By far this is the most asked question. People have a natural curiosity about wanting to know the value of an old bow they own. That's not to say they want to sell that bow, they just have a need to know its value. Its fun to show off our collection and to be able to say "that bow there is worth about $150". But there are a lot of them who just want to sell them. Personally I don't worry too much about the value of my collection other than insurance reasons. I tell people not to worry too much about the value if you plan on keeping it, just shot it or display it and enjoy! As a general rule, most bows fall into the $50-$150 range. very few command higher prices but certainly some exceed $1000. I've always said something is worth what someone will pay for it. If that is true then the best place to find a bow value is to search Ebay.com. Use the completed search to give you a feel of what people are paying for old bows. See my article "What is my bow worth?"

No. That is the year of the Canadian Patent Bear used. It was used on all Bear bows from 1953 until 1972. Of course Bears made in 1953 had this too.

Yes but not all the time. I use a method described by Joe St Charles to grab the tip of the limb and give it a good "BUMP" in the opposite direction of the twist for about 2-4 seconds. Many limbs can be straightened this way but some cant. Do not use steam to straighten them, this can delaminate the limbs.

YES! Bows were built to be shot, even old bows can safely be shot today. As a general rule, if it is fiberglass laminated and in good shape with no cracks and delaminations, it should be safe to shoot. Bows were using fiberglass as early as the late 40s but most started in the 50s. There are some exceptions to what should be shot.

While it shouldn't be said not to shoot old bows that don't have fiberglass laminations, you will run a much higher risk of it failing. Some bows, even fiberglass ones, may just be to valuable to shoot, like the 1954 compass Kodiak. While the compass Kodiak would probably be safe to shoot, I personally don't want to take the risk. Bears made from 1949 to 1951 that have fiberglass and aluminum laminations should NEVER be shot. They were prone to delamination due to inferior gluing techniques and would fail even when new. Bows from the 40s and 50s that had solid aluminum limbs should be shot with extreme caution if at all. They were known to fail with one instance forcing the company out of business after an archer was injured. Use your best judgment.

Dacron is best. Do not use modern string material on new bows such as fast flight, kevlar or the such. Old bows were not designed to take the energy these strings can impart on an old bow and can fail. Most archery shop or dealers can order or make you a string to fit your old bow.

Only use a bow stringer. Never use the step-through method, this can twist the limb. Many of the old bows that have twisted limbs became that way from improper stringing.

Another very popular question. A seasoned collector can look at an old bow and give a general age based on the design of the bow. One of the best ways are old catalogs and magazines. Some manufacturers used serial numbers that contained the year they were manufactured but sadly, most didn't.

Maybe. Bear Bows from 1965-1969 can be identified by the first digit of the serial number. For example; 8Z1137 was made in 1968. The serial numbers starting with the letter K began in 1970. Its very possible other manufacturers used serial numbers for dating.

The internet is a great place to start. Visit "The Archery Collector" at WWW.neoreality.com/archery/collect.htm for help on collecting and see the collecting links for other sites. You can also use a web search engine using archery and collecting as keywords. There are several museums around the nation that have a nice collection of bows like the Bear Archery Museum in Gainesville Florida or the St. Charles Archery Museum in Seattle Washington. Traditional archery shoots can be a great source too. Often there are other collectors there displaying and selling their bows and most are willing to help in any way they can.

It seems there is a lot of information on Bear bows but information on other manufacturers is scarce at best. Visit "The Archery Collector" mentioned elsewhere for information and links to other sites. Visit your local library to see if they have old archery books which can be a great source of information. Visit museums mentioned elsewhere. I like to take photos of all museum bows on display for future reference.

None that I know of

I like to think of my bow finish as a fine car finish. I use the mildest cleaning methods then work up if necessary. Soap and water should be tried first, furniture polish then maybe alcohol and kitchen cleaners. Only use paint thinner and acetone with extreme caution. Car wax can be used but be careful of abrasive waxes. Always be careful around decals and silk screenings. Un varnished bows can be cleaned with Murphy's oil soap much like fine antique furniture. It should also be considered to not clean your bow at all. Bows can be damaged if cleaned improperly.

Maybe. If these are what are referred to as stress cracks, it could be safe to shoot. Stress cracks basically develop from age and use and generally do not compromise the integrity of the bow. They appear as hairline cracks running parallel with the bow usually close to the riser. Should a crack appear to be into the fiberglass, do not shoot it.

Unless you are an expert in having done this, it is best to let a professional bowyer do this, of course this depends on the severity of the damage too. Bows release a tremendous amount of energy when shot and if the repair isn't done properly, they can fail sometimes resulting in injury to the archer. Often it is better not to attempt any repairs if it is too severe. This generally applies to the limbs but changes in the riser section can create problems too. If enough damage is done or modifications made to the riser are done, this can compromise the structural integrity of the bow causing failure.

As stated before Ebay.com sells hundreds of bows each week. This seems to be the most popular place to sell but your local archery shop can help you sell too.