ebay Watch: August 2011

So, welcome to eBayWatch, August 2011 edition. August was a fun month, with a lot of great looking decks going for some big cash, but the major talking point was probably the Grosso. I tried to show a greater variety of 70s decks this month, and I’m also pretty happy with the 90s selection that I was able to put together. I don’t have much love for most mid 90s decks, so that’s always a challenge for me, but I’ve tried to feature as many interesting ones as I can, and hopefully the 90s collectors won’t be too unhappy with the selection or comments. It’s becoming harder and harder to find decent selection for the Bargains section actually. Collecting seems to be super hot right now, and ever common decks are starting to sell for over $150, so the mint 80s decks that sold for $30 seem to be a thing of the past. I’ll keep looking, but if it gets to a point where the Bargains section is full of used completes, then I might pull it completely.

Another section that might disappear is the music review. The only feedback I seem to get on it is always negative with people disagreeing with my comments and seeming all pissed off, so I’ve decided that it probably isn’t worth it. I decided to do this section following a Naked Raygun show from a few years back. The crowd of older punk rockers were very content in their 80s bubble, happy to sing along with the old songs that played between bands etc. The Briefs were one of the opening bands and they got almost no reaction from the crowd, despite being superb, and right there I decided to try and enlighten the older punk crowd who apparently are unaware that there is still great music being made out there. But if nobody enjoys it or wants it then I won’t continue. I need five people to respond and say that they enjoy the feature or get something out of it. Otherwise it’s gone.

What have I been listening to this month? Well probably I’ve listened to 2 new releases from some old favorites the most. That would be the new Blondie album “Panic of Girls” and the new album by The Cars “Move Like This”. Starting with The Cars, their new one is totally classic Cars. It has the same prickly new wave sound they have always had, with the same twisted pop sensibilities. The biggest compliment I can give it is to say that it sounds like they could have recorder it 20 years ago. No big changes in sound or makeup or quality of songwriting. It’s very good. The Blondie album is really good too, but long gone is the 60s feel of their first 2 albums or the new wave pop of the second two. This is a new album with a modern sound, but that doesn’t mean that it’s bad by any means. The songwriting is top notch and the hooks are infectious. You will know and love the songs after just a coupe of listens. The only dud is the disco song “Wipe Off My Sweat” which would have been better given to Madonna or something. But apart from that it’s a great record front to back, and deserves more attention than it probably will get.

60s, 70s, early 80s.

First up this month is this Sims Greg Ayres “Flying Wedge” from 1979. It’s 9.5” wide by 29”, and drilled for tail and nose guard. It has been ridden and has some tail wear, but overall it is in very solid shape. The top logo has been badly restored and the griptape removed, but the bottom is solid. It sold for $775.

Here we have a fiberglass Bahne “Hot Dog” 24” model from 1974. It comes complete with Chicago trucks and Metaflex Surfer urethane wheels. It is in mint condition: the wheels and trucks still look shiny and store fresh! There isn’t any grip on top, so seriously, this thing looks like it could have been bought yesterday. It sold for $391.

So let’s throw some 70s wackiness into the mix. Here is a 1975 Francisco “BigFoot” orange skateboard, complete with Challenger trucks and BigFoot wheels. It is 21” long and completely flat, so was probably completely useless to actually ride. But it was the 70s, and every kid had a skateboard so it had to stand out from the crowd somehow, right? It sold for $155.

And talking of BigFoot, here is the real deal. It’s a Dogtown Wes Humpston “Big Foot” from 1978. It comes complete with Indys (May be Stage Is, but he doesn’t show a front angle, so it’s tough to say) and Sims Comp II wheels. The griptape side is really clean, and although the bottom looks faded and dirty, there are no bad scratches or dings and precious little wear at all actually. So the $700 price tag is a bargain and is a real surprise to me.

Here is a Surf Skate Mfg. Co. Midget Farrelly Design skateboard from 1965ish. I think it’s an Australian brand, and the seller even shows some adverts for the board from old Aussie surfing magazines. It originally cost 119/6d, which is old school, pre-decimal money (Australia went decimal in 1966). It has clay wheels and measures 27” by 6”. The trucks have only one bushing. It sold for a large $1,250.

Now this complete isn’t really being featured for the deck, but for the trucks, because I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a complete sell with a set of Strokers before! It’s a Jaguar fiberglass deck with a fully functioning set of Stroker trucks and unknown wheels. Just look at the size of those trucks! They are wide and high and heavy as hell, but are totally unique and a famous item in skate history, being the precursor to the Independent truck. Without the trucks it’s a $70 board, but with them it sold for $566 on 26 bids.

So my very first skateboard was a blue Sitco Rocket that looked very much like this Makaha Pearl from 1975. It even has the same oval sticker, but mine of course said Sitco Rocket instead of having the Makaha logo. Also, mine had generic tricks and wheels, where this one has authentic Makaha parts and sliding baseplates. It seems like the good people of Sitco took this model and copied it lock stock and barrel, but that’s what was happening all throughout Europe in the 70s. It sold for $64.

Now here is a Powell Quicksilver composite slalom complete from 1976. Tom Sims helped George Powell get the company off of the ground financially, and the very early models like this one had the Sims name on as well. It has a hardwood core with aluminum top and bottom sheets in a cambered configuration, and came in three flexes: 50kg, 70kg and 90kg. This one is the 90kg version. This complete is in really beautiful shape and looks completely mint. It has Trackers (mounted on Rad Pads!) and Hobie XX wheels. It sold for $523 on 26 bids.

And here we have a Caster Chris Strople “wedge kick” maple laminate from 1978. It comes complete with Gullwing Pros and blue Kryptonics. The top is in really clean condition, and it’s not bad underneath either, but the Sims sticker is very confusing (and crooked) and needs to go. It sold for $400.

So you want old? Well here you have it. It’s a Union Surfer Willie Mayes “Say Hey” skateboard from the late 1950s. It is 23” by 5” and is 5/8” of an inch thick. It’s in decent condition, but does have some deep scratches and age. It has the original single action trucks and clay wheels. Is this the only baseball/skating crossover deck? It sold for $400 on 26 bids.

Mid 1980s

So first up in the 80s section this month we have this Vision Agent Orange complete from 1984. It comes complete with Independent trucks and Vision Shredder wheels. The black dip looks great here: the pink and blue in the graphic is really sweet. The bottom of the deck is in pretty darned good shape, but the topside is weird. It looks like the seller was ashamed of the Vision graphic because it looks like somebody took a sander to it. There is no way that is natural wear! Anyway, I would love this complete because it pretty much rules. It sold for $500.

Here’s a great looking Alva airbrushed board from 1984. The airbrushing is one off as normal, courtesy of Mondo. And yes this one is the real deal, not one of those hatchet, bootleg paint jobs that have been cropping up on vintage Alva decks recently. It comes complete with blue Ventures and Hosoi Rocket wheels, along with a lot of vintage stickers: Speed Wheels, Indy, VSW, Bodyglove, Upland Skatepark and a remarkably out of place Kevin Harris. Another interesting item is that the seller matched the griptape job with the color of the airbrushing underneath. It sold for $300.

And here we have a NOS Santa Cruz Bullet team deck from 1985. It is in the awesome red dip colorway, with silver and yellow graphic. It is truly spectacular in this colorway, far better than the more common black and blue. I like to think of this as the successor to the SC Jammer team deck from a couple of years earlier, with a new paintjob and hipper name. It sold for $280.

And here’s a Santa Cruz Duane Peters 2 from 1986. It’s a very solid and very heavy looking complete that has Indy Stage IIs and Kryptonic Lite wheels on it. The wheels probably didn’t help very much I’m guessing! The thing looks basically unridden. The trucks look brand-new and the wheels look like they have some carpet dust and not much more. The graphic is perfect. If you were looking for a mid 80s DP and can’t afford NOS, then this one was a good one for you to win. This one sold for $435 on 20 bids.

Here we have an Alva Dave Duncan “Claw” from 1987. It’s the full size version and is NOS, never setup or gripped. The colorway on this one is just superb. Start with the black dip, then look at the metallic blue and purple swirls, and finish with the red, yellow and green graphic. Background, mid and foreground. Beautifully implemented and screened. It is simply awesome. It would have been a shame to ride it actually! It sold for $338.

This Santa Cruz Claus Grabke ‘Exploding Clock” sold for $300. It’s in decent used condition: lots of wear to the tail, but the main graphic is bright and all there. It’s not the usual colorway, and the neons work well on the teal background.

So here’s the really big one of the month. Jeff Grosso has been selling off part of his personal collection, and this pink stained Santa Cruz ‘Alice in Wonderland” was probably the pick of the bunch. It’s not in shrink but maybe as close to mint as you will find! It sold for $4,350 on 20 bids.

So let’s throw a classic 80s graphic into the mix! Here we have a Kryptonics “Krypstik” from 1985. It comes complete with Indys and orange Vision Shredder wheels, and I think that those are Z-Flex copers. The deck is in great shape, and overall this is a great hunk of 80s radness. I would keep this complete together though, because by itself that deck wouldn’t really look like much! It was a garage sale find, so the seller will be stoked because I’m betting he didn’t expect to turn it for $486!

It seems like I’ve been featuring a lot of Schmitt Stix Joe Lopes decks recently, at least one per month. Normally I would put the brakes on, but the “Crystal Ball” is such a classic graphic that I just can’t ignore it! This white dip is particularly nice. The blues and greens look great, and overall it is just outstanding! Now this one has been restored, but whoever did it did a really nice job. It’s tough to tell what was touched up. It sold for $335.

And the hits just keep coming! Here we have a Schmitt Stix John Lucero “X-1” from 1985. The deck was gripped at one time but never set up, and is basically NOS. It has some storage marks, but the griptape appears to have come up very easily. You wouldn’t even know that there was any on there! The light purple dip is stunning, and although I would have done the lettering in a different color, it’s still a beautiful and top-notch deck. It sold for $1,834 on 14 bids.

Here is a complete from Maui and Sons. Much like Town & Country, Maui and Sons was (and is) a surf company that has branched out into making skateboards from time to time. I had an awesome Maui and Sons tank top back in the day with the famous shark guy ding a massive frontside boneless. Man I loved that shirt! This is a team deck from the late 80s and has generic trucks and Maui and Son wheels too. The deck and wheels were probably manufactured by Madrid or something, so the quality is probably pretty good. I like the graphic a lot actually. The full bleed background print is nice and the main graphic is well screened. It sold for $100.

So here’s your monthly Zorlac Metallica deck. Actually that’s not fair because this one is pretty special. It’s the “Damaged Pirate” model from 1988, and is NOS and in an amazing colorway. The black dip is always classic, but the mix of bright yellows and greens and reds is outstanding in the main graphic. It’s a fantastic looking deck and it sold for $1,260. By the way, this is the later version of the graphic with the eyeball screened in. Earlier versions just had an empty eye socket.

Here’s a Powell Peralta Lance Mountain “Street Crest” from 1988. It’s mint in shrink and in a black dip with gold white and red main graphic. This is the boneite version of the deck, which might explain why it’s never been opened or set up! It’s a great looking colorway and it sold for $650.

And sticking with black dipped Lance Mountain decks, we have this Variflex Lance Mountain “Original Knight” from 1983. It’s in decent used shape, and comes with rails and the original two round skid plates, which have done a good job of protecting the tail. This is probably a later run of the graphic, because I don’t recall ever seeing that Variflex logo on the tail before. That’s a nice variation. This one sold for $860 on 15 bids.

Here’s a Sims Jeff Phillips “Tie-Dye Demon” from 1987. This one is the mini version of the deck, and although it has been gripped it doesn’t appear to have ever been ridden at all. It’s super clean and has even been autographed by Jeff, although that is very faint. The tape job up tope is really nice, and although this isn’t my favorite Phillips graphic, this is still a very attractive looking deck. It sold for $323.

And here is my favorite Jeff Phillips graphic! It’s the classic Sims Phillips “Bust Out II” model from 1985. It’s in NOS condition, and has never been gripped or set up. The white dip looks pearly white ad fresh, and is the perfect background for the pink, gold and blue bust out. Viewed alongside the Lester Kasai “Splat”, Sims was making some era defining graphic in 1984 and 1985. It’s simple and classic and sold for $800.

I haven’t shown a Powell Peralta “Ripper” for what feels like years, so it was about time I guess. Here’s a classic white dip with red and black graphic version from 1984. It’s NOS, never gripped or mounted, and it has the sweet Powell wheelwells front and back. It sold for $960 on 18 bids.

Ah shit, this is a real beauty! It’s a Schmitt Stix “Ripsaw” team deck from 1987 and is mint but not in shrink. The seller worked for Vision back then, and was given this deck by one of the team riders who had picked it out because of the beautiful looking wood grain in the deck. The olive stained colorway is exceptional too. It’s understated and very classy. It sold for $1000 on 17 bids. Just look at the beauty of the topside! It would have been criminal to thrash this deck!

Here we have a Santa Cruz Rob Roskopp “Target 4” from 1987. The monster breaking through from the backside has basically smashed the target graphic into pieces. This comes complete with yellow Gullwings and Vision Shredder wheels. The pale blue dip and yellow and pink main graphic work really well together, and I have to admit that the matching pink rails work well to frame the graphic on the deck. It is a nice looking complete and it sold for $415.

And here we have another Santa Cruz Roskopp, this one being the “face” model from 1987. Much like the Ripsaw above, the main story on this one isn’t the graphic or the colorway, but rather the fantastic wood grain in the deck. It’s an amazing looking deck that is truly one of a kind. Again, look at the beauty of the topside! The deck sold for $875.

And here we have a Sims “Slight Buzz” team deck from 1987. It’s been used but the graphic is all there. In fact the biggest problem appears to be where the riser pads were. He owner must have really cranked down on the mounting hardware! The seller has attempted to remove the griptape, and has got most of it off but has left a lot of residue on tip, so it looks worse than it did before probably, plus I’m guessing that it’s super sticky. This deck came in a full and mini size: named Full and Slight Buzz. This is the mini version. It sold for $128.

Here we have a classic Powell Peralta ‘Skull and Sword” team deck from 1985. It is post Ray Rodriguez leaving the team, so his name is not on there. The silver dip is classic Powell Peralta, and the seller has put together a really nice looking package with the red rails and wheels matching the red in the sword perfectly. The white trackers with original copers match the white in the skull too. It’s a beautifully coordinated complete and it sold for $610.

And here we have a Sims Kevin Staab “Mad Scientist” from 1987. This is the mini model in black dip, and is NOS, never gripped or mounted. The colorway is superb, and looks even better under black light, or so it says in the auction description. Staab’s are shooting up in price, and this one sold for $990 on 18 bids.

And finally from the 80s this month we have this Suicidal Skates “Possessed to Skate” complete from 1986. It’s in a rare green stain, and comes complete with red Trackers and black Powell G-Bones. The original rails are missing for some reason, but the stickers are most interesting thing to me. The original owner used Thunderbolts as the mounting hardware, so the Thunderbolts sticker isn’t a surprise, and neither are the small Tracker and Skate and Destroy stickers. But the one that gets me is the big pink generic Destroyer sticker on the tail, along with the Vision sticker on top of it. Neither sticker belongs on this deck, but the pink Destroyer one is a blight on humanity! That needs to come off immediately! The complete sold for $455 on 14 bids and that feels cheap to me. I blame the sticker.

90s-present day

So if you’ve been back in the game for awhile you will recognize this deck, because it was everywhere in 2004 and 2005. It is the Element Bam Margera “Heartagram” from 2004, and was made famous in an episode of Jackass if I remember right. This one is NOS and has been signed by Bam. It sold for $450.

This is a Plan B Mike Carroll “Twin Peaks” slick from 1993. It is NOS and has been autographed on the topside. For a 90s collector it’s a real grail, even though I’m guessing that most folks reading this column have never seen it before or even heard of Mike Carroll! It sold for $800.

Here’s another deck being sold by Jeff Grosso. This is the Black Label Grosso “devil” that was originally released in 1991, but was reissued on an updated shape in 1997, and this is that particular model. It was very limited; probably only 200 were made. It’s in NOS condition and it sold for $560, although that might have something to do with Grosso himself being the seller.

This board really doesn’t need much introduction. It’s the Powell Peralta Frankie Hill “bulldog” from 1990. It comes complete with Indys and Powell G-Bones wheels. It has been barely ridden, and is in superb shape for a board that was setup 20 years ago. It does have some nose and tail-wear from dragging, but overall it’s definitely a 7/10. Remove the rails and stickers and you’ve got a beauty here for $370. Maybe it should have been in the Bargains section?

Don’t look now, but the Hook-Ups decks from the early 2000s are exploding in value. This is the “Alison’s Wonderland” model, and it is mint in shrink. There’s not much more to say really, apart from that if Benny Hill were a professional skateboarder he would have ridden for Hook Ups! It sold for $487.

Here is a Black Label Max Evans “Manny, Moe and Max” deck from 1991. The deck has been setup with clear griptape but was never skated, so is basically in NOS condition. The red stain is wonderful, the nose is double drilled, and the graphic is simple but still humorous. It sold for $305 on 23 bids.

Here is a 101 Natas Kaupas “Graffiti” slick from 1992. It has been setup and ridden, but this is one of those graphics that hides the dirt and the wear and tear very well. Actually I think it’s a horrible mess, but it is a photo of a wall that had “Natas” spray-painted on it supposedly. I don’t see it and am giving myself a migraine trying to see it. Maybe it’s upside down. It sold for $405.

Now this graphic couldn’t be any more clear or obvious. It’s a Blind Jordan Richter “Safety First” model from 1993. Actually, this is the factory template for the deck, and that’s probably why the first panel is different than all of the production models. It’s juvenile and obvious and not “super cool” despite what the seller says. It sold for $413.

But look at this! It’s a Real Jim Thiebaud “Hanging Klansman” from 1991. It’s in NOS condition, never gripped or set-up, and is in a delicious green stain. You normally see this in natural, but the graphic works a lot better on the green background. And what a graphic statement it is. Natas did the original sketch, but I don’t know if he did the final work here. It sold for a large $1,192.

Assorted Crap

Now this is a nice set of wheels. Actually I don’t think I’ve ever seen an original set of Powell Bones in any other color other than white! Like I said, these are Powell Bones from 1979, just before Stacey Peralta came on board and the brand exploded. These are a set of mint wheels, but the bearings are not included. The wheels are very fondly remembered, and I imagine are currently part of a beautiful period correct complete. They sold for a large $1,225 on 20 bids.

And here we have another set of 1970s wheels. These are Sims Rollerballs, and they are NOS, never seen concrete. That’s probably an easy tell on wheels like these, because I’m imagining that they lose that shape almost immediately they contact with concrete! They sold for $500.

And here’s a set of trucks and wheels you don’t see every day. They are anodized gold Independents with Schmitt Stix Radials, and both wheels and trucks are unused and never been set up. I don’t remember Indys coming in gold. I remember black and red, but not gold. Maybe they are from 1989ish? They sold for $338.

Bargains

Let’s start off the Bargains section this month with this Powell Peralta Steve Caballero “Full Dragon”. Yes the tail is pretty janked from dropping in, and some comedian has scrawled “Bollocks!” across it, but the main graphic is still in very good shape. Remove the 3 Independent stickers and you’re in business, especially if the graffiti comes off the tail. It’s a nice colorway too. For $59 I’d say it’s a bargain.

Here’s an odd complete. It’s a Santa Cruz Eric Dressen “Celtic Roses” in purple dip, complete with Grind King trucks (with stars and stripes baseplates) and some kind of 80s wheels. It’s odd because the trucks are far too narrow for the deck, and this thing probably rides like shit. It’s totally possible that this is a reissue that has been set up with some old parts that were lying around, I’m not 100% sure really. It sold for $76, so if the thing is original, that’s a killer price.

This is a Vision Gator “Full Ankh” from 1988. It’s been set up and ridden but is in very good condition overall. I like the natural and black background with the blue and white letters. It’s a standout colorway, much better than others I’ve seen. Believe it or not, this is a pretty rare deck that doesn’t come up that often, so $91 is a good deal. It still has the original $46 price sticker in the back truck area.

And here is a Vision John Grigley “Mini 2” (also known as “Dick nose”) from 1988. It comes complete with very well ground orange Gullwings and red Bullets. It looks like there was some Rip Grip on the nose at one point because of the fading, but overall this deck is in fantastic shape. I like the colorway and the whole vibe of this complete. It sold for $90.

Here we have a Hosoi (Santa Cruz) “Picasso Street Collage” from 1989. It has been lightly used with some scratches around the edges, and it has been drilled for rails. However, on a busy deck such as this, stuff like that is barely noticeable! NOS this is a $500 deck, so this one selling for $128 makes it a bargain in my book.

Here’s a weird one. It’s a Birdhouse Projects (very early name of Birdhouse) Jeremy Klein slick deck from 1992. Actually I know next to nothing about this deck. I can’t find any info on it at all, and I lost the original link to the auction. What I do know is that it sold for $51, which I’m betting is a massive bargain for this deck, despite the fact that it is yellowed and not in the best shape. Anybody know anything about this one?

Here’s a Powell Peralta Mike McGill “Stinger” from 1990. It’s the mini model, and in a red stain which is nice. I’m used to seeing this deck on natural or a light wash. It’s in very solid shape, with a little wear to the tail and rail holes. It’s been gripped in clear on the top. It sold for $81.

Now here’s one I had never seen before. It’s a Liberty Mike Smith “Dominatrix” slick from 1992ish. I say “ish” because I can’t find any info on this deck anywhere. The deck is in good used condition, and the entire graphic is there, which must be a rarity for used slicks! It sold for $91 with 9 bids.

And this one is the kind of deal that we all hope we are gonna get on eBay. It’s a Vision Lee Ralph “Contortionist” from 1989, but the seller thought it was a reissue for some reason (bad advice) and sold it as such. Consequently it didn’t get much attention until a couple of collectors figured out that they didn’t reissue it in that cool gray and blue colorway, and one of them got it for a song at $114. It is NOS but has a lot of storage marks etc., but still, it’s a beauty, and probably would have sold for $500 at least if it was listed correctly.

Here is a Vision Shredder complete from 1985. The Shredder was a team, price point deck from Vision, so you would see a lot of kids with it back in the day. It was often their first step up from a toy store board if they were getting serious. This one comes complete with stage III Indys and red Sims wheels, and was probably a very solid ride over all terrain back in the day. It’s very clean, so was probably sued mainly for transport, maybe to class and back on a college campus. The wheels are even pretty clean and the trucks show very little grindage. So $94 is a bargain for a board that still has a ton of mileage left in it.

And finally this month we have this Shut Skates “Street Posse” deck from 1990. It’s totally NOS, never gripped or setup, and in a very rich green stain. It’s a very nice looking deck all the way around. So the $52 sale price really surprised the hell out of me. It has a great shape and a double-drilled nose. What more could you want?

See ya next month.

-Neil