# What is with all the bows on craigslist?



## Jeef

I see hundreds of them for sale. What is going on with this? Do people go for higher end bows and then sell their old ones? Are some models hard to shoot? Do people buy the wrong bow? Are archers getting out of the sport due to age, injury, or lack of time? Is the economy so bad that people are selling their gear? I realize that the answer is likely "all of the above", but I would like to get some thoughts on this.

jeef


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## bobberbill

Guessing maybe they have went the crossbow route.


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## Uncle Boopoo

All of the above. Plus, there's been so many different kinds on the market for many years now. There's a LOT of used bows out there! I noticed the same thing about 8 years ago on Ebay so I can imagine how many more there are by now!


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## JPK

Jeef; Yeah you are right. I see a lot of them also. I usually look for recurves. But believe me . More than just a few have been on craigslist for quite a while. I mean month after month.I think some passed down through family and nobody hunts. Someone got an itch to bow hunt cause his buddys all do. So went and bought all the gear,recurve or compound, went once and decided it wasn't for him. And could use the cash for something else. And always the possibility of an upgrade or switch to a firearm. Just my thoughts.


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## jatc

Main two reasons that I feel for it are this:

1. Many guys that are really into archery want the latest and greatest every year or two so the old bow goes up for sale.

2. The majority of guys I know that bow hunt are switching to crossbows. I'm actually kind of shocked at the number I personally know that have always said that crossbows don't belong in archery season that are now switching over. Not bashing them at all (heck even I sat with one a couple times this year myself), just pointing out what I've seen with my own eyes.


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## Martian

I agree with the fact many guys want the "brand new" one. The last new bow I bought was 8 bows back. They are not worth that kind of money, (at least to me), and used bows go cheap. There is a guy at our club selling 2 Mathews Switchbacks $ 100 ea. (they are leftys), or reason 2, these bows for sale are defective, and did not score on a deer this year. It does crack me up on cl when I see a bow for sale , and seller is asking $1200, cause he has $1300 in it.


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## thill

I bought a new bow about 3 years ago. I spent weeks shooting over 30 different bows to find the "right" bow for me. I loved it!...until the limb blew up on this past August. I worked out a deal with Bowtech to get their latest and greatest bow (RPM 360), but I never felt it was the "right" bow for me as I only had 2 choices...their low end for free or their high end for more $$$. So....now that the season is over, I put it up for sale on craigslist and I will begin shopping for a new bow that is "right" for me. I'm looking at everything on the market EXCEPT bowtech. Their customer service sucks!


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## Nitro225Optimax

thill said:


> I bought a new bow about 3 years ago. I spent weeks shooting over 30 different bows to find the "right" bow for me. I loved it!...until the limb blew up on this past August. I worked out a deal with Bowtech to get their latest and greatest bow (RPM 360), but I never felt it was the "right" bow for me as I only had 2 choices...their low end for free or their high end for more $$$. So....now that the season is over, I put it up for sale on craigslist and I will begin shopping for a new bow that is "right" for me. I'm looking at everything on the market EXCEPT bowtech. Their customer service sucks!


Ugh. I was in love with the Carbon Knight by Bowtech until after spending some time with one, it felt like I was holding a brick in my hand the entire time. I couldn't wait to put it down and not have it in my hand even though it shot alright. Does Bowtech just give their grips an afterthought? I shot my buddies Hoyt Charger and I didn't want to give it back to him, so I am looking at some higher end Hoyt's and haven't ruled out Prime or Darton yet either. Good to know I am not missing anything with Bowtech.


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## Get'nLucky

What is almost as funny is the price these people are asking...some of these bows are 20 years old and older and people actually think they can get 250$ out of them!
Also alot of guys are dropping compounds in favor of crossbows....I bet in 5 years crossbows will outnumber compounds. (Not really archery but thats another thread)


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## Thirty pointer

Get'nLucky said:


> What is almost as funny is the price these people are asking...some of these bows are 20 years old and older and people actually think they can get 250$ out of them!
> Also alot of guys are dropping compounds in favor of crossbows....I bet in 5 years crossbows will outnumber compounds. (Not really archery but thats another thread)


That's sure true been looking for a used starter bow for my grandson mostly at yard sales you would think I was at cabelas.


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## cakebaker

Get'nLucky said:


> What is almost as funny is the price these people are asking...some of these bows are 20 years old and older and people actually think they can get 250$ out of them!
> Also alot of guys are dropping compounds in favor of crossbows....I bet in 5 years crossbows will outnumber compounds. (Not really archery but thats another thread)


Probably getting a cross bow


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## Redbirdone

I did have my used compound on CL but decided to keep. Complete Darton set up for 150.00, the Rage broadheads alone that I had were brand new this year and worth 80.00 in itself made me cringe to give it all away. By the way, yes I did go crossbow.


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## WMIBOWHUNTER

Redbirdone said:


> I did have my used compound on CL but decided to keep. Complete Darton set up for 150.00, the Rage broadheads alone that I had were brand new this year and worth 80.00 in itself made me cringe to give it all away. By the way, yes I did go crossbow.


what Darton bow...?


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## GVDocHoliday

Man I buy and sell nearly a dozen bows a year. I'm a bow whore. Nuff said. Lots of us out there. However I never sell or buy off craigslist.


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## MERGANZER

Crossbows and going Trad! Both ends of the spectrum.

Ganzer


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## thill

GVDocHoliday said:


> Man I buy and sell nearly a dozen bows a year. I'm a bow whore. Nuff said. Lots of us out there. However I never sell or buy off craigslist.


 
If you don't mind me asking...where do you sell your bows, if not craigslist? AT classifieds?


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## GVDocHoliday

thill said:


> If you don't mind me asking...where do you sell your bows, if not craigslist? AT classifieds?


AT Classifieds and I've started branching into all the Facebook pages. Sometimes I'll hit up ebay especially when the demand on ebay is greater and is able to more than offset the ebay/paypal fees.

I've been doing this since 2006. Of those years...I still have my Mathews Prestige from 2006, and I've become pretty smitten with a Prime Alloy recently. I'm afraid that if I put PCXL cams on the Alloy that my deeply loved Prestige may actually get put on the block.


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## bowjack

I've bought dozens if not over 100 recurve and longbows off craigslist ads from all over the country. I've only sold one bow on craigslist and that happened to be a compound I sold for my brother in law. Great place for buying.


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## john warren

a few going traditional,,, most going x-bow or,,,what boaters know is the two foot syndrom. you get a boat and then want one two foot longer,,, and then two foot longer....
same with bows. get a bow then oh,,theres one thats 25 feet per second faster,,,or has a chrome widga didga, and they have to get the newest out there.

most still can't figure out why they can't seem to arrow a buck.


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## d_rek

john warren said:


> a few going traditional,,, most going x-bow or,,,what boaters know is the two foot syndrom. you get a boat and then want one two foot longer,,, and then two foot longer....
> same with bows. get a bow then oh,,theres one thats 25 feet per second faster,,,or has a chrome widga didga, and they have to get the newest out there.
> 
> most still can't figure out why they can't seem to arrow a buck.


Haha... only been shooting a compound for 3 years now and have only arrowed a single doe. Outside of it being a perfectly fine hunting bow i've decided that, despite my bow envy for other brands and newer models, i'm going to stick a nice buck before I even think about selling this bow.


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