eBay Watch: September 2012

So welcome to the September 2012 edition of eBayWatch. I’m sorry that it so late, but that brings up something I want to talk to you all about. The way Baywatch is put together right now is just too much work for me to complete on a timely basis. Something has to give, either fewer decks a month (20-30) or it goes to a bi-monthly schedule with the same number of decks that I do monthly now (50-60). Covering that many auctions a month is just too much. My preference is to still go monthly but do fewer decks. Maybe you all can vote in the Comments section or something. Anyway, there are some really high priced decks this month with 10 going over the $1000 barrier and two eclipsing $3000. The 70s section in particular is a good one this month.

My music selection this month is from a band from Italy called Giuda. Now, if you are the same age as me, or even close, you might remember some of the glam bands of the early to mid 70s. Think Slade, the heavier end of Sweet, Mott the Hoople, with some Gary Glitter chants thrown in. Well Giuda certainly do, because they’ve produced a great album that wouldn’t have been out of place in 1975. The album is called “Racey Roller”, and it’s jam packed with high energy, stomp along, glam rockers. Yes, pre-punk, but there’s definitely a punky edge here too, along with plenty of terrace filled sing along choruses. Of the ten songs here my favorites are “Number Ten” and “Here comes Saturday Night”, but they’re all great. The band has got the look down too, with the big sideburns, classic 70s football scarves etc. The packaging of the album is great too, with vintage design, along with ring wear around the edge of the “record”, and cheesy 70s stickers etc. It’s awesome. Check out their video for “Number Ten” at the end of the article.

First up this in the 70s section this month is this Alva Tri-Logo deck from 1977. The deck is in new, undrilled condition! The bottom shows a little darkening and sun damage, but the top is as clean as when it left the factory! It’s a thing of rare beauty, and it sold for $1,275.

Oh my, this thing is freaking unreal! Here we have a Sims Greg Ayres 12” “cutaway” from 1979 that matched the Sims Andrecht and Lamar of the same time period. It’s the same deck, different colorways. The Ayres is probably the rarest of the 1979 Sims pro models. This complete is made even more special by the Tracker Magnesiums and NOS Sims Snakes! The deck has some nose and tail wear, but is in very solid shape for the most part. The colorway is superb, and the trucks and wheels turn a great deck into a superb complete. It sold for a very reasonable $1,258 on 19 bids.

And here’s another crazy 70s complete! It’s a Dogtown Wes Humpston “BigFoot” from 1978. The deck is basically in NOS condition, that’s how clean and unridden it is. It comes complete with X-Caliber spring trucks with axle extenders (the deck was 12” wide) and the craziest wheels I’ve ever seen: Hedgehog wheels. The seller claims that only 2 sets exist in the world, and who am I to argue! They were designed as the first off-road, downhill wheels, and knowing all of the crazy gimmick products from the 70s, this wouldn’t surprise me at all. The tailskid is made to match. So you have one insane looking complete with a NOS deck, and super rare trucks and wheels. The only drawback might be that the grip has been removed from the top for some reason. It’s not your everyday complete that is for sure, so is hard to put a price on, but that is why eBay is so great. It sold for $2,950 on 25 bids.

Here we have a Variflex Eddie Elguera “El Gato” deck from 1980. It has been signed down the middle in red sharpie. The trucks and rails have been removed, but the seller made no attempt to clean it up or remove the Marina Skatepark sticker from the tail. It was Eddie’s first pro model, and it sold for $301 on 16 bids.

And here we have another early Variflex deck, this being the Steve Hirsch deck from 1981. It’s in NOS condition, which is highly unusual for this deck. The bottom is a little yellowed, but the top is as clean as the day it left the factory. The rails are factory issue. It sold for $589.

And now let’s go for a ride in the Wayback Machine! John Humphrey manufactured this “Humco Surfer” skateboard circa 1963. It was the first patented skateboard in history. And here we have one up for auction on eBay. I’m guessing those wheels are steel? Looks like a rough ride, but my God. This is the precursor for all modern skateboards! It sold for $326 on 13 bids. I hope it’s not sitting in some wacky chain restaurant right now.

Now here’s something cool and classic. It’s a mint, undrilled Logan Earth Ski Bruce Logan ”World Pro Champion” deck from 1974. It’s been signed not only by Bruce but also by all of the other members of the Logan team including Laura Thornhill and Kim Cespedes. Those sigs are underneath. It’s a beautiful historic piece of lumber and it sold for $500.

And here we have another Logan Earth Ski Bruce Logan model, but this one having the “graphic” in blue. This one comes complete with Bennett Pro truks (sic) with plastic baseplates and OJ wheels. Everything is in pristine, never ridden condition. Seriously, this is time capsule worthy! It sold for $500 too.

So coming up are two Santa Cruz Steve Olson decks. My dilemma was do I put them in the 70s or 80s section? They are definitely 80s decks, but I think of Steve as a roots70s skater, so that’s where I’m putting them. First up is this Olson “Special Edition” from 1982. It comes complete with Trackers and OJs with German racing bearings. It’s in superb condition, and the slew of period correct stickers just adds to the whole package here. They make a great looking board look even better by giving it character and color. This one really is something special, and it sold for $886.

And ten we have this totally iconic Steve Olson “checkerboard w/ circle logo” from 1980/1981. DP has his stripes and Olson had the checkerboard. An awesome complete, all the way from the Apple Skatepark in Columbus Ohio in 1980! It comes complete with stage I Indys and black Gyro wheels. The copers and tail have seen lots of coping by the looks of it, and this complete shows all the scars of having been much ridden throughout its life. It sold for $900.

Here we have a Z-Flex Shogo Kubo “Z-Woody” from 1977. This complete is in virtually NOS condition, at least the trucks and wheels are. The Gullwings and Kryptonics are virtually mint, but the deck was very faded and the stickers were gone, so the seller sanded it and added new clear coat. He also regripped it and added new stickers. So is it 100% original? No. But is it a great looking complete from 35 years ago? Yes! It sold for $455 on 13 bids.

And finally from the 70s this month we have this very early Vision deck. It’s the Vision “Grateful Dead” 8-inch model. They also made a 10-inch model with the same graphic in blue instead of red. This one is NOS but has the regulation storage marks and scuffs etc. It’s a fine example of an early Vision deck, and it sold for $313 on 15 bids.

Mid 1980s

So first up in the 80s section this month we have this Zorlac Mark and Barry Abrook “Ghoul” deck from 1987. It’s NOS, never gripped or mounted. The colorway isn’t great, I much prefer the red dip that I’ve seen this deck in, but I guess the drab colors do match the content. It sold for $650.

Here we have a Rip City Black Flag “Reason for Living” deck from 1984. At least I think it is. Other ones have the Rip City logo on top but this one doesn’t have anything on the top. Plus it has the drippy Black Flag bars, almost like they were spray painted on. Is it a very rare early version or is it a repro? I’m not sure but it sold for $676 on 15 bids.

Here we have a Santa Cruz ‘Bullet” team deck from 1986. I always loved the simplicity of this graphic. Something about it makes me happy! I also much prefer this colorway to the black and blue one they also made. It’s NOS and it sold for $350 on a BIN after 8 hours.

And here we have a Dogtown Eric Dressen “Street” from 1987. It’s in NOS condition, but does have the usual surface blemishes and scuffs etc. It’s in a great colorway for this graphic: it’s really bright! The usual colorway seen is a dark woodstain, but this is far nicer. You seldom see this deck on NOS condition, so this is a real treat. You didn’t see this? Not surprising really. It was only up for 15 minutes, going for $600 on a BIN.

And here we have a Santa Cruz Duane Peters “Pro Model” from 1983. It comes complete with stage III Indys and G&S Yoyo wheels in a red/black split color! This complete is totally badass, and is the epitome of punk rock skating in 1983. The two yellow Santa Crus logos are stickers just FYI. I’d probably remove them because they don’t go with the rest of the colorway at all. The complete sold for only $350, which seems very cheap to me for such an iconic setup. The trucks and wheels should be worth that alone!

Here we have a G&S Foiltail team deck from 1984. It had previously been Gator’s shape and graphic with G&S, but after he left for Vision they continued to use it with the company name in place of his. This comes complete with one Tracker and one Gullwing truck (?) and G&S Yoyo wheels. The deck is super clean, and the yellow tail dome and rails actually add to the look of this complete. It’s sweet looking, and it sold for $379 on 15 bids.

Here we have a G&S Nicky Guerrero “Sun” deck from 1988. It’s NOS, and in a very attractive light purple stain, and the orange and yellow graphic is simple but effective. I really like the shape of this deck too. It looks clean and functional. It sold for $325.

OK, so to show how the name Tony Hawk still rules supreme when it comes to skateboard auctions I give you this mint in shrink Powell Peralta Tony Hawk “Chicken skull” from 1986. They must have sold millions of these around the world, and there is no shortage. EBay has dozens go off every month. Yes the pink is a nice colorway, but not nearly as nice as the yellow, lime green or even the black and purple. So when this reasonably common deck sells for $3,639 on 32 bids, what does that say? There’s one scale for all other decks and one for Tony Hawk.

Here we have a Skull Skates Christian Hosoi “Max Hammerhead III” from 1987. It’s the “splash” model, and that makes a nice change from the regular Hammerhead that we’ve all seen a billion times. Actually, you don’t see this one that often. It’s in good used condition and comes complete with back Indys and Ratbones. It even has Ugly Stix rails! The pink accents tie this together nicely. It sold for $460.

And speaking of Hosoi, here’s a real beauty. It’s a mint Alva Hosoi “Flaming Sun” from 1983. It was Christian’s first model on Alva after leaving Sims. Snub nose, front and rear wheelwells? This thing is a freaking beast, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. It truly is a grail, especially in this condition. You never think you’re going to see one and then it pops up! Obviously it didn’t go cheap, but it still went for less than the stupid Hawk! It sold for $3,200.

So yeah, that classic Powell Peralta decks just keep going up and up. Lance Mountain “Future Primitives” haven’t gotten to Hawk craziness yet, but they are getting up there. This NOS black dip, 7-ply full size sold for $1,754. So when people ask why the reissues sell so well, now you know why. Very few can afford this kind of scratch.

Here’s one that you don’t see everyday, and I find it fascinating actually. It’s a Dogtown Micke Alba “Malba Ramp” from 1988. You don’t see this graphic very often at all, but that isn’t what makes this one for me. It’s the crazy-ass complete setup. It has black Gullwings with very little grindage, and insanely tiny 90s wheels! The wheels are Powell Peralta 47mm “Bearings” which are probably around 42mm now. Not only are they tiny in height they are also super narrow, making the complete look totally ridiculous! They look like training wheels for god sake! The deck is actually in very good condition, but I just can’t take it seriously! It sold for $292 on 16 bids.

Here we have a Santa Cruz Malba “Gravestone” from 1985. It’s NOS but does have the usual storage scuffs and scratches etc. The black dip and yellow ghostly glow around the gravestones looks great here. The black dip is the best colorway for this graphics IMHO because it looks like it could have been taken in a graveyard at night. The brighter dips look kind of silly, almost like the graphic has been cut out and stuck on a background. Anyway, this sold for $325.

Here we have not one but two Powell Peralta Rodney Mullen ‘Chess” freestyle decks. They are both NOS, and they are both from the same seller. And they both sold as Buy It Nows for $1,500. I don’t know which I like more. The cobalt dip is definitely the stronger background color and is very attractive. The skeleton and the red deck and gold crown really pop on this colorway. However, the chessboard background gets lost in the murk.

Where it really pops in the silver dip. But the skeleton fades into the background a little. Let’s face it, they are both excellent!

And here we have a SMA (Santa Cruz) Natas Kaupas “Evil Cat” from 1989. It’s mint but not in shrink, the warranty card is attached with tape! It’s in a very attractive light purple stain wash. That really helps the orange and yellow in the main graphic to pop pop pop! It’s not the best Natas graphic out there, but it’s still a Natas in mint condition. This is one Natas that deck used to change hands for a reasonable price, but not anymore. This one sold for $700.

Here’s a Powell Peralta “Ripper” team deck from 1984. It’s in NOS condition, never gripped or setup, but it does have the standard storage scuffs that come with 30-year-old decks. I’m not a particular fane of the Ripper graphic, but the silver and black with baby blue accents is really nice. The standard PP box wheelwells are a thing of beauty too! It sold for $945.

Here’s one that you don’t see every month! It’s an Losi Skate Designs (Airbourne) Chris Robison “Trip Out” deck from 1990. It’s in NOS condition, never gripped or mounted. The colorway is fairly generic, but to tell the truth, this thing wouldn’t look good in any colorway probably! And is that one of those 3D pictures that you have to squint at to see? Let’s face it, who has the fucking time? It sold for $406.

Ooooh! Here we have a G&S Billy Ruff “Chalice” from 1984. These come up pretty often, but NEVER in this type of NOS condition! Yup, never gripped or mounted! The colorway is strong too. I really like the blues and purple, and the vertical dark woodgrain is outstanding too. It’s a very impressive looking plank, and it sold for $655 on 16 bids.

I haven’t shown a Santa Cruz Salba “Tiger” in a while, so let’s take a look at a mint one to see how reissues have affected the price. This one is mint in shrink, and has the blue and red striped tiger with what looks like a dark green stained background. It sold on a Buy It Now for $1,250, lasting for only 6 hours. This used to be a $600 deck, but the last few mint ones have gone for over a thousand, so I guess this graphic has officially arrived as a major player.

Now here we have a Santa Cruz “Ramp/Street Concave” team deck from 1985. I actually dig the repeating SC Dot graphic here. Simple but effective for what was probably a price-point deck. It is in very good lightly used condition, and comes complete with Action trucks and Kryptonics wheels. I’m guessing that it was probably a $99 complete from a skateshop, designed to be a groms first “real” skateboard after making the transition from a toy store Variflex. It’s in really good condition and the colors are still nice and bright. It sold for a $350.

And here we have a Madrid Bob Schmeltzer “Street” model from 1985. It comes with blue factory grip and has had green plastics added (mismatched too!), but it has never been set up or ridden, so the deck is pretty much perfect. This is the exact deck shown on the Art of Skateboarding site, so if you bought this, your deck is out for the all the world to see! It sold for $333.

Here we have another Madrid deck, this one being the Mike Smith “Duck” deck from 1984. The deck was mounted for display but has never been ridden. The griptape is clean and the deck just has some minor storage scuffs etc. This deck comes in a few different colorways, but this blue dip is probably the one seen most often. Mike stayed on Madrid for a long time, only leaving to form his own company, Liberty, in 1989. His graphics were always odd and satirical. I like them. This sold for $550.

We had a number of Sims Kevin Staab decks go off in September, but this is probably the best of the lot. This is the “Pirate” deck from 1987, and is in NOS condition, having sat in a closet for the last 25 years. The graphic is typically garish and overdone with far too much going on, but Staab collectors like that sort of thing! And as this graphic goes, this is a very nice colorway. The red stain is muted, and although the rest of the bottom graphic isn’t, the top graphic is actually really nice. The crossbones with pirate hat graphic has a nice yellow to green fade that is subdued and classy. It sold for $1,234 on 22 bids.

Hold the presses! We might have found the only halfway decent Dannay Way graphic in captivity! It’s the H-Street Danny Way “Animals” deck from late 1989. It’s in NOS condition, never gripped or mounted. The colorway is excellent, with a pleasant natural woodstain and green and purple main graphic, two colors that compliment eachother very nicely. The animals and other things blend together nicely, all adding up to a very pleasing deck. It’s just shame that his other 5000 graphics have been so utterly crap. This sold for $377 on 20 bids.

And finally from the 80s this month we have these two Zorlac Metallica “Pirate” decks from 1987. The top one is probably the better colorway, with the dark green stain acting as a great base for the bright red and yellow of the main graphic. It’s a great looking deck, and the visible wood grain is excellent too. The deck is in good used condition, and the grip has been removed. It sold for $400.

The bottom one is in NOS condition, but the natural wood and muted blue and yellows in the main graphic don’t really work well here. This one should scream, not whisper. It is an unusual colorway though, so maybe for that reason this one sold for $910 on 9 bids.

90s-present day

First up in the 90s section this month we have this World Industries Randy Colvin “Censorship” deck from 1992. It’s in NOS condition but doesn’t have the accompanying black bag or sticker that it originally shipped with. Controversial? Not at all. Just silly and immature and obvious. It sold for $575.

Here we have a Zorlac John Gibson “Cowskull” from 1992. This was from his second stint on Zorlac, after his Alva adventure. This was the San Diego Zorlac I believe, not Texas anymore. Anyway, they redid his classic graphic on a modern shape. It’s a great looking board, even though the colorway is a little dark. It’s in lightly use condition, and it sold for $406.

Here we have a Blind Mark Gonzales “Kiss Fish Car” from 1991. This one is in NOS condition, and not only has the killer dark green stain, but it also has multi-color chicken scratch in the graphic, making this a one of a kind. I guess. Actually I’m not sure if that adds to or detracts from the value. It has the typically deranged Mark Gonzales penned graphic. This went for $860 on 11 bids.

And here we have a Blind Jason Lee “Burger” slick deck from 1991. It’s used but no abused, and the slick bottom has yellowed over age, which is typical I’m lead to believe. It’s a shit graphic, which was aimed as some kind of anti-vegetarian message to Mike Vallely I guess. If that is true it was stupid and childish to the extreme. This sold for $398 on 27 bids.

And for the second time this month we have a deck from the early 90s San Diego version of Zorlac. This is a Donny Myhre “Viking” from 1991. It’s NOS, never gripped or mounted. The blue/green stain is kinda yuck, and the graphic is too small. This graphic could have been great but ultimately failed. The deck still sold for $650 though!

Here we have a H-Street Alphonso Rawls “Energizer Bunny” from 1991. It’s in NOS condition, never gripped or mounted. You probably couldn’t recognize the picture from the auction. The photo was totally blown out and the deck looked like a yucky brown in the image, but some cleaning up in Photoshop shows that it is actually a deep purple stain. It has some stress cracks and has delammed a little on top, but looks good on the bottom. It sold for $372 on 7 bids.

And finally from the 90s this month we have this H-Street Chad Vogt “melting iceberg” from 1991. It’s from the same seller as the Rawls above, and is in similar condition: NOS but with some storage scuffs and marks etc. The colorway is pedestrian and the graphic is kinds crappy, but strangely ahead of its time really! It sold for $270 on 4 bids.

Assorted Crap

So we have just 2 things in the ‘Assorted Crap” section this month. First up is this Thrasher issue #1 from January 1981 from when it was newspaper sized! It’s in worn condition but all of the pages are there. It’s a great collectors item, because even though the magazine sucks balls today, it is still around, and has always been the preeminent skateboard magazine of all time. It sold for $255 on 36 bids. I would put Poweredge second and Transworld a distant third. Skateboarder? It gets negative marks for selling out to Action Now and then stopping altogether!

And here we have the insanity of reissue collecting. So about 8 years ago Powell reissued one of the best PP graphics of all time, the Vato Rat or Ratbones. But they completely half-assed it, putting Powell where it should say Bones, and leaving out the Powell Peralta under the graphic completely. Without those things this looks like a cheap, unfinished imitation and not the real thing at all. Not only that, but the finish is cheap and flakes off easily. It’s a horrible reissue. I owned one and gave it away I think. Now I wish I hadn’t been so rash because this one sold for $462 on 17 bids. When will this madness fucking end? Powell, if you are going to reissue this classic, do it right please.

See ya next month.

-Neil