Poll

You buying sale decks or retail price?

Retail
73 (33.6%)
Sale
81 (37.3%)
Fred Gall
63 (29%)

Total Members Voted: 216

Author Topic: Who’s buying decks at retail?  (Read 6380 times)

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ryanrockmoran

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #30 on: May 22, 2024, 06:03:03 PM »
I almost always do.  Boards at my local are like 55-70 usually.  There are shop and clearance boards for 40 or so.  I would generally rather pay 15-20 more to get a board I like than whatever is in the clearance section.

Plan9Customs

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #31 on: May 22, 2024, 07:20:56 PM »
Decks are normally retail from a core shop.
 Shoes, trucks, wheels, & bearings I scour the sales thread. Vans/Indy/Spitfire/Bones aren’t going out of business anytime soon.

Xen

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #32 on: May 22, 2024, 07:36:13 PM »
Sale...even then, sale prices are still higher than deck prices just over a year or so ago.

Covid hit prices soared, things went back to normal and everyone said 'fuck it' they're still gonna pay....$75 for a generic BBS board shape with shit clipart/MS Paint graphics from 'Old Pro's New Board Co." F-that.

Props to Crail on prices.

Weeeeeeell, back in my day, son, decks were $49.99 for DECADES...

Shop smart.
« Last Edit: May 22, 2024, 08:42:36 PM by Xen »

ElonMuskaBeats

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #33 on: May 22, 2024, 08:36:29 PM »
Somehow skateboarders don’t understand inflation. Cost of labor, materials, shipping etc constantly goes up and you expect the cost of a skateboard to be the same as it was in 1989? Realistically a skateboard should cost 100 bucks right now if you consider how many hands it has to go through to get to you. And all those hands need to make money to survive.

Free hat

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #34 on: May 22, 2024, 10:08:37 PM »
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All I’m hearing is “fuck supporting the skate industry”. Buying sale decks helps no one but you. Maybe helps clear the skate shop rack of the crap no one wants, but margins on decks is so minute that that’s not even really supporting the shops. Skateboarding is dying again, so unless you don’t give a shit, go buy something at retail and help out the shops and companies so they can continue to  exist.
[close]

Take that holier than thou shit out of here. Most people ain’t got money like that these days and even if they did it’s none of your business how they spend it. When companies are charging $80 on average + grip for a board than maybe the industry should die again. I buy softgoods from companies I support at my local or online and blank decks straight from the distributor. Some people have dependents and a shit ton of bills and needs. Preach somewhere else
[close]

Industry should die again? Ok, youtube dude. Mom and pop skateshops are what will be dying.

i like the local skate shop and want it to stay open another 27 years, so they can keep the real shit alive for the next generations. Full price shop decks are still leas than the $52.50 we paid for years.

YouTube or not, I got a family and can’t justify spending $80 every 3 weeks on a board, if you got it like that more power to you. I still support the local shops and like I said, I buy soft goods from companies I support.

Chavo

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #35 on: May 22, 2024, 10:47:12 PM »
Somehow skateboarders don’t understand inflation. Cost of labor, materials, shipping etc constantly goes up and you expect the cost of a skateboard to be the same as it was in 1989? Realistically a skateboard should cost 100 bucks right now if you consider how many hands it has to go through to get to you. And all those hands need to make money to survive.

American made silkscreened reissues go for about $100-$150, depending on colors/passes. Modern popsicles use cheap wood, iron on graphics, existing shapes and molds and slave labor. Many are cheaper to produce now than then.

j....soy.....

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #36 on: May 22, 2024, 11:25:25 PM »
I see the companies correcting the market by increasing the price, but they are still sitting on a large supply.  The number of companies and the overall malaise of the buyers will pull the price back down…..they tried but they picked the wrong time.  The demand just isn’t there.  Moreover….the product is all the same. 

moonordie

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #37 on: May 23, 2024, 12:41:55 AM »
I don't think I've ever paid retail in my adult life.
Usually I'll stack boards whenever I find a sale specially now that board prices went up like crazy. A Polar board used to be 1800 Kč and now is 2700 Kč (retail price ofc).
Once I'm done with the boards I have I'll start skating a friend little co for their retail price which is cheaper than boards from the US in sale.
Win/win
Sir, I'm going to politely, but firmly, ask you and your common sense to leave this establishment.

Hyliannightmare

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #38 on: May 23, 2024, 01:41:13 AM »
Way too poor to even consider buying full price

drinkwaterjamie

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #39 on: May 23, 2024, 02:01:44 AM »
Last time I bought a retail price deck was a Baker Casper Brooker Board when he first turned pro, I had a voucher to spend at a local and matched the rest. First board I ever snapped clean through within a week of having it, stuck to sale decks from then on

Síota

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #40 on: May 23, 2024, 02:31:46 AM »
I bought a heated wheel egg (people mover) was close to retail (think the owner gave me 5 euro off or something) on skate shop day.

Sila

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #41 on: May 23, 2024, 02:45:21 AM »
I haven't bought a retail deck since I returned to skating. I've bought trucks and wheels etc new but I'm pretty skint so the cost is justifiable imo.

Esmith5488

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #42 on: May 23, 2024, 02:50:45 AM »
I get more time to think about skating than actually doing it. Getting out once or twice a week normally gets me going through boards every 6-8 weeks so I don’t mind paying retail. Normally I end up wanting a specific shape and don’t feel like waiting for a sale, like when the easy rider AH blue eagle dropped I was fine paying full price for it. I have two kids and all the family stuff so I’m sure I could justify riding whatever crap is on sale but I get so few hours a week to skate I would rather not figure out a new shape if I couldn’t find mine on sale

InkkeACAB

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #43 on: May 23, 2024, 03:07:42 AM »
Somehow skateboarders don’t understand inflation. Cost of labor, materials, shipping etc constantly goes up and you expect the cost of a skateboard to be the same as it was in 1989? Realistically a skateboard should cost 100 bucks right now if you consider how many hands it has to go through to get to you. And all those hands need to make money to survive.

it's not hard to understand inflation, but board prices didn't go up until covid hit

IUTSM

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #44 on: May 23, 2024, 05:53:41 AM »
Expand Quote
Somehow skateboarders don’t understand inflation. Cost of labor, materials, shipping etc constantly goes up and you expect the cost of a skateboard to be the same as it was in 1989? Realistically a skateboard should cost 100 bucks right now if you consider how many hands it has to go through to get to you. And all those hands need to make money to survive.
[close]

it's not hard to understand inflation, but board prices didn't go up until covid hit

The price of materials, WOOD, in particular went sky high and has not come down. The cost of a sheet of plywood has increased close to 300%. That hasnt come down much and will not due to legitimately less and lower grade wood.

Skateboards are made out of “canadian maple.” Thats what we want for crisp, snappy wood. Maple is expensive and harder to source, again, source of lumber are fewer, throw in the wildfires of Canada the past few years, and lumber futures (forest tracts in particular) being traded as a commodity on the stock markets and you’ve got higher, exponentially higher prices across the gamut of all wood based products.

We just bought 150 16ft clapboard boards of a non-wood based siding for the job I am on, it’s made from coal ash, and it cost $12,539. Traditional cedar clapboard would have been 50% higher or more.

Wood products will only become more expensive. Maybe skateboard companies were really doing us a solid selling boards at such a low price all these years.


Expand Quote
Expand Quote
Expand Quote
All I’m hearing is “fuck supporting the skate industry”. Buying sale decks helps no one but you. Maybe helps clear the skate shop rack of the crap no one wants, but margins on decks is so minute that that’s not even really supporting the shops. Skateboarding is dying again, so unless you don’t give a shit, go buy something at retail and help out the shops and companies so they can continue to  exist.
[close]

Take that holier than thou shit out of here. Most people ain’t got money like that these days and even if they did it’s none of your business how they spend it. When companies are charging $80 on average + grip for a board than maybe the industry should die again. I buy softgoods from companies I support at my local or online and blank decks straight from the distributor. Some people have dependents and a shit ton of bills and needs. Preach somewhere else
[close]

Industry should die again? Ok, youtube dude. Mom and pop skateshops are what will be dying.

i like the local skate shop and want it to stay open another 27 years, so they can keep the real shit alive for the next generations. Full price shop decks are still leas than the $52.50 we paid for years.

[close]

YouTube or not, I got a family and can’t justify spending $80 every 3 weeks on a board, if you got it like that more power to you. I still support the local shops and like I said, I buy soft goods from companies I support.

Plenty of people have a family and mouths to feed, no doubt, and plenty more are stocking up a “freezer” full of extra cheap skate shit. And most people dont need a new stick every 3 weeks. They want one. It’s a product of excessive consumption.
Support your local skate shop

BALARGUE

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #45 on: May 23, 2024, 06:13:22 AM »
Expand Quote
Somehow skateboarders don’t understand inflation. Cost of labor, materials, shipping etc constantly goes up and you expect the cost of a skateboard to be the same as it was in 1989? Realistically a skateboard should cost 100 bucks right now if you consider how many hands it has to go through to get to you. And all those hands need to make money to survive.
[close]

it's not hard to understand inflation, but board prices didn't go up until covid hit

The actual situation was prices were about to go up AND COVID hit at the same time (COVID pushed them higher though).
Production optimization helped keep the price around 50$ but it wasn't possible anymore.


If you only buy discounted products at your local, you are lying to yourself if you think you are supporting the shop

Pintofguinness

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #46 on: May 23, 2024, 07:31:17 AM »
Was running up the skate mental site a bunch last year when all the x team boards were like 20$ - the license plate ones were dope because it was really easy to spray out the license plate and just have a clean black board or like presto a drawing of whetever
J recently bought a full priced polar from the local was a Hjalte so wish I didn’t skate it cuz would be cool to have his last board on polar but whateva - was a great board I love popsicle with wheel wells n I still have it somewhere with his name only kinda scratched off


rawbertson.

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #47 on: May 23, 2024, 08:30:35 AM »
i get hooked up by a friend who works in the industry but sometimes i will buy retail if its a board i really want.
there was a anti hero deck I really wanted so I bought it full price even though i was getting boards for cheap.
I also buy boards from some guys who are trying to start their own company locally called Solo Tango, i guess that is not really retail either. I am still saving like $20-30 dollars buying from them compared to like a Quasi or whatever - and they are PS STix boards. highly recommend if you are in Ontario Canada to check them out!

BootsWithTheFerg

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #48 on: May 23, 2024, 08:33:34 AM »
All I’m hearing is “fuck supporting the skate industry”. Buying sale decks helps no one but you. Maybe helps clear the skate shop rack of the crap no one wants, but margins on decks is so minute that that’s not even really supporting the shops. Skateboarding is dying again, so unless you don’t give a shit, go buy something at retail and help out the shops and companies so they can continue to  exist.

This shit would be all cute and fine if the skateboard industry didn't survive just on 50 dollar decks for the the last like 20 years. Just to pivot to 80 the second it was culturally acceptable. We get shits a business but you can only use supply chain issues and wood prices as your reasoning for so long.

It's crazy there was very little middle ground between 50 and 80. It's makes 0 sense other than this is what everyone else who is selling shit is doing so let's do it too.

When the shop decks are selling for 60 with grip do you even want the shit to live? Let it die if that's what we need to do to maintain it's existence. Especially when the effort and quality and art that goes into this shit has declined as fast as the prices rose.

Just like everything else in capitalism there's like 3 or 4 distributors in skateboarding making the rules for everyone pricing shit like this. There is no way they aren't in cahoots with the 2 or 3 big woodshops. Skateboarding is killing itself and maybe by design.


backside_frontside

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #49 on: May 23, 2024, 08:33:40 AM »
I bought a few Frog boards direct from their website for full price, but boards were still $60 then so it wasn't too expensive and that particular shape is perfect. Bought a couple wall boards for retail price as well, but that was in like 2015. Now boards are $70+ and I ain't paying that much. I'm trying to buy up a bunch of cheap boards right now to stock up for at least the next year.

Gleefull508

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #50 on: May 23, 2024, 09:21:28 AM »
All I’m hearing is “fuck supporting the skate industry”. Buying sale decks helps no one but you. Maybe helps clear the skate shop rack of the crap no one wants, but margins on decks is so minute that that’s not even really supporting the shops. Skateboarding is dying again, so unless you don’t give a shit, go buy something at retail and help out the shops and companies so they can continue to  exist.

shut the fuck up

OhioGuy

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #51 on: May 23, 2024, 09:27:01 AM »
I'm a big dude (working on changing that) and one wrong landing could snap a deck. So buying them at retail is foolish. Now I'll gladly pay full price on everything else. Shoes, trucks, wheels, etc.

But IMHO, the industry should treat decks like loss leaders. $80 is too much for a deck. Girl/Chocolate are $58 on most sites. And that's the perfect price.

Free hat

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #52 on: May 23, 2024, 09:30:12 AM »
Ah good question.

I’m old. I can’t go through decks very fast (3-5 months), so I’m buying whatever I want at full retail if it’s in the local. For two reasons:

1. supporting the small local business.
2. Getting exactly what I want. after decades of buying whatever was the cheapest and making it work and getting used to it, I don’t have time to be fucking around anymore… I like what I like and I want fun graphics to make me stoked to skate.

That being said, if there’s a screaming deal on sale decks, I will stock up on a skate shop’s sale online (thanks shoplurker.com and sale gear thread boards)

15 years ago I would have answered: “whatever cheap shop deck is available in the size I want”

(*which, side note, is it true that buying shop decks helps out the shop pretty well?)

@Dad Board  softgoods and shoes are the best margins, I hear, so maybe that’s the best way to support local shops? Maybe buying full retail decks isn’t the best way to support, so buying sale decks from wherever, but buying shoes and softgoods from local is the way to go.

When I was young I didn’t know how people afforded full price decks at $60-$65. I always went for $30-$40 shop decks.

Exactly. Shops don’t make much on board sales anyways. The people clutching their pearls because I buy $25 generator blanks don’t seem to understand that. Also, lumber prices have been going down since at least last year, make of that what you will, but I don’t have the luxury to keep a company in business if they can’t meet me halfway and offer some kind of competitive pricing or at least some new technology that will make my board not sog out after 10 sessions. So many moral high ground motherfuckers want to throw rocks at someone because they don’t buy every item full price at their local shop or wear core brand shoes, you must not have any bills to pay or you’re on some Mikey Taylor Bitcoin shit idk. I’m just a guy trying to survive in this fucked up economy and do the thing I love on gear that isn’t trash. If I inadvertently ruin someone’s business in the process than maybe they weren’t very good at running it in the first place.

OhioGuy

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #53 on: May 23, 2024, 09:44:20 AM »
I bought one of these. More companies should take blanks and slap minimalistic logos on them. Some folks would still pay for cool graphics, but this is a good alternative for others who can't afford expensive decks.

https://www.tactics.com/the-heated-wheel/grasshopper-85-skateboard-deck/pink

Scarecrow Radio

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #54 on: May 23, 2024, 09:50:05 AM »
I'll pay full price for a deck, I'm such a stickler about graphics, colors, shapes, concave, kicks and wheelbase that I will pay retail to get exactly what I want

Rick Trapasso

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #55 on: May 23, 2024, 09:58:23 AM »
I pay full retail price. My local shop is real small and I wanna support as best I can.

He's a cool dude and just orders me whatever I want from his distros

malevy

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #56 on: May 23, 2024, 10:44:02 AM »
I'm obsessed with the symmetrical heroin popsicle so I've paid retail on those. Other than that, try to find a sale

jerkass

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #57 on: May 23, 2024, 10:52:32 AM »
I'm poor but I suck too bad to really go through boards at a rapid clip so I'll grab something at the local if I really want it. I also feel that because I suck I kind of owe it to skateboarding in other ways, which doesn't make sense but life seldom does. I also try to support smaller companies when I can. I can't contribute by making anyone stoked on watching me so I guess this is how I do it.

That said, I will also buy sales stuff though because I'm an American and I always want MORE MORE MORE!

Yakusoku2

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #58 on: May 23, 2024, 11:23:48 AM »
If I really want the deck because I know it’s going to be sold out soon, I pay full price, but most of the time I search the cheapest option online and buy it directly from the skateshop’s site. Now, lately prices are increasing so much that I stopped buying some brands like Hockey. I can’t justify paying more than ¥18,000 for a deck. Last year they cost ¥13,200. It’s a non sense.

ThisFuckingDude

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Re: Who’s buying decks at retail?
« Reply #59 on: May 23, 2024, 01:35:36 PM »
I skate FA 8.25 im not sure the shape name but its the flatter one. So yea I always buy boards at retail. Ever since I started skating again since I was already working full time for almost a decade at that point.