"Why Are Board Prices On the Rise?" - Jenkem Article

[Lethatefillyourheart]

Fuck paying $70 for a board. This is why I love the sale section of ccs or tactics!

[GnarAlarm]

At my local shop, classic/legacy brands are almost all $58-$65 (Anti-Hero, Baker, Girl, etc)
Anything $70+ is a specialty deck (VX, R7, Flight, slick, etc)

The "cool" brands start at $70 (FA, Polar, Sci-Fi, GX etc)

The only decks  in the whole shop that go too far over $70 are the VX Everslicks and decks with wild shapes, which can start inching close to $100

[Willie]

This feels a bit like a last gasp for legacy companies to stay profitable with the same business model.

Market share isn’t what it used to be and nobody is moving units like 20 years ago. Moving offshore probably has com back to bite them in the ass as well because shipping costs now eat up much of labor savings.

Skateboarding is sort of unique in the field of sporting equipment (which is really all it is) to the extent pro riders and company personalities figure into the buying patterns of the general public. It’s cool to some extent but ultimately doesn’t really matter in the end product.

The sad truth as an older consumer is that I don’t really give a shit who makes my consumables and who rides for them, I just care that the stuff I buy meets a minimum quality standard. It’s great the industry has been able to support riders for so long but ultimately you’re paying for a name painted on a board. That barely happens in other recreational industries. 99% of skiers on a mountain haven’t watched a ski video and can’t name a famous skier. There aren’t many signature bicycles, etc.

I like the way skateboarding still is this encompassing scene but price hikes have a risk of being a self inflicted wound - it leaves an opening for high quality generics to supplant pro models indefinitely.

[Kombuch-A-Holic]

Skateboarding and our wallets are definitely feeling the impact of rising expenses in 2023. It would be great if skate shops could throw in free grip tape when purchasing decks priced at $65 or more. By the way, I mentioned in another discussion that I don't have much knowledge about wholesaling. I'm curious, what are the wholesale prices for trucks, wheels, grip & shoes? Are all these items marked up 100% in the shops?

[left knee cap]

everyone outside the US looking at this thread must be havin a laugh at these comments

[stevedave]

Skateboarders tend to forget that pretty much EVERYTHING has gone up in price over the last 5 years, and that skateboards haven’t in 50. Also, that companies have employees they have to pay, with rent, insurance, advertising, trips, workers comp, taxes, etc. Yet, there’s still the idiot who says “I wish they’d throw in free grip”. Dude, grip costs money, there’s a whole fucking part of the industry based on it. Why would a struggling shop (struggling bc everyone is going to ccs/tactics for cheap online boards) give you a product they had to pay for? What other business does that and actually survives?

[Kombuch-A-Holic]

Skateboarders tend to forget that pretty much EVERYTHING has gone up in price over the last 5 years, and that skateboards haven’t in 50. Also, that companies have employees they have to pay, with rent, insurance, advertising, trips, workers comp, taxes, etc. Yet, there’s still the idiot who says “I wish they’d throw in free grip”. Dude, grip costs money, there’s a whole fucking part of the industry based on it. Why would a struggling shop (struggling bc everyone is going to ccs/tactics for cheap online boards) give you a product they had to pay for? What other business does that and actually survives?

 I respectfully disagree with your viewpoint. It seems that you find amusement in my desire for a complimentary sheet of $5 grip tape, despite its 100% markup when purchased alongside a $65-70 deck that has already been marked up by over 100%. Damn idiots. It is evident that everything comes with a cost, and I fully comprehend the necessity of charging for products and services in order to sustain a business. I'll continue to order directly from FA, enjoying free shipping and affordable grip tape while you indulge in your penchant for paying $8.99 or even $20+ for fancy anime grip tape. It seems you're the type who delights in supporting such a purchase while keeping local shops thriving. Thanks for that. Your generosity knows no bounds.

** F/A now sells Pepper grip for $3! Awesome.

[GnarAlarm]

Skateboarders tend to forget that pretty much EVERYTHING has gone up in price over the last 5 years, and that skateboards haven’t in 50. Also, that companies have employees they have to pay, with rent, insurance, advertising, trips, workers comp, taxes, etc. Yet, there’s still the idiot who says “I wish they’d throw in free grip”. Dude, grip costs money, there’s a whole fucking part of the industry based on it. Why would a struggling shop (struggling bc everyone is going to ccs/tactics for cheap online boards) give you a product they had to pay for? What other business does that and actually survives?

I've always wanted to know which deck companies pay their riders the best but it's really hard to find out.
I'd be happy to pay a few extra bucks for a deck if it means the skaters get insurance and a living wage.

[offkilter]

https://archive.org/details/ccs-1993-summer/mode/1up

Looking through this CCS catalog from '93, it's interesting to compare the amount of inflation between product categories over the last 30 years. Most things have roughly doubled in price. Bones Swiss have tripled. Pro, non-slick boards have gone from $42 USD to a range of $62 at the low end to $79 at the high end. That's for a pro, non-slick, non-shaped, non-retro, non-gimmick board. It appears $70, $72, and $74 are the most common prices for boards in this category today. A basic inflation calculator translates $42 USD in 1993 into $88.40 today. My general sense is that most things at the skateshop have kept pace with inflation, but boards have not. It won't surprise me if board prices continue to rise, and sales of blank, team and shop boards to continue to capture an ever increasing share of the market as people seek cheaper alternatives.

This is a really good point, skateboards haven’t even kept up with basic inflation and are still cheaper than they were in the 90s (purchasing power-wise) even with the recent price hikes. Everyone in this thread knows that 99% of pros barely make anything from their board company, and yet we are all enamored and obsessed with their video parts.

I have limited disposable income like most people and try to stretch my boards out as much as possible, but I also want to support the livelihood of the people who enrich my life with entertainment who are barely scraping by, just like buying records from musicians when you could easily stream all of their music.

[Lukabrazi]

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Skateboarders tend to forget that pretty much EVERYTHING has gone up in price over the last 5 years, and that skateboards haven’t in 50. Also, that companies have employees they have to pay, with rent, insurance, advertising, trips, workers comp, taxes, etc. Yet, there’s still the idiot who says “I wish they’d throw in free grip”. Dude, grip costs money, there’s a whole fucking part of the industry based on it. Why would a struggling shop (struggling bc everyone is going to ccs/tactics for cheap online boards) give you a product they had to pay for? What other business does that and actually survives?

[close]

 I respectfully disagree with your viewpoint. It seems that you find amusement in my desire for a complimentary sheet of $5 grip tape, despite its 100% markup when purchased alongside a $65-70 deck that has already been marked up by over 100%. Damn idiots. It is evident that everything comes with a cost, and I fully comprehend the necessity of charging for products and services in order to sustain a business. I'll continue to order directly from FA, enjoying free shipping and affordable grip tape while you indulge in your penchant for paying $8.99 or even $20+ for fancy anime grip tape. It seems you're the type who delights in supporting such a purchase while keeping local shops thriving. Thanks for that. Your generosity knows no bounds.

** F/A now sells Pepper grip for $3! Awesome.

Goddamn you are so clueless . First off , no shop is marking up decks 100% .

Decks cost now between $35-48 wholesale before shipping . $48 baker boards sell for $74 , now I’m not sure you can math , but that’s not 100% , $35 decks sell for $56-$60 , again not 100% mark up . griptape rolls are $70+ now , and a box of 20 sheets of grip is $70 + now . That’s $3.50 per sheet of grip, that tons of shops sell for $5 when they sell a board .

Now find the cost of doing business in the margin that the shop is making on those boards + grip.

Keep ordering direct from FA ? Fine, but don’t go to a real skate shop and bitch about not getting free grip , or patronize the folks that want to keep a small business going by supporting and purchasing shit that they need to sell with low margins to keep their shop alive .

[Frank and Fred]

I don't miss the anxiety I had when I was in my mid teens to early 20s about not being able to  afford boards (when they lasted me between 2 weeks to 2 months), in the 90s.

I don't mind paying and supporting local shops now. Its about $65 for most of what I want locally. I also never skate a deck until its done anymore. I always pass them on to kids with a decent amount of life left in them.

[truthislie]

everyone outside the US looking at this thread must be havin a laugh at these comments

I thought the same but I m afraid european prices will go up even more. No idea about other countries but skate shit in Europe never came cheap.

[Kombuch-A-Holic]

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Skateboarders tend to forget that pretty much EVERYTHING has gone up in price over the last 5 years, and that skateboards haven’t in 50. Also, that companies have employees they have to pay, with rent, insurance, advertising, trips, workers comp, taxes, etc. Yet, there’s still the idiot who says “I wish they’d throw in free grip”. Dude, grip costs money, there’s a whole fucking part of the industry based on it. Why would a struggling shop (struggling bc everyone is going to ccs/tactics for cheap online boards) give you a product they had to pay for? What other business does that and actually survives?

[close]

 I respectfully disagree with your viewpoint. It seems that you find amusement in my desire for a complimentary sheet of $5 grip tape, despite its 100% markup when purchased alongside a $65-70 deck that has already been marked up by over 100%. Damn idiots. It is evident that everything comes with a cost, and I fully comprehend the necessity of charging for products and services in order to sustain a business. I'll continue to order directly from FA, enjoying free shipping and affordable grip tape while you indulge in your penchant for paying $8.99 or even $20+ for fancy anime grip tape. It seems you're the type who delights in supporting such a purchase while keeping local shops thriving. Thanks for that. Your generosity knows no bounds.

** F/A now sells Pepper grip for $3! Awesome.

[close]

Goddamn you are so clueless . First off , no shop is marking up decks 100% .

Decks cost now between $35-48 wholesale before shipping . $48 baker boards sell for $74 , now I’m not sure you can math , but that’s not 100% , $35 decks sell for $56-$60 , again not 100% mark up . griptape rolls are $70+ now , and a box of 20 sheets of grip is $70 + now . That’s $3.50 per sheet of grip, that tons of shops sell for $5 when they sell a board .

Now find the cost of doing business in the margin that the shop is making on those boards + grip.

Keep ordering direct from FA ? Fine, but don’t go to a real skate shop and bitch about not getting free grip , or patronize the folks that want to keep a small business going by supporting and purchasing shit that they need to sell with low margins to keep their shop alive .

I'm clueless, and I apologize for any confusion. I've mentioned this multiple times already I do not know wholesale prices. Thank you for responding with a price breakdown. I just didn't appreciate being called an idiot for wanting a $5 (free grip) discount on a significant purchase that I believed already had a substantial markup.

[manysnakes]

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Skateboarders tend to forget that pretty much EVERYTHING has gone up in price over the last 5 years, and that skateboards haven’t in 50. Also, that companies have employees they have to pay, with rent, insurance, advertising, trips, workers comp, taxes, etc. Yet, there’s still the idiot who says “I wish they’d throw in free grip”. Dude, grip costs money, there’s a whole fucking part of the industry based on it. Why would a struggling shop (struggling bc everyone is going to ccs/tactics for cheap online boards) give you a product they had to pay for? What other business does that and actually survives?

[close]

I've always wanted to know which deck companies pay their riders the best but it's really hard to find out.
I'd be happy to pay a few extra bucks for a deck if it means the skaters get insurance and a living wage.

"Why Are Board Prices On the Rise?" - not because pros are getting a pay raise.

[stevedave]

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Skateboarders tend to forget that pretty much EVERYTHING has gone up in price over the last 5 years, and that skateboards haven’t in 50. Also, that companies have employees they have to pay, with rent, insurance, advertising, trips, workers comp, taxes, etc. Yet, there’s still the idiot who says “I wish they’d throw in free grip”. Dude, grip costs money, there’s a whole fucking part of the industry based on it. Why would a struggling shop (struggling bc everyone is going to ccs/tactics for cheap online boards) give you a product they had to pay for? What other business does that and actually survives?

[close]

 I respectfully disagree with your viewpoint. It seems that you find amusement in my desire for a complimentary sheet of $5 grip tape, despite its 100% markup when purchased alongside a $65-70 deck that has already been marked up by over 100%. Damn idiots. It is evident that everything comes with a cost, and I fully comprehend the necessity of charging for products and services in order to sustain a business. I'll continue to order directly from FA, enjoying free shipping and affordable grip tape while you indulge in your penchant for paying $8.99 or even $20+ for fancy anime grip tape. It seems you're the type who delights in supporting such a purchase while keeping local shops thriving. Thanks for that. Your generosity knows no bounds.

** F/A now sells Pepper grip for $3! Awesome.

[close]

Goddamn you are so clueless . First off , no shop is marking up decks 100% .

Decks cost now between $35-48 wholesale before shipping . $48 baker boards sell for $74 , now I’m not sure you can math , but that’s not 100% , $35 decks sell for $56-$60 , again not 100% mark up . griptape rolls are $70+ now , and a box of 20 sheets of grip is $70 + now . That’s $3.50 per sheet of grip, that tons of shops sell for $5 when they sell a board .

Now find the cost of doing business in the margin that the shop is making on those boards + grip.

Keep ordering direct from FA ? Fine, but don’t go to a real skate shop and bitch about not getting free grip , or patronize the folks that want to keep a small business going by supporting and purchasing shit that they need to sell with low margins to keep their shop alive .

[close]

I'm clueless, and I apologize for any confusion. I've mentioned this multiple times already I do not know wholesale prices. Thank you for responding with a price breakdown. I just didn't appreciate being called an idiot for wanting a $5 (free grip) discount on a significant purchase that I believed already had a substantial markup.

And I apologize for calling you an idiot. But the markup of things is part of businesses and their survival, and to be fair a skateboard deck should not be considered a”significant” purchase warranting a discount. Every item has a fixed cost to the shop. Sure, they could charge you an extra $5 for the deck and then tell you you’re getting “free grip” but the cost is still there. Nowhere else in life is the expectation of getting things for free. When I get gas, which is much more of a significant purchase (and way more mark up), I don’t ask for a free slurpee or a free quart of oil. It is what it is. Only in skateboarding does this entitlement exist. It’s kinda lame.

[stevedave]

And if UPS goes on strike as planned, shipping costs will increase along with shipping delays/time.

[smellsdead]

which day is double coupon day?

[Ed boy]

I feel like this article is missing a lot of relevant information. Also not sure if Paul Schmitt is the best person to consult on this topic considering he no longer produces the majority of brand's boards at this point.

BBS has been raising their prices consistently post pandemic and, to my knowledge, pays their workers a decent and livable wage.

If a BBS board costs a board brand $20+, then said brand wholesales it for $40+ and a shop sells it for around $65, all three parties involved profit roughly $20.

Shipping cost on any end of a boards journey will affect profit of course but this is a pretty rough outline on why boards cost what they cost. Not everyone uses BBS so this math doesn't apply to all but it represents a big chunk of the industry in the US.

To take it a step further for international markets selling American brands, add international shipping, customs, dutys, conversion, shipping from distro to shop and boom, big retail price.

[swellbowed]

And if UPS goes on strike as planned, shipping costs will increase along with shipping delays/time.

@stevedave Interesting, didn't know anything about this. Any more details? Strike because of pay?

[Musicaldeath107]

https://archive.org/details/ccs-1993-summer/mode/1up

Looking through this CCS catalog from '93, it's interesting to compare the amount of inflation between product categories over the last 30 years. Most things have roughly doubled in price. Bones Swiss have tripled. Pro, non-slick boards have gone from $42 USD to a range of $62 at the low end to $79 at the high end. That's for a pro, non-slick, non-shaped, non-retro, non-gimmick board. It appears $70, $72, and $74 are the most common prices for boards in this category today. A basic inflation calculator translates $42 USD in 1993 into $88.40 today. My general sense is that most things at the skateshop have kept pace with inflation, but boards have not. It won't surprise me if board prices continue to rise, and sales of blank, team and shop boards to continue to capture an ever increasing share of the market as people seek cheaper alternatives.

I came here to say something like this.  While it's been a shock because its been sudden but boards have not kept up with inflation.  There are always sale decks if you're hard up.  Keep the kids or less fortunate skaters in mind, pass along your old gear or just stuff you aren't using.

Also for the love of fuck its discretionary income, not disposable income.  Disposable income is stuff you have to pay for living, income that is automatically disposed of. 

Discretionary income is stuff you want to buy, things you have discretion or a choice to spend it on.  Sorry huge pet peeve of mine.

[PlugSkullcandy]

In the UK Sci Fi Fantasy decks are £90 ($114). Not sure how many they're selling. FA were £80 at Slam City, now they're all on sale for £60.

A Palace deck is £54. Shockingly, I see a lot of them around.

Sci-Fi boards : 100€ here in Paris
But they look great haha

[manysnakes]

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And if UPS goes on strike as planned, shipping costs will increase along with shipping delays/time.

[close]

@stevedave Interesting, didn't know anything about this. Any more details? Strike because of pay?

It's all over the news - they could strike as soon as tomorrow. Godspeed to all striking UPS workers.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/teamsters-warn-ups-strike-is-imminent-if-company-doesnt-improve-pay-offer-by-friday/

[swellbowed]

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And if UPS goes on strike as planned, shipping costs will increase along with shipping delays/time.

[close]

@stevedave Interesting, didn't know anything about this. Any more details? Strike because of pay?

[close]

It's all over the news - they could strike as soon as tomorrow. Godspeed to all striking UPS workers.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/teamsters-warn-ups-strike-is-imminent-if-company-doesnt-improve-pay-offer-by-friday/

Crazy. Hope the workers get compensated fairly. Thanks for dropping link @manysnakes

[Maccat]

Why are they on the rise?

Because everything is. Nothing gets cheaper. There will always be a sale, a good, better, best.

Prices on hoodies and other shirts are fucked. Especially on a single screen. Paid 40 on a pullover from West Side and didn’t think twice. But a hundo? Nah.

[Maccat]

Why are they on the rise?

Because everything is. Nothing gets cheaper. There will always be a sale, a good, better, best.

Prices on hoodies and other shirts are fucked. Especially on a single screen. Paid 40 on a pullover from West Side and didn’t think twice. But a hundo? Nah.

[LonleySk8er15]

I feel like this article is missing a lot of relevant information. Also not sure if Paul Schmitt is the best person to consult on this topic considering he no longer produces the majority of brand's boards at this point.

BBS has been raising their prices consistently post pandemic and, to my knowledge, pays their workers a decent and livable wage.

If a BBS board costs a board brand $20+, then said brand wholesales it for $40+ and a shop sells it for around $65, all three parties involved profit roughly $20.

Shipping cost on any end of a boards journey will affect profit of course but this is a pretty rough outline on why boards cost what they cost. Not everyone uses BBS so this math doesn't apply to all but it represents a big chunk of the industry in the US.

To take it a step further for international markets selling American brands, add international shipping, customs, dutys, conversion, shipping from distro to shop and boom, big retail price.

sucks because it costs shops 2 beans to make one bean. I get that the board brand and the shop are equal in their respective 20ish dollars profit on each sale, but the board company is making 100% markup while the shop only gets 50% . If we want skate shops to exist the retail price needs to stay high because it needs to be worth it for shops to even bother selling boards. If shops didnt exist and all sales were direct to consumer the price would be a round $45-50, basically what the whole sale price is. if the MSRP was what it should be, keystone markup and double the wholesale price, boards are $80-90. board brands dont like it if shops get a higher yield from a deck sale than they do so they keep the MSRP lower and say " we both make the same $22 dollars of a board sale" Meanwhile while they selling direct to consumer and milking a higher margin for the selves and leaving a shitty margin for the shops. its bullshit. board brands say they care about shops, but dont actually do what they can to fully support shops by raising the MSRP to where it should be. to me its weird that when it comes to clothes and shoes there is no crying about shops getting more $$ off a sale than the wholesaler, but with hard goods the brands cock block the shops from making $40 dollars of a sale while they only make $20 of a sale of the same item. Also shout out to DLX for being the only big company not selling direct to consumer.

[schralp pal]

If frog and limosine are selling boards for $75 usd direct from their website do you think royalties may have gone up from $2 to $3 or $4 as well? That’s what I kind of hope, because I buy new shit to support the new shit ya know?

[LonleySk8er15]

Heard this directly from someone who runs a prominent distributor on the east coast, but the price hikes are because shops have stopped ordering decks from them and other brands because all the older big companies like NHS brands and Zero are offering insanely ridiculous deals for like $17/board.

They further said it’s a short term problem that will have long term consequences, and that they’re “killing the industry.”

Thats just a fire sale. NHS has new shit coming out every 3 months. if they have a slow quarter or over order and cant sell all the stuff before the next round of product comes in all the old shit clogging the shelves goes on sale. $17 a board is extreme and they must have way over ordered and got desperate to clear out those decks. Thats not a forever price. Also the decks that were $17 bucks were probably the birch ones which is the price point line NHS sells that has cheap ass wood. I think FA having a clearance sale selling direct to consumers for less than the wholesale price is worse for the industry as a whole than NHS selling cheap boards for a season to shops so they can make a decent margin when they sell those boards to customers for $45. Zero is not a big company.

[Maccat]

Nothing gets cheaper. Why is anyone surprised?

There will always be a good better best model, especially in our world.

Now single screen hoodies fetching a hundo is crazy. Picked one up for 40 from West Side and that was easy picks. But a hundo? C’mon.

[Maccat]

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And if UPS goes on strike as planned, shipping costs will increase along with shipping delays/time.

[close]

@stevedave Interesting, didn't know anything about this. Any more details? Strike because of pay?

As someone from the shipping industry, it also has to do with lack of AC in trucks along with wage.