I paid $325 shipped to Canada. It has been refinished by now doc, I darkened the grip. Rooty

How can an old bow sell for 3-4 times or more then when it was new.

You buy a new bow and after a few months or more you want to sell it and are lucky to get 40 percent to 60 percent for it. To each their own.

~$250-275

Mr. Whittler, What is your point? Are you saying you don't like old bows, or you don't like new bows?

A '55 Chevy Bel Air was $2600 back in '55. Good luck finding one is good condition for 10X that amount.

And your correct, buy a new car today and take a bath as soon as it leaves the showroom floor.

Not hard to understand.

Back to the question...Ebay "sold" listings ranged from $89 in rough shape to $267 in very good shape (original leather and all the stickers).

Yes

Yes Craig 56" worth more I missed that.

Monkey all-absorbing ask at "traditional bear Archery Group" or "bear Archery collectors" pages on Facebook.

They sell for what people are willing to pay, for me, those old Bears fit my budget and seem appropriate in the $120 to $350 range. Below $100 they are usually beat up and/or crappy, but sometimes very sound and a good restoration candidate. The higher priced are generally a lot cleaner & obviously in better shape.

I once paid $350 for a 56 Kodiak that I thought was really only worth $200 - $250 max, but it had absolutely perfect specs for my shooting requirements, and the issues were strictly cosmetic- and I actually enjoyed sprucing it up.

I've also gotten some almost steals- bows that were about $100 underpriced- bad market, timing, whatever.

Beware on ebay- there are some real freaks over there selling some old Bears for criminally overpriced amounts.

Whittler- don't ever get into considering vintage violin or arch- top guitar prices! Your head will explode, I know mine does. ;-)

56” Kodiaks always command higher prices. Depending on condition a 56” 55Kodiak should bring 350-500.

Did you recently purchase the bow? What's the history?

Whittler...apples and oranges. There were only ever 1500 Howatt Hunters made in 1962 and likely only 1/3 of them remain on the planet...not going to get one for $40 using your formula but would take one over seven new bows.

Monkeyball...two years ago I got a beautiful 1955 Kodiak off ebay for less than $70 and recently won a 1957 Kodiak Special for $135. Normally they are more but you never know.

56" are worth more but are intended for short draws.

Here's my favorite these days on eBay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Vintage-Bear-1958-Kodiak-Recurve- 75lb/253311567519?hash=item3afa8bc69f:g:tXEAAOSwCtJaMejq

-And in case that link don't link:

"RARE-Vintage Bear 1958 Kodiak Recurve -75lb | Condition:Used Price:US $2,000.00"

Sweet Find!

Monkey-autocorrect changed "also ask" to "all-absorbing" sorry but you get my drift.Lots of collectors on those 2 pages.

HI Craig, I still say 400-600 bucks need pic's maybe more on a good day,

Has to be perfect for big bucks. 150 - 200 if you want it. If you have to have it that a different story. Rooty

Agree with Rooty more or less...145-215 plus shipping and only because it's 56".

I sold two 56” Kodiaks on the big auction site about a month ago. One brought $450.00 plus change, the other was $535.00 plus change.

56” Kodiaks are always in demand. Some collectors try to collect Kodiaks in all offered lengths. 56” 1955s don’t come around every day. If it’s in great shape, it’s valuable.

It seems like many of the above posters are only referring to 60” Kodiak prices. $150.00-$225.00 will buy 55 and 56 Kodiaks in 60” all day, but not 56” Kodiaks unless an unknowing buyer throws one out there with a rediculously low “buy it now” price because they bought the bow from an even more unknowing garage sale seller.

I still say, $350.00-$500.00, maybe more.

With this thread I'm sure it will be bought via PM.Probably the reason.;)

I'm not that familiar with old Kodiaks anymore but wasn't the '56 the only year that had the dual shelf? I owned one until the bottom limb folded in half.

Hey brother if it works it's ok by me! Check out the FB sites they'll give you very accurate info on value.

If it was a 56" 1960 I'd a bought via PM! :)

I'm not that familiar with old Kodiaks anymore but wasn't the '56 the only year that had the dual shelf? I owned one until the bottom limb folded in half.

Richard the 55 and 56 Kodiaks both had dual shelves.

Trap

Minimum wage in 1955 was #1/hr, so it's all relative. A bow that cost $50 was big money back then. $200- 250 now puts it in that 40-50%. I have a decent shape 56 Kodiak that I have $250 into it

Having a collection of around 100 and also having bought and sold at least 50 more I can tell you, without reservation, that bow values have dropped dramatically even in the last year. I follow the auction sites closely and look at all bows being sold.

I don't follow Bear recurves a lot, except for pre 1968 Kodiak Magnum's and the mid 50's to pre 1963 Kodiak and Kodiak Specials... those models are interesting and well made.

There have been a bunch of 50 Kodiak's and Specials bought and sold lately. Many have been listed for crazy prices and went unsold until the buyer figured out the market.

So, based on that, as for the value for your collection, and applying your own "steal" and "paid too much" rationale I think that bow with the missing decals and your description of being in "very good condition" as opposed to "mint" or "excellent" would be worth no more than $375, in spite of the diminishing supply and the mystifying, to me, cachet of Bear bows in the world of trad archery.

From Jorge L. Coppen's book "Bear Archery Traditional Bows- A chronological History 1949 - 2015"

"Some of the late 1953 Kodiaks are double-shelf bows, starting a double-shelf run that would last through 1956, In 1954, the Kodiak II was introduced as a full working recurve..."

That, of course, was the famous (or, to some, the infamous) Compass Kodiak, of which I own three superb shooters. Double shelf, but the grip is not quite as comfy as the 55 and 56 models.

Craig, that is a BEAUTIFUL bow you scored! I missed out on a 39#@26" (also 56" long) version of that bow a couple of weeks ago. But my 30" draw might have busted it, or at least been extremely uncomfortable, so I actually let it go. But I wonder, what if?

I see stress cracks in the glass...she's far from mint.

HI Criag, 350-450 missing a decal. really nice bow!!!!

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