Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Weylin on May 31, 2011, 01:30:48 am
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Does anyone have experience buying staves on ebay or other online means where you don't know the seller and you can't put your hands on the product? I'd like some advice on whether it is a good/bad idea, things to watch out for and such.
thanks
Weylin
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Ask for pictures of every possible angle, back, belly, growth rings (close ups), and make sure that the pics you recieve is the exact stave that your going to get. Ask lots of questions and if anything seems fishy, don't buy it.
Be sure to use paypal if your buying off of ebay so you have buyer's protection.
I have been selling staves for over a year now and most of my payments come in the form of money orders and haven't had a glitch as of yet, but I don't use ebay at all. Not trying to make a sale here or anything, just letting you know the experience I'm speaking from.
I would honestly look around on other trad archery websites and buy from sponsors on those sites before I trusted someone on ebay that may or may not even know anything about the wood they are selling. Just because they can drop it, split it, and list it doesn't mean they know all that much about it. Or try to make it to one of the many trad functions like MOJAM where you can hand pick your own and actually talk to the seller face to face would be the best case scenerio.
Food for thought. That's my 2 cents.
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Hit or miss on bay. I got some good stuff, and bad stuff. All you can do is study the pictures, and even still, they make the rings look bigger than they are.
Best stuff I have ever got has been from Mike McGuire. Too bad, I heard many got the shaft from him lately. Hopefully, he will come back strong. He usually has some good stuff.
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I saw the same post on TG about that guy and while I don't know him personally nor have I ever bought from him, I don't approve of the way the transactions were conducted. I don't wanna open up a can of worms over here, but if anybody asks you to send a deposit on some staves they don't have that should throw up a red flag.
I would never ask for money on wood that isn't in my possesion and if I send pics of a stave and tell you that's your stave, you can bet your gonads that IS the stave you will get.
Again, just my .02 cents worth.
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Thanks for the advice guys. I'm leery about buying anything off of ebay but especially so about something as finicky as a bow stave. I'd love to get my hands on some good osage orange becuase last time I checked it was growing pretty sparse in Oregon. ;D But I'm not a rich guy and I can't drop anymore serious money on bow wood. That's why the ebay idea appealed to me; it seemed like there were some good deals on there for osage staves. But good deals or not I dont want to waste my money on junk.
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I have also wondered about ebay sometimes, cause sometimes I see some real nice straight staves for only round 10 bucks, but I just don't think I could chance it. Even if it's 30 altogether with shipping, 30 bucks is alot to me to waste anymore if it don't turn out usable, or I gotta heat straighten it, which ain't that big of a deal, just annoying. I don't really have trouble cuttin my own wood anyway though.
"I would honestly look around on other trad archery websites and buy from sponsors on those sites before I trusted someone on ebay that may or may not even know anything about the wood they are selling."
I agree. I would buy from SEMO anytime before ebay. Or anyone on these forums or paleoplanet before ebay. But those deals are sometimes hard to ignore, especially when theres cheap pieces of yew,... very tempting... >:D >:D >:D
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I have never had a problem one...off of eBay....when I get off of work...I will PM you the names of a couple that I have bought numerous staves from with out a hitch....
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Best stuff I have ever got has been from Mike McGuire. Too bad, I heard many got the shaft from him lately.
I have ALWAYS gotten good wood from Mike. I just got tired of waiting 6-8 wks after he cashed my check before he sent anything.
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try mike at pine hollow longbows, he sells staves and boards and billets, and I've never heard a bad word about him, Bub
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Kerryb always has some good wood and he is great to deal with! ;)
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I bought several from a guy in tecumseh, NE. LE enterprises or something like that. Shipped fast and was exactly what was described and in the numerous photo's. I would recommend him.
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Yep....thats the Guy I emailed you about Weylin...he will do you right.
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Good to know. He was the one I saw first. Glad to know he's a straight shooter.
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Great Guy....Good Wood...and really nice to deal with...and His Shipping isn't all Jacked Up either
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I've bought from LE ent. before always good results.Ron
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I hate people who "Jack Up" the shipping, evil bay is the worst about that. They try to make money off the shipping so you really have to watch that. I firmly believe in only charging actual shipping and what is the deal with a handling charge anyway? Why should you pay me to "Handle" my own goods?
Afterall, I had to handle the logs when I brought them home, then I had to handle them when I split them, handle them to prep them, and handle them again when I sealed them. Why should you have to pay somebody to handle their own wood just because you agreed to buy some? That's just a BS way of jacking up the price and call it something that it isn't. It should be called "Shipping and Bulls**t charges" in my opinion.
Now packaging is a different story, packing materials can get expensive. So if you need a couple extra bucks for packaging I can completely understand that, but it should be figured into the cost of the product and doesn't even need to be mentioned at the time the order is placed.
Just be cautious and do your research before you buy, lots of shysters out there.
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id recomend u stay with some of the good ol tired and true boys right here on trade gang kerry b, dean marlo ,chris and a few other s can do ya just as good as any e bay guys and most of the time better i buy e bay staves at times but im damn pickey about who i get em from you just gotta do ur homework brock
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id recomend u stay with some of the good ol tired and true boys right here on trade gang
??? ??? ???
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I have bought and sold staves on Ebay several years now. Probably close to 300. And I have had very little trouble either way. Look at there feeback score and that will tell you a-lot. Stay away from the one picture staves. Of course a good clean 6 foot long Osage stave will bring good money but they will cost you from the big vendors also. I see a-lot of good whitewoods bring practically nothing on Ebay. Most guys on there will make it right with you if something is wrong. I have had more trouble with the shipping than the buyer selling staves on Ebay.
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So how do you guys ship white woods that you don't want the back to get violated or nicked or nothin during shipping?
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Either they have the bark still on them or they use card board boxes ect. to ship them in. I use several wraps of shrink wrap then use a heat gun to shrink it tight. Dean
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I've used the guy on eBay that I see a few of you have mentioned and never had a problem. Another added bonus to save you some time I've noticed that he takes the stave down to a single growth ring, even on osage where it's more intensive than just removing the bark and then seals everything up with poly. Shipping is a little high but not horrible, about $20 but the shipping is based on the weight and length of the stave, I've had bows cost more to ship then what he charges for staves. Plus I just build the shipping price into what I want to pay total for the stave and if I get it for that price then great, if not then I pass. I still end up getting Osage and hackberry for less than $30 a stave normally.
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The odds are, IMO, if you buy a stave off ebay you're going to be more satisfied than if you bought it off some guy on the web. That goes for staves, rocks, glue, leather, pelts, antler, and all the other goodies. I've always had good results with ebay... but I'm cautious and I don't go crazy buying a lot of stuff right away when I find a new seller.
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I am also a satisfied customer if le_enterprise on ebay. His descriptions are honest and the staves in his photos are the exact stave you will receive. He even has refunded money to my papal acct. If shipping has been lower than he expected. A pleasant surprise when I log in! I just received a mulberry stave from him today actually. I'm not sure if he is a bowyer himself but it seems that he might be because he knows how to pick quality wood.
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I'm not sure if he is a bowyer himself but it seems that he might be because he knows how to pick quality wood.
I know Laverne very well...he is no Bowyer...but has listened over the Years to all that has been told to Him on what We expect from a Stave...and he does a great Job...I too have been refunded Money on Shipping from Him...and also have received numerous free Staves for one that had Problems...this was years ago when He just started cutting Staves...and I have also received Staves out of the Blue from Him...with a note to Try This One Out...I think he is about as Honest as they come...
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His name is Lavern Bartels, and yes, he's a straight shooter. I've purchased many staves from him, both on and off eBay, with zero problems. He sent me some elm staves that ended up twisting like pretzels, but replaced them all at NO cost. Don't hesitate to purchase from him, he's a good guy. I only wish he sold yew.
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I am always leary about the stave sellers on ebay, good to know that guy is honest. thanks fellas
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So how do you guys ship white woods that you don't want the back to get violated or nicked or nothin during shipping?
I wrap my staves in Tyvek like you put against your house under the siding, then I shrink wrap it real good. Haven't had a problem yet.
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"I've noticed that he takes the stave down to a single growth ring, even on osage where it's more intensive than just removing the bark and then seals everything up with poly."
That right there would have me sold. ;D I know if I buy off ebay ill buy off of this Laverne feller for sure. Sounds like good deals and an honest guy. So you guys use shrink wrap alot to wrap your staves? Will it keep the back from being violated? I was just gonna duct tape two layers of card board to the back on this hackberry I gotta ship.
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If it's a hackberry stave that would be compromised from a nick or gouge in the back then you better protect it well. If it's osage where your probably going to chase your own ring anyway it doesn't matter if it has a nick or a small gouge in the ring cause you got plenty more there to chase down to. I always remove bark, sapwood, and get it down to the first ring then seal with Spar Urethane, unless I sell it as raw with bark on which I have done on occasion too.
Either way the customer knows what they are getting before a deal is made. Shipping depends more on your location than anything else. Weight and length does matter to a certain extent, but I can tell you this........the same stave to Oregon or Washington state will cost you another half as much as the same size/weight stave will to the midwest or east coast will, or even further south. Something about the upper west coast is amazingly high on shipping. I've never had one cost $30 bucks to ship but not too far from it, upper $20's for a few that went to Wa. and Oregon. Heck I sent one to Alaska that didn't cost as much as the upper west coast states did. I also hear that shipping to Hawaii is unbelievably expensive? Don't know cause I normally just ship to US Continental states unless a guy is willing to pay the shipping then I'll send it anywhere they want me to, but most guys arent' willing to pay the price to get it there.
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I've also bought from Lavern Bartels and gotten good products. No complaints about him at all. Wish I could say that for all Ebay sellers...
At any rate, I'm curious why you want to buy wood? Shipping costs a lot, and I suspect you can find a woodlot near your house where the landowner would let you cut a smallish (5-6 inch diameter at breast height) hardwood to monkey with. I personally derive a lot of pleasure from the process of starting with a living (or recently dead) standing tree and taking it to a finished bow.
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I'm also a happy customer of Lavern (used to call him the guy with the white chair). He's even thrown in some extra material when I asked for it for handle area and held some until I got another stave to combine shipping. Have you seen what his snakey staves are going for? People are bidding them up to over $300. I have gotten some nice billets before for as low as $9.99 (plus shipping) and made nice bows out of them.
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The thing I like about it is that it is so hit or miss I like the challenge. Nothing about his staves are hit or miss, but I got a snakey osage a few months back for $30 including shipping I believe. But he has alot of other good things a good variety it helps me try out new wood species I wouldn't normally be able to. I believe I got a large piece of Hackberry and the snakey osage already mentioned for $50 total, which included shipping. I'm looking to try out some Kentucky Coffee Bean soon. Just won a short, straight piece of osage I'm gonna use to make my wife a bow and I'm bidding on another stave and he's been waiting about 4 or 5 days for payment so that I can wait on this other auction to combine shipping. I got the osage for $9.99, think it's 57" or 58" long, 2" wide and 2" thick.
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If you all are getting osage from this guy as cheap as you claim then you better keep buying all he's got, cause he's either rich and doesn't need the money, or he has somebody cutting and splitting it for him, or he's just completely gone off his rocker. Nobody whos ever cut hedge would sell their staves that cheap, if you have never cut it, split it, hauled it home, then spent weeks debarking/removing sapwood and sealing staves you just cannot understand the unbelievable amount of work that's involved.
You all should get the chain saw out some weekend and go cut yourself some hedge, it will give you a better appreciation for the kind of torture that's involved. I wouldn't kill myself doing all that work then turn around and sell a stave for $10 lousy bucks, I wouldn't even cut it for somebody else to sell if they paid me by the hour.
That makes about as much sense as putting a sign next to it that says "Free to Good Home" ::)
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And nothings worse then the "GOOD OLE" USPS loosing fifty pound of fine Osage Staves...
I bloody Swear.
Just got back from the Post Orifice, trip number three looking this batch of missing Ebay Staves.
-Gus
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guys dean marlow has some of the best staves around i quit buyin from other guys and get 90 % of mine from dean he s a reg here and i know chris has fine wood just beware who ur gettin it from, a bunch of sellers have popped up sellin half decent staves so beware brock
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I'm not sure if this allowed here but here is the link to another one I just bought: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180682950599&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
If it isn't allowed I apologize and please remove. Just making sure I wasn't thought to be a liar.
45" long 2" wide. Some go for a lot more and some go for less, but he starts all of his auctions out at $9.99. The shipping says $17.45 but I plan to use the snail shipping that will save me about $5 and only get here 2 or 3 days later.
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AW Dad-Burnit Stingray,
I was gonna buy that one.... ;D
Been watchin this guy's (le_enterprises) staves for a bit, and bid on a few but as of yet can't comment on his quality or reliability.
The jury is till out on the guy (danohermie) who's staves I am waiting on.
Bought two 64" staves and four 48" billits and a 45" walking stick blank.
Received two of the billits, tracking the rest through my incompetent local USPS orifice.
I swear I am ready to put on my Nonja suit and go sneaking around the neighborhood harvesting trees in the dead of night. >:D
But I guess the Peel of my Sthil would probably give me away.
Heck in Houston I could step out my front door and unload my Socom with no problem.
But a Chainsaw at night?
-Gus
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I wasn't insinuating that you were a liar Stingray, sorry if it sounded that way. Just trying to prove a point that if this guys is selling osage that cheap you better buy all you can, cause that's next to free in my opinion and you won't ever see me selling it that cheap. There's a such thing as a man getting paid for his hard work and I don't work for free.
That's the only point I'm trying to make and not throwing off on you or anybody else.
I have also heard that Dean Marlow has some good quality stuff if you don't mind paying a fair price to a man who earned it.
I'm not even selling osage anymore just for the record, I'm fresh out except for what I want to keep for myself.
So I have nothing to gain here.
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Gus,
One of my co-workers came up to me yesterday to look at the flint point I'd knapped. When I told him I built bows out of bodark he told me he had a large acreage of timber and was cutting and taking out all the bodark as firewood because he wanted to get rid of it. I about strangled him. He said there was still a lot left and I could come and cut all I wanted. If you'll have room to haul more wood when you come up this weekend I can shoot up to his place this week and see if there are trees worth cutting before you get here. Just remember, green osage is ungodly heavy. Just a thought. I have about all the osage I need for this year now. If I cut any more I'll trade it all away.
George
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I written him before saying I felt bad I got it for so cheap and he said that he makes his money on some and doesn't on others. Like I said the snakey ones I've been watching lately have been bid up over $300. Guess I shouldn't be talking about him so positively as I'll have more bidding against me now.
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No offense taken Semo. I think he's probably just starting it off cheap now and letting people bid it up once his reputation is started. Which I think has begun because I remember even just a year or two ago the most expensive I would see any stave go for was around $40, now as Guar said they can go pretty high.
Gstoneberg-if you end up cutting yourself that extra osage that you don't need and are looking to trade it away let me know. ;)