 28 bows before I sold one, a self imposed apprenticeship of sorts.  Looking back, I didn't start making bows I was really proud of until around bow#40. Between bows #28 and #39, I gave them all away.  I am up to #137 now and have given away a lot more than I have sold.

Keep a log on your bows so you know how many you made and where they went.

I had a guy come up to me at a tournament a few years ago and ask if I would drop poundage on his bow. I don't work on bows made by other people made so I asked him who made it, "you did" he said. I looked it up in my log and sure enough I had, many years previously.