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$110+ just for a deck in Australia.
And it is only going higher with the low AU dollar compared to the US, some wholesale prices now over $75 just the deck, plus shipping, which is going to be hard to justify.
Those new FA and Hockey decks were AU$159 from OCD shop in the last lot that came out, and all sold out too.
At one point I seem to recall all pro decks were all around $150 but I cannot exactly remember when, 2000 give or take a few years? I was riding lots of blanks and seconds and getting by, but things got pretty costly, then the AU dollar went back above the US dollar and many people were enjoying getting lots for half the prices from US shops.
China made blanks still wholesale for $25 to $30 so retail for AU$50 to AU$60 but often don't last more than a session or two under heavy skating.
I would rather the good quality decks than the cheap quick fix, but that is just me.
Better off spending another $20 or so and skating Globe Resin 7 boards instead of blanks or cheap shop boards.
Yeah I think I remember paying $140 for pro Alien Workshop boards around 2001-2002 but it didn't last long for me or my buddies being unemployed teens.
I have to strongly disagree with the china made blanks only lasting a session or two. They are all I have ridden {australian shop boards/blanks - which are all the same china blanks} since 2o11. I guess I have the fact that I'm light on my side maybe...but I skate just as hard/harder than most people I know and the boards are absolutely fine. I've never understood anyone talking shit about the weight of shopboards {which I have heard A LOT} or whatever else their problem is and needing to spend double what I do to skate no better/no easier than I do. It's simply untrue. I know lots of guys that skate shopboards that rip and aren't replacing their boards that quickly at all. It's a topic that absolutely confuses me. I think people just like to have brands under their feet - which is fine, but I feel no allegiance to any board brand. What is a quality deck? What does that mean? To me it's a board that operates as I expect a skateboard to and doesn't break. Maybe it does all come down to me being a light-framed dude that has never really snapped boards {have snapped certainly less than 1o boards in my 25 years of skating} - I think I weigh 65kg. But then I would think the supposed extra weight of these shop boards would make it hard for me to skate them - which it is not at all. Have never had one delaminate or any other weirdness either. Not trying to argue at all - just expressing my confusion. Could you tell me what's wrong with these boards @Mbrimson88
Ok, so I heavily revised what I had been about to post, sent you a DM instead, given you are here in AU as well and know what we are talking about, but this is a simple version for all.
The issue I have with those blanks is NOT where they are made, but down to concave and kicks - I just cannot ride them, as they are too steep for my old busted ankles, so I ride BBS boards, usually with mellow concave, which are exactly the size, shape, concave and kicks I am comfortable with. As I don't break boards, I can afford whatever I want and it will last a decent amount of time, so I am happy to pay whatever is needed to get this. There are lots of people in the same category as me, who don't like the size, the shape, the weight or whatever, so will not ride those decks.
Others I skate with who do demolish whatever boards they ride within a few sessions, sometimes even a few hours, only buy these as they don't care so much if they break a $30 deck rather than a $60 or $100+ going by RRP more so than wholesale prices. It is interesting to note that these blanks last on average half the time that other pro boards have for them, but that is their own issue, not mine.
The only other thing to note is that everyone is different, so how one person skates and how they land or what they do can be completely different to others, but in general, many people who have skated these boards find them to be more of a last resort or a go to if they cannot get whatever else they want, or just need something cheap to get them through. I let people make up their own minds about whatever boards they buy, but it is very interesting hearing the general conversation round what they like to skate and what they find breaks more easily.
If I was breaking boards, I would definitely think twice about what I bought or had to spend and certainly could not afford to be skating at all like some others do, when they are breaking so many decks so frequently.
Topic: Overpriced or underpriced? (Read 9666 times)