Wheel Packaging part 2

I forgot this one when I made the Wheel Packaging post the other day. It’s Banzai Products wheels. The corresponding check boxes are all blank, so it’s impossible to tell which ones these are. It’s curious that Banzai Products repackaged another companies trucks (ACS) and sold them. ACS stands for American Cycle Systems, by the way, and were still seen advertised in the early issues of Thrasher, if my memory serves correctly. Getting back to it, these NOS Banzai wheels sold for $47 on eBay. Banzai also made a wicked aluminum board too. It’s funny how in the U.S., anything Japanese was considered exotic in the 30’s, evil in the 40’s, cheap and crappy in the 50’s and 60’s, and then Radical in the 70’s and 80’s.

Cool packaging, except the guuy on the board looks like he’s wearing corrective shoes, or possibly Buster Browns.

Another thing common in the 70’s was the exploded diagram of skateboard parts. They really want you to succeed! Check out the diagram and instructions on how to mount your trucks. Can you imagine the hassle of having to drill your own board when you bought it? They even had special guide rigs to help skateshops get it right.

Here’s a close up of a wheel. I can hear the vacuum formed plastic crinkling in my hands… Something about the dimensions and proportions of that wheel are really pleasing to look at. Makes me want to heft one right now. Maybe it’s the Golden wheel.