Well, despite what I said last month, I was able to pull together a full and complete BayWatch for April 2010. It was a tough month though. I’m assuming lots of people owed on their taxes in April because almost all of the big-ticket decks available went unsold. Only a few decks went for over a thousand. Actually, I don’t think I’ve seen so many decks go unsold with no bids in a single month before. Lots of decks were terribly overvalued with ludicrous starting bids, so there was no action on those. It did make for an interesting month though because I had to dig deeper than usual, and I unearthed some stuff that normally might not have made it in. Hopefully you’ll enjoy looking at what I found. And not to worry, from what I’ve seen so far May looks to be a return to normalcy with lots of interesting decks going off for normal prices. I’m excited about some of the stuff in May already.
So this month I’ve been totally hooked on the album “The Body The Blood The Machine” by The Thermals. OK, I know, I’m late to this party. These Portland natives have been putting out music for about 7 years, and have released 4 full-length albums so far. “The Body The Blood The Machine” is their third album and was released in 2006 to much critical acclaim, but I guess I wasn’t paying attention. Musically it’s hard to describe without sounding trite. “Lo-fi alternative” sounds like some nonsense you’d see written on a tag at Best Buy for some new nouveau hippy band, but in this case it applies. iTunes describes it as “politically charged, lo-fi inspired punk-pop”, but I don’t think that’s accurate. Punk-pop? Isn’t that Sum 42 or some lame shit like that? This has nothing at all to do with that nonsense. They play hooky, spiky, unpolished alternative rock. Imagine the Violent Femmes or something. How would you describe them? The guitar comes in splattering chunks, sounding like something you’d hear coming out of a neighbors garage, but it’s the vocals that get to you. He has an eerie voice that positively shakes with conviction. He means every fucking word, you can tell that. The band is (was?) a three piece, and you can actually tell. There’s a drive and directness to the music that you don’t often get with somebody fucking around on lead guitar. The whole album is a fueled attack on religion, but sometimes the details go over my head. But I don’t care because the thing is just so good. The first song ‘Here’s Your Future” is a total classic, and I really like “St. Rosa and the Swallows” too. It’s a great, great record.
And to clarify something I talked about last month. The series The Pacific just finished on HBO. It was ultimately a disappointment because it was simply too up and down and not focused enough. They tried to intertwine the stories of three different marines (two of whom left memoirs), who all served in different battles at different times. This left the viewer totally confused at times. What year was it? Why isn’t Leckie in this episode? Why is Basilone at home if the war is still going on? I guess part of the confusion is because each of the battles (Guadalcanal, Peleliu, Okinawa) were all fought on islands, so they all look the same, so it’s easy to get confused. Again, the producers didn’t do a good enough job of setting the time, place and how the events interconnect with each other. That shouldn’t take away fro some of the good episodes though, because some were truly outstanding. Basically the Eugene Sledge episodes were amazing, particularly episodes 7 and 9. They wee the equal to Band of Brothers, and it’s because Sledge wrote an amazing war memoir, and they lifted parts almost word for word. That’s why it seemed so real and a lot of the other stuff just didn’t. I just got done reading it, and you should check it out. It’s called “With The Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa” and it is an amazing, gut wrenching read. Those boys literally went through hell so we can ride skateboards and read stupid crap like this on the internet. I have total respect for WWII veterans.
60s, 70s, early 80s.
First up this month is this Z-Flex Jay Adams complete. I told myself that I’m tired of showing this deck every month and I wouldn’t so it anymore unless the colorway was really unusual, but this one really stood out for some reason. I think it’s the white colorway with the red Kryptonics, and the yellow Tracker sticker. Normally I prefer a deck sans stickers, but this one really adds something. Without it would look very plain. It sold for $600. I’m guessing the seller doesn’t know much about skateboards, because the trucks are described as “medal turning parts” and the wheels are called tires.
From the mid 60s we have this Champion Sidewalk Surfboard. Unlike most skateboards from this period, this one is actually the size of a big modern deck, measuring a large 34” long. It’s very clean for its age, but it has been sprayed with a light covering of polyurethane. The clay wheels are clean, and overall it would look fantastic in any collection. It sold for $400.
I don’t cover many slalom decks, but here’s a beauty from the mid 70s. It’s a G&S Henry Hester slalom deck in a very striking bright red. It’s in very good shape, and although it was clearly set up and ridden, it is very clean. The bottom is covered in Tracker and Kryptonics stickers, so that gives us an idea of the setup. The deck is fiberglass, as the ad from Skateboarder shows.
Here is the classic mid 70s solid oak Logan Earth Ski Bruce Logan model. It’s in NOS condition, but really, with a solid slab of oak like this, what could you really do to it? Split it with an axe like firewood perhaps? It was a classic however. Couple this with Lazer trucks and some Kryps and you were the bad ass of the neighborhood, the envy of every spotty faced grom for miles. It sold for $199.
I first featured this 1960s “The Monster” skateboard about a year ago. Since then it’s become pretty damned desirable apparently because this great condition model sold for $351. It’s super clean up top, and the black clay wheels are even in good shape, with side graphics that read Union Hardware, Torrington Conn. They even have yellow hubcaps to keep the grime out of the open bearings. If you’re looking for this model you’re bumming, because you won’t find a much better example anywhere.
And finally from the 70s (actually 60s) this month we have this Nash “Surf Bird” complete. The top of the deck is clean and bright, and the steel wheels and bearings are shiny and spin well. There is a kid’s signature on the bottom of the deck, which is a nice touch. I wonder what he is doing now, 45 years later? The board measures 22” by 5” and is basically a flay slab of slightly shaped wood. Still, I like it a lot. It sold for $104.
Mid 1980s
So let’s start off the 80s section this month with this Rip City Black Flag “Process of Weeding Out” deck from 1987. Rip City, a skateshop in Santa Monica put out 4 different Black Flag decks in the 80s, all with the classic Raymond Pettibon graphics. All are very desirable to both skate and Black Flag collectors. This deck is pretty worn out as you can see; the tail is razored, the rails and risers took the paint off, and there are scratches and scuffs galore. Despite all that, the deck still sold for $1,525 on 35 bids, which is pretty damned amazing when you think about it.
Ok, so I had another deck all set to go in this space, but I pulled it at the last minute. Did you really need to see another Steve Caballero? I decided no, so I put this Hosoi (Santa Cruz) Sergie Ventura “trident” from 1989 in its place instead. This is one of those “used to be common, but now not so much” decks like the Planet Earth Animal Kingdom. It’s actually a great nose to tail graphic, full of motion and design savvy. It looks really nice on the deep green stain, and is mint in shrink. This very nice deck went for $229.
“Grrr! I’m any angry deformed rabbit! I’m on the bottom of a G&S Steve Claar deck. Neil Blender painted me! Fear me!!” Now Steve Claar only had a handful of pro decks, but every one had a great graphic. Danny way has had a million decks and almost every one has had a totally shit graphic. Go figure? This one is NOS and in a very nice rich red stain. It’s a killer looking deck, and had a BIN of only $150. This deck came in 2 shapes, and this is the earlier one. A later one had a kicknose, was double drilled and was a more streamlined shape. This graphic is one to watch I tell you. It’s going to go up and up.
Aah yes, the Schmitt Stix Steve Douglas “keyhole” from 1990. It followed the beer label and tea label decks. The nose is double drilled, and I really love the olive green stain. It’s in NOS condition and is an exceptional looking deck I think. I meant to bid on this one but it got away from me. It sold for $113.
Now this one I was very close to putting in the Bargains section, despite the fact that it sold for $280. It’s a Santa Cruz Eric Dressen “Celtic Roses” from 1989. It’s NOS, and the colorway on this one is just superb. You see this a lot in a two color graphic, normally gold and a complimentary color for the type, but this one is in full and living color. Considering a plain gold and blue one sold a few days before for $400, the $280 that this one sold for seems like a major bargain, at least to me. Great score.
From the sublime to the ridiculous! Now we go to the penis deck of penis decks, the Zorlac gargoyle. The seller had to be in on the joke here because the photo is taken at such an angle to make it look even more penis like than usual! The deck is NOS with the regular storage marks etc, but has never been mounted or gripped. The colorway is really bizarre, with a baby blue dip and pink, yellow and orange gargoyle guy. It looks like they might have missed a screen, or it might be supposed to look like this. Either way it’s hideous and yet compelling, all at the same time. $455.
Now here’s a great looking complete! I don’t normally think too much of this Vision Gator “Diamond” model from 1989, but the colorway presentation on this one is superb. We might have all been down on Vision decks back in the day, and down on Vision as a whole as a “sellout” company, but their designers sure came up with some killer colorways. The green and black classic Gator background is accented perfectly by the yellow diamond and red and white letters. Add the matching yellow rails, tail and Vision Shredder wheels, and you have a killer, color coordinated complete. Even the griptape job up top is killer. This is an awesome complete and sold for only $299.
“So why’s Neil showing me 2 different Grabke auctions? There’s nothing compelling about either of these decks!” Well let me tell you. It’s actually one auction, not two. The seller was selling 2 Santa Cruz Claus Grabke “Holding Back Time” decks in the same auction. Both are NOS, never setup, some marks etc. Close to mint apparently. One is in a hideous purple stain with yellow, blue and red graphic, while the other is a more muted green stain with red and yellow graphic. I don’t really acre for either one to be honest, but if you made me choose it would be the green one. I’m sure they made some Grabke collector happy though. The two sold together for $775. Could he have gotten more if he’d separated them? That’s hard to say, but probably not. $385 is a good selling price for a Holding Back Time.
OK, this one’s pretty sweet. It’s a Hosoi (Santa Cruz) “street Flag” team deck from 1988. I really really like the yellow dip on this one. It’s an unusual colorway, but the yellow matching the yellow of the Hosoi name really works for me. It’s far subtler than most street flags, which might be blue dip with the red and white flag and yellow type. Those can look fat too busy, but this looks classic and simple. It’s a nice looking deck and sold for $375.
And talk about understated, here’s the deck that started it all, the classic Skull Skates Hosoi hammerhead from 1987. This one is the mini model, and is mint apart from the hideous signature across the middle. It’s funny, baseball cards and other athletic memorabilia are worth more with an autograph, but that’s not really the case with skateboard decks. It’s the graphic, the artwork that’s important here, not the pro’s name. You can’t say this is mint because it’s got writing on it. It might as well be gang graffiti or something. Well maybe not, but you get my drift. It sold for $1,075, so maybe I’m overplaying the signature, but it is big and ugly isn’t it?
I had a couple of requests to stop showing Kendall’s, but sorry, I’m not at that point yet. He had a ton of interesting graphics, and his decks are going up and up with no sign of stopping, and I find that fascinating. This is the Santa Cruz Jeff Kendall “Atomic Man” from 1990. It’s mint in shrink, and apparently has no imperfections at all. The seller certainly took clear and detailed photos, so I have no reason to doubt him. Even though it looks brownish, it’s actually a purple stain and I must say that the deck does look very handsome. The greens and yellows really pop and the shadowy figure certainly ahs an air of menace. Actually, if you look carefully at the face it appears to have a long mustache. I think it’s Hulk Hogan in that case. All he needs is a bandana to cover the bald head. It sold for $530.
Man, it doesn’t get much more classic than this. It’s a Sims Lester Kasai “Splat” from 1983, looking totally timeless on natural wood with a blue, yellow and orange graphic. It’s so simple and yet so profound. It’s the mini, which probably lowered the price somewhat, but it’s still a total classic. It’s never been mounted or gripped but does have some delam issues. Not like you’re riding it anyway. This is going right on the wall, where it belongs. It sold for $540.
I normally stay away from the Zorlac Metallica decks, but I really like the looks of this one, so here you are. It’s the “classic” first Metallica model from 1987. It has all the hallmarks of mid 80s Zorlac present: super funky shape with all kinds of bumps and notches, Pushead graphic and awesome and yet puzzling colorway. The deep green stain is wonderful, and the red bandana and olive swords look great. But the Metallica type across the top is so dark as to be completely illegible. If you didn’t know to look for it you’d miss it. That doesn’t really bother me because I don’t like Metallica, but if that’s the reason you’re buying this deck then you might be bummed. I think it looks subtler this way, and it’s probably my favorite colorway for this deck. It sold for $650.
Believe it or not there are some collectors out there who just collect freestyle decks, so for those guys I try to feature at least one freestyle deck every month. Normally it’s a Mullen, but this month it’s a Santa Cruz Ray ‘Skippy” Meyer from 1987. It ahs never been set up, but it does have a lot of storage marks, especially on the topside. This graphic always makes me smile, and is a Jim Phillips if you were wondering. It sold for $272.
I never would have found this deck if it hadn’t have been for one of our most frequent emailers, Matthijs. He frequently sends me links to auctions he thinks I might be interested in. Most I already have seen, but I missed this one. It’s a Titus Skates Ralf Middendorf ‘Devils” from 1991. Titus is/was the biggest company in Germany, and much like Deathbox in England they had their own pro skaters etc. The wood was by Santa Cruz I believe. This one has a totally classic 1990 shape, smooth and functional with a kicknose. It’s a really nice looking deck and sold for $80. Thanks for the link Matthijs, keep them coming, and everybody else do the same if the deck is unusual. I don’t want 100 Hawk auctions thanks.
I’m so burned out on anything and everything that has the Misfits name on it that I almost left out this auction for this pair of decks, but they went so high that I had to feature them. Clearly we have a Samhain deck and a Misfits “evil never dies” deck on the ever popular and eerie coffin shaped deck. They were purchased through a mail order ad in Thrasher from 1987, and as such are very rare, especially in unskated NOS condition like this. Actually, that raises a question in my mind. A few years back some of the dicks at the Skull Skates store in Vancouver wouldn’t server Kilwag because he runs Cold War and Cold War was offering a coffin shaped Groovie Ghoulies deck at the time. The nitwits at Skull said they came up with that concept so Cold War was biting their shit. Well, there’s a good chance that these Misfits coffin decks came out before the first Skull coffin, and if that’s true, then it makes the story even more ludicrous. They sold for a large $1,534.
This is another one of those auctions where I had to do extensive Photoshop work on the image to get a useable picture. Apparently the seller must have been shooting a lot of photos of Jessica Parker or something, because there was so much goop on the lens that the photo couldn’t have been softer. Blurry, shimmery and beautiful. Of course you’d need about a ton of it to help that nag, but that’s just me. Anyway, It’s a Dogtown Aaron Murray first model from 1988, and it has the classic Wes Humpston artwork. I really dig the dolphins at the bottom and the breaking waves. It’s in NOS condition, some scuffs, never been setup. It looks awesome in this colorway. The multitude of colors really pop off the white dip, which is still bright white after 20 years: Santa Cruz take note. It’s a great looking plank, and sold for $300.
OK, so I hadn’t planned on showing any more Natas decks for awhile, at least the 80s ones. The 90s ones don’t show up as often so I figure you’re not as bored of those as I am with the 80s ones. But this Natas ‘Evil Cat” from 1990 went so high that I had to show it. Not that it isn’t a nice looking deck, because it is. Mint, classic black dip with bright yellows, blues and purples; what’s not to like? It used to be one of the most easily obtainable Natas decks, selling in the $200 range mostly, so when this one sold for $550, it raised some eyebrows. I would fully expect to see a flood of these on the bay now, along with a Designarium reissue some time in the near future.
“I said Monty. He said what?’ I Said Monty. He said what!” Continue ad nauseum. See Captain Sensible for clarification. Anyway, for those that don’t know, here we have a Schmitt Stix Monty Nolder “Totem” mini deck from 1986. It also came in a full sized model with a similar but not identical graphic. This one is awesome, in an orange stain with deep green, red and white graphics. It’s an outstanding example of this deck. Some had front wheel wells, but this one does not. It’s in mint condition apparently, at least apart from the fact that somebody has written “Team Nolder” in the back truck holes. Anyway, it sold for $425.
Much like the Sims Kasai ‘Splat” above, these 2 Sims Jef Phillips ‘Breakout” completes are absolute classics. The top blue deck is the earlier model from 1984. It has front and rear wheel wells and less of a nose. The lettering is different too. Sims is not in a piece of the wall, and the letters are plain and left aligned. On the later green model below, Jeff is centered and small, while Phillips has the drop shadow effect. Sims is also smaller and inside of a piece of the wall. Both decks appear to be in used but great shape, and both colorways are outstanding. The blue and purple is super sweet, but the green stain and pink on the 1985 model leaves me gobsmacked. The earlier model is also in worse shape, and that one sold for a very affordable $153. The green one was affordable too, selling for only $213. Two great examples of an iconic graphic.
Here we have an Alva Skates Eddie Reategui “Warrior” deck from 1988. It’s mint and on an unusual yellow/gold stain. The orange, pink and red graphics are an odd choice on this color background. Greens and blues would have been far better, but it has a certain something I suppose. I’m mainly featuring this one for the crazy dolphin tail. Look at the bigger version and dig that tail! You know that most kids in the 80s dragged and razored that thing right down in a matter of days, but all minty and new like this it is a miracle of 80s design. It sold for $208.
Somebody check my temperature because I’m showing another Santa Cruz Rob Roskopp! It’s the “Face” model from 1987. Even though the picture is kind of blue, the deck is actually white dip. It’s in NOS shape, some scuffs, but nothing major. If you want this deck, then this is the colorway to get. The mouth, eyes and sweat really pop on the white background, and the yellow teeth look like they’d glow in the dark. From a distance you think “Blah”, but when you look at this deck up close you realize that Jim put a ton of detail into the graphic. The teeth and mouth alone are super detailed. I might never like it but I can still appreciate it for what it is. $698.
Some overplayed decks I show because they went super high, but this one is just the opposite. It’s a Santa Cruz Salba “Tiger” obviously, and it appears that the reissue must have really hurt the value of this graphic in particular. A few years ago it was a $400 deck, but it really jumped, and for the last couple of years you couldn’t touch this deck for under $700. Man how times have changed. This mint in shrink one sold for only $406. I know that the natural wood isn’t the most exciting background here, but still, it’s a mint in shrink Salba tiger. The “Baby on World” is going for more than this!
Oh, this one is a sexy beast. It’s a Dogtown Ben Schroeder “Big Ben” mini from 1988. It’s mint but not in shrink, and although it appears to be a brown stain from here, it’s actually an attractive dark grey stain. The graphics are bright and flawless. I’ve always loved this graphic, and the shape is great too; I dig the blunt shovelnose. The graphics are by Lance Mountain. It sold for a measly $199 which feels like s total steal.
Here we have an Alva Street Fire team deck from 1985. The artwork is by Mondo Beck. While there are lots of Alva pro model decks widely available from the same period, the team decks are seemingly very few and far between. This might be the first Street Fire that I’ve featured. I guess that Jef Hartsel rode this deck when he was an Alva am, and when he got a pro model he modeled it on this deck and called it the Street Fire 2. The condition isn’t the best, but the graphic is pretty much all there, and is a great representation of the Alva art department at this time. $165.
And finally from the 80s this month we have this super-tight Powell Peralta Per Welinder “Nordic Skull” from 1987. I really love the photo, and that might be why I’m showing it. The angle is super nice. It’s not flat but it still shows the whole deck. The colors are very rich and there is no glare. It’s just a really nice, crisp photo. Why can’t all sellers pay a little bit more attention to their photos like this? The seller shows top and bottom views in one image, and also shows close-ups. He pulled me in that’s for sure. I wouldn’t have dreamed of bidding on a Welinder before, but he almost got me to bid here. It’s mint in shrink, and the deep red dip is superb. This one sold for $344.
90s-present day
Here’s a World Industries Randy Colvin “Colvinetics” from 1991. This came as both a slick and a regular deck. This is the slick version. The deck was clearly a spoof of the L. Ron Hubbard Dianetics book, featuring he same cover art. L. Ron Hubbard was clearly out of his mind, and the whole scientology thing is clearly insane, so it always amazes me that so many seemingly intelligent folks go for it. I guess we all need something to cling to. Anyway, this deck is lightly used but still all there if this is your bag. Of course, at a distance folks might think it’s the real thing and think you’re insane, so watch out. $390 on 22 bids.
Here’s a Powell Peralta Bucky Lasek “Stadium” from 1990. It seems like I haven’t featured this deck forever! The crowd is from a Baltimore Orioles baseball game with famous skate folks in the seats. This was one of those decks that was everywhere a few years back and sold for under $100. Those days are long gone, as this one sold for $304, and is coming from Australia so add another $40 shipping to that! It’s Bucky’s first deck, but I’ve never liked it. It’s just too busy to me.
Now here’s a Zorlac Metallica deck that you don’t see every day. The seller claims 1980s, but I’m saying later than that because of the shape and the double-drilled nose. I’d say more like 1991. Actually, of all of the Zorlac Metallica decks, this one is probably my favorite and it might be the rarest. That being said I don’t particularly like any of Pushead’s stuff, and I pretty much hate Metallica, but if I had to have one of their decks it would probably be this one. The lines are very clean and it looks very functional, plus the natural colorway is nice. It sold for $400 on 18 bids.
Here we have a World Industries Rodney Mullen “dog food” deck, his first deck on World after leaving Powell. The horse is in heaven because he’s been made into dog food. Was that some kind of dig at George Powell? Anyway, this one is strange because the original had a Mullen Glue top logo that was later changed to the generic World logo. This one however has no top logo at all, and I don’t know what to make of that. Is it some kind of pre release test model? Is it a repro? I’m not sure. It sold for $519 so I hope that the buyer is happy.
So here’s a New Deal “Phase One Hybrid” team deck from 1991. It’s one of the first decks ever put out under the New Deal label, and it has some crazy construction. It has Wood, foam, epoxy urethane and fiberglass in there. You can’t see it from this picture, but there is some kind of protective black bumper around the nose and tail. The colorway on this one is really nice: fire engine red stain and bright green and yellow on the spray can. Very vivid. It sold for $260.
I feature Hook Ups decks from time to time, and those suckers just keep going up in value! This is the “Pocahookups” model from 2003ish. It’s still mint in shrink, and sold for $305. There’s not much else to say about these decks. You either love them or you hate them. I’d love to see a big collection of them though. Some I really find appealing (it’s the English Benny Hill in me), but this one doesn’t do it for me. The school teachers now, that’s a different story.
Hmm. We go from a deck with no graphic merit or depth at all, to this one that probably has all sorts of deep and philosophical meanings. It’s a New Deal Mike Vallely “self portrait”. Mike at the time felt stretched between the known and the unknown. Ed Templeton did the artwork. The wall sockets represented everything Mike had been force-fed as he’d been growing up and had been expected to accept as truth. The alien is clearly the future unknown, pulling him from everything that felt safe. It’s deep and revealing, but ugly and crappy all at the same time. I think I prefer the half naked red Indian chick. It sold for $610.
I’ve been featuring a lot of sets recently to close out the 90s section, so here’s another. It’s the Shorty’s “Sesame Creeps” set from a few years ago (like how I covered up for the fact that I don’t know when these were released?!). It features Ernie and Bert as muggers, Big Bird as a bong-toting hippy, Oscar as a drunk skater, the Count as a pimp and Cookie Monster as a pill-guzzling freak. Officially they are “Break n’ Entry”, “Big Bong”, “Totally Trashed”, “Count Pimpula”, and “Crackie Monster”. I can just hear the Cease and Desist letters from here! The set sold for $230, which will be cheap one day, you can depend on that. As these kinds of sets go, this is one of my favorites because the characters span generations.
Assorted Crap
We have lots of assorted flotsam and jetsam from the 1960s and 1970s this month in the miscellaneous section. First up is this sticker collection from the late 70s. It features 22 assorted hard to find stickers from the period. As you can see we have G&S Wonkers, Yoyo wheels, Banzai, Logan Earth Ski and Grentec GT amongst others. It’s a nice collection and I was surprised that it only fetched $199.
OK, now here’s the perfect piece of mid 70s memorabilia. It’s completely useless as a functional object, but will still cause assorted cries of “that’s so cool!” It’s a Hobie Greg Weaver signature helmet in a stunning bright yellow. I wonder what 70s era parks this thing terrorized? It looks like it’s made from super thin plastic, so I couldn’t really see it protecting you at all, but back then the permed hair probably acted as enough cushion. Anyway, here it is and it could have been yours for $35.
Guys, stop the sticker madness, please. This Santa Cruz Steve Olson checkerboard sticker sold for $150, and a Steve Olson ‘SOS” sticker sold for $215. I mean really. Somebody could be printing these up again new right now and selling them! I’m not saying that this seller is, but if somebody started doing that, how would anybody tell the difference? There’s been a ton of original Natas 1st model stickers on the bay latterly, so some of that shit looks downright suspicious.
And while we are on that subject, what would possess somebody to spend $76 on a pair of Tracker riser pads? Now it is cool that they are unopened, still in the original package, but come on! I’d imagine that’s $20 cool at most, and then only to a Tracker fanatic. This auction had 3 bidders going all out to land these pieces of plastic. Maybe they’re going to grace an early 80s, period accurate complete. Or maybe they’re going on a dusty shelf. Who knows? All of the bidders were from England, and there are some complete accuracy collecting nuts over there, so it doesn’t surprise me I guess.
And here you go. You want vintage, unopened still in package? Well they don’t come much older or cooler than this. It’s a set of steel wheels for a “Sidewalk Skate” from the late 50s or early 60s. They are made by the Roller Derby Skate Corp in Litchfield Illinois, which is between Springfield and St. Louis. Believe it or not they are still in business and they sell skateboards: go to www.rollerderby.com for info. They sold for $61.
And finally in this section this month we have this skatepark sticker. It’s a Coca Cola branded sticker for Skatopia skatepark. No, not that modern Skatopia, this one was a concrete 70s park in Buena Park Southern California. It must have been a great park, because the web is flooded with old skaters with great memories of this place. It even has a website: skatopa.net. It features the official Skatopia logo, but with the Coke branding, and I don’t know why? Maybe they owned it for a time? Sponsored a contest? What I do know is that it sold for $158.
Bargains!
Starting off the Bargains section we have this Powell Peralta Steve Caballero “full dragon”. There was a time when just the mention of a full dragon would cause collectors to open their wallets and throw money at the deck, whatever the condition, but those days are long gone. This is a mini XT model, and has obviously been set up and used, but it’s still a very nice deep red dip, and the graphic is bright and unscathed. Remove the rails and stickers and you’d have a very nice wall hanger for $80. I’m not sure why there is a triangle of griptape on the tail. That one is a complete mystery.
Here’s a Santa Cruz Duane Peters “Pro Model” from 1983. It’s provided good service over the years clearly, but still looks very solid. It is complete with Indys and 92a Bullets. It’s the smaller version of the deck and very flat, but still, it’s an early DP and it’s in decent enough shape. Buy it and remove the center sticker to display, or use it as a cruiser to impress the 2 guys at the skatepark who know or care. $95.
I don’t get upset my missing auctions normally, but this one got me furious. To complete my collection of decks by mid 80s English pros I always wanted a Sean Goff. They hardly ever come up. As I was checking eBay, looking for decks to feature in this very edition of BayWatch, I saw a seller with a deck for sale, and it was resting on this very Brand X Sean Goff from 1986. I emailed the seller but with no luck, so I did a search for Goff but found nothing, so searched for Brand X, and sure enough this had sold 2 days earlier. It’s NOS, and the seller hadn’t seen the pro name on there and sold it as a generic team model. It sold for a ridiculous $63. So if the buyer is out there, send it along eh?
Here’s an interesting deck in an interesting colorway! It’s a Vision Tom Groholski “Graveyard” from 1990 in a totally rad black and grey with fluorescent yellows, greens and pinks. A lot of his graphics featured skeletons and monsters etc, and this brought them all together in one bright package. It’s very nice and only cost $120.
Much like the Cab full dragon above, there was a time when the Santa Cruz Jeff Kendal “Jagermeister” would fetch top coin, no matter the condition or colorway. Again, those times must have changed because this barely used model sold for only $153. Yes it’s been drilled and taped, but the graphic is perfect and the colorway is decent. It looks like a blue-grey stain on natural to me. It’s a great example of this graphic at a very affordable price.
I know that out there somebody is banging their head for missing this. It’s a Town and Country Ken Park “mugger” complete from 1986. It comes complete with Tracker ultralights, OJ IIs and Thunderbolts! It looks like it’s covered with stickers, but there are actually only 2: the OJ and the GBH sticker. The other shit is all part of the graphic! Remove the trucks and rails and stickers and you’ve got a very nice Park here, because the graphic looks like it’s in good condition. Or keep in complete and hang it up just like that. It sold for $85.
And we’ll finish off with a ludicrous bargain. It’s a Blockhead Mark Partain “Lizards” from 1988, Mark’s first pro graphic. I’ve always loved this one. I like the graphic style, the Pacific Northwest imagery and even the lettering. I think it all hang together beautifully. The muted greens, blues and yellows really work on the natural wood too. It’s NOS, with only some minor storage scuffs. Never mounted, never gripped. $115. Can you believe that shit? And it was from the same seller as the Brand X Goff above. He couldn’t buy a break!
Seey a next month.
-Neil
