Well, the boom had to end sometime, and end it did in May. I guess those tax refunds dried up, because deck sales tanked, and when I say tanked, I mean big-time. I only counted seven decks that went for over a thousand dollars in May, and as a regular reader of this column you’ll know that that is low. Not one went even close to $2k. The highest seller this month was a jacket, so that sums it up.
This month’s Baywatch is fueled by Jays Hot potato chips, and by the soothing sounds of Crass, notably The Feeding of the 5000. If you’ve never given Crass a chance, listen to this album. It’s tough going in parts, but the lyrics still pack a punch, even 30 years on. Clash lovers (Randy and Brad) might be offended at times, because the Clash come in for some stick from the fun loving anarchists. Deserved? That’s a matter of opinion, but a lot of what they say is true. Anyway, give it a listen with an open mind.
BTW, most of the decks this month are from the 80s. That’s not the way I planned it, it just happened. I don’t make quotas, I just report on what I see and whatever catches my eye. Also, a word of warning to potential eBayers. There have been some recent scams involving hijacking of auctions. Some unscrupulous bastard will steal somebody else’s auction description and images, and post them as his own auction requiring immediate payment. A lot of these auctions may appear to be based in the USA (one used a username of rob7677 from Kalispell MT, email address of g.andrews878@gmail.com), but when contacted the seller wants you to send payment via Western Union to Rumania. Obviously, never do anything like this. If it seems fishy, then it probably is. Also, watch out for the skateboard magnets. They post a picture of a rare deck with a cheap Buy It Now price. You click it quick thinking you’ve got a real bargain, only to discover that in the small print it says it’s a skateboard magnet: a magnet with a picture of that deck on it. Of course, it says nothing about that in the listing.
60s, 70s, early 80s.
It seems like we start off every month with a Dave Andrecht in the 70s section, and this month is no exception. This is a real beauty though. It’s a Sims Dave Andrecht from 1979, 11” 8ply stinger, with Gullwing Pro trucks (with copers) and Sims Street wheels in an awesome green and black combo swirl. It’s in awesome condition, and the stickers even work on here, because they are all Sims or Gullwing stickers. They make sense and fit in with the color scheme of the package. This is awesome. $1,475.
Shoot I lost my notes on this one. It’s a Hobie Gregg Weaver deck from the 60s, but that’s about all I can remember. The different colored wood laminates are beautiful, and the stick looks to be in great shape considering how old it is. It says it was created by Maharajah, whatever that means, and Maherajah is woodburned into the middle of the deck. $460.
Here’s a very plain looking Powerflex deck from 1978. Powerflex are more well known for their wheels, and thrown in with this auction was a mint set of Powerflex 9’s, which might be worth more than the deck itself! The deck looks identical to the Bobby Valdez pro model, the only difference I can see being that his signature isn’t behind the front truck holes. $648.
This is a very early Vision deck, probably from 1979. I show it as evidence that before they became synonymous with dayglo and fanny packs, Vision did have a serious presence in the skateboard world. Most people think that Vision’s first graphic was the Gonz or Gator swirl, but they were putting out decks far before that. This one isn’t even drilled; straight out of Dorfman’s garage! $223.
Here’s a Z-Woody Shogo Kubo model, complete with Tracker Mid-Tracks, and Jimmy Plumer Z-Groove wheels, complete with the original Z-bearings! Apparently it was ordered from Z-Products Santa Monica in 1978, so it’s about as original as it gets! Much like the Andrecht above, the stickers work here, because they make sense. I don’t even mind the Town and Country stickers on it. Surf stickers seem to work on this board.
Now, this is one of those auctions were you had to pay attention to the listing, because if you didn’t you would miss that the seller was throwing in a Robinak Pro bag from 1978, a Z-Flex Shogo headband, some kick-ass Z stickers, 2 issues of Skateboarder magazine, and to top it off, an unbelievable Fly-Away helmet in great condition. This is one insane package, and I have to believe that a lot of the bidders didn’t see all of the free stuff included, because the helmet alone should have fetched $400. It finished at $830 and even included free shipping! Now that’s a package deal!
Mid 1980s
The first couple of boards in the 80s section were won by the guy who has maybe the best Alva collection in the world. I speak of course of AK, and look for an interview of sorts with the man sometime in the future. His collection is unreal. He rips too, lest you think that all collectors are lame and don’t skate. That doesn’t bother me in the least, I’ve got more important things to worry about, but some of you out there seem really hung up on it for some reason. But I digress. Alva did a ton of cool stuff when hey screened boards. Not content with just the base colors they did fades, and sometimes like in this case they speckles of color. Sometimes they even did halves and swirls. Anyway, the Danforth “skulls” is rare enough as it is, but in a red and green speckle it is rare as hell. Actually, it’s not the regular circle of skulls, as that one has another circle of skulls below and to the right of the pink circle. His one is like a cross between the regular graphic and the mini graphic. It comes complete with G&S trucks and Blockhead wheels. $255? Is that all? Great score Allan.
And here’s the mini version of the Danforth skulls graphic. It’s a great graphic in its own right, but couple it with this awesome black to green fade, and you have a real winner. This deck is fabulous. And it has front wheel wells, which I don’t think I’ve ever seen with this graphic before. $405, sold to Allan again.
And here’s another Alva deck that Allan won. This one is the very rare Santa Monica Cross from 1982. It’s a full on pig as you can see, with no nose to speak of. It is NOS, and has clear griptape up top, which show the vintage sticker collection beautifully. Apparently Tony Alva himself owns the only other white one in existence. The trucks are Tracker sixtracks, and the wheels are Alva Street Bombs. $549.
Here’s a Lake Skates Brad Baxter from 1987. Even though Lake had been going since the 70s, for some reason they seemed like a 2nd tier company to my crew in central Illinois. Like it didn’t count if it didn’t come from California, (Lake was from Florida) and anyone sponsored by them must be one step behind. I guess we were brainwashed by the magazines! Anyway, Brad Baxter was probably their biggest name, and this was one of his pro models. It’s minty, and it’s a sharp looking deck. It’s got an Inca/Aztec graphic theme, which is unusual. Apparently the letters JAZ around the circle are the initials of his old girlfriend/wife, Jen from the industrial band the Genitorturers. $250.
Now, this one didn’t sell: it had a starting bid of $300 which wasn’t met, but I thought I’d show it because Bernie O’Dowd himself commented on last months Baywatch. This was his pro model from 1990 on Toxic Skates. It’s NOS, and I’m sure it is “impossible to find” as the seller states, but that alone doesn’t make a deck valuable. Name recognition and demand are what make a deck valuable, and unfortunately this one doesn’t have enough of either to make it worth $300. I’m guessing that it would have sold at $150.
This one surprises me every time it comes up to auction. It’s a Santa Cruz team deck from 1986: the bullet. It only came in red, and the simple black eagle graphic on the newsprint background is very effective. It’s one of the most highly sought after Santa Cruz team decks, and this one went for $610 despite some shelf wear and scrapes.
Now we have a couple of Powell-Peralta Steve Caballero “dragon and bats” decks. They are both in excellent colorways, and I must say that although I’ve never really rated this deck, these 2 colorways are superb. The top one is a 1987 model (note the penis shape), and is in a black dip with metallic purple bats. It looks to be completely mint. It is a beautiful looking deck $430.
Below that is the 1986 model, which is still on the Cab full dragon shape. The colorway isn’t quite as striking as the first, but in lime green and red is still a real head-turner. $672. A very nice pair of decks.
And after those two, this one really puzzles me. It’s the later Cab “ban this” dragon model. The graphic looks out of proportion, and the cheesy Chinese font makes it look like a cheap toy-store deck to me. Bur it went for $806, so what do I know? Really though people. But for this to go for more than the 2 decks above? That makes zero sense. None.
Well, I guess the reissue hasn’t hurt the price of an original has it! This mint in shrink SC Corey O’Brien “reaper” went for $1,400. The dark red stain is very appealing though. This is a true grail, but me, I’m happy with the $59 reissue on my wall, thanks a lot.
Well, here’s a real old school original for you. It’s an original Powell-Peralta Allan “ollie” Gelfand model from the very early 80s. The seller says that the board is near mint, but I’m not sure how that can be when it’s been drilled for rails and nose. It also has die cut griptape, but I guess those are all minor quibbles, because this is a true beauty of a deck. The blood-red dip is stunning, and the silver and black graphics really pop off of it. History baby. $1,500.
And here’s another PP Ollie. This one is complete with Trackers and Powell cubics I’d guess. The back truck appears to have a generic coper on it, and the rails and tail guard appear to be completely unused. The whole thing is super clean, so clean it almost appears fishy, but the wheel wells prove it’s not a reissue. I would assume that it’s on the level. Nice complete. $769.
Meanwhile, Jeff Kendalls just keep going up and up in price. First it was the pumpkin, then the atom man and then the graffiti. Now even the snake is going large! It’s an interesting graphic, but come on. It’s not “all that”, and this colorway is dull dull dull. $800? Are you crazy?
Here’s a Vision Ken Park ”wizard” deck from 1988. I’m guessing the person that did the Kevin Staab graphics also did this, because it looks very similar. Who’d win in a battle between the Staab genie, the Staab pirate and the Krapnek wizard? Who the fuck cares? They are all lame as lame can be. $305.
Gosh the perspective on this Sims Lester Kasai “splat” is off. The photo makes it look almost as wide as it is long. It almost looks bent too. What kind of funky ass lens did the seller use? Whatever, it’s still a rad deck. I’m not sure how they did it, but there have been a few Lesters recently, and the graphics on them all totally pop like they were just screened yesterday. Just look at how the blue and yellow scream off of the natural wood. You think your crappy heat transfers will look this good in 23 years? I can guarantee that they won’t. $762.
This is my favorite deck of the month. It’s a Skull Skates Justin Lovely “pro” model. Of course, there was no Justin Lovely, it was Tod Swank the whole time. Supposedly he was inspired to do the teapot graphic after touring England and Scotland and skating Livi with the Scottish crew. I just love this deck. I love it. $224. I would have bid on it, but I came on it after the auction was over already. Oh well.
This is the first time I’ve ever featured this SMA Natas deck. It’s mid 80s, but isn’t considered part of the classic Natas “panther” series, because it’s a sketch of his face, with a panther placed on top of his head. Crap graphic really, but super rare, and almost part of folk legend. I never saw one back in the day, and only became aware of it when Dysfunctional came out in 2001. You can see that this one is beat up, and the colorway is terrible, but still, good luck finding another one! $522.
And here’s another Natas, this one being the 2nd one in the panther series. Actually, you could call this one version 2.5, because it’s the NHS version, not the true SMA version. How do I know? The SMA had a green-white gradation in the leaves and had wheel wells. This one has neither. It’s still a beautiful deck though, and in great condition. I love the white dip too. $1,374.
This is a BBC Jeff Phillips vert “swirl” deck from 1988. It was his first deck on BBC after he left Sims. I really love the orange to yellow gradation on this one. Some storage scuffs, but it looks to be in great condition. $300.
And here’s another Jeff Phillips from BBC. This one is the devil model, and is signed on the tail, making it immensely more valuable. I’ve always hated this graphic, but this colorway is probably the best I’ve seen. It’s in mint condition apparently. $354.
I love it when mom’s post auctions! This is a Santa Cruz Gregor Rankin model from 1989, but mom calls him Greg Orrankine! Love it! Actually, this is a very rare deck, and was his only pro model, at least on Santa Cruz. He was from New Zealand, and I guess they didn’t know too much about him, because they spell his name correctly on the top graphic (Rankin), but wrong on the bottom (Rankine). It’s complete with Indys, and the skater must have sued it in the mid 90s, because it ahs tiny wheels that don’t fit the deck at all. It’s about time it went to a new home! $262.
This is a G&S Billy Ruff “clown puppet” from 1987. As with a lot of their decks at the time, this one has a funky green to yellow fade across the entire deck, making it very unusual. Want to see something even more unusual? Look closely at the top hand. That’s right, only 4 fingers. There is a version with a longer nose that has all 5 fingers, but this one has the snub nose and only 4 fingers. God, the useless crap I know. $373.
And the Salba tiger continues it’s relentless climb up the charts. This one is in a light blue/green stain and is still in the shrink with warranty card etc. $1,100. Damn, it’s broken the thousand-dollar barrier! It’ll be up there with the voodoo next.
This is my third favorite deck of the month. It’s one of those generic looking Town and Country decks that were always in Thrasher in 84/85. The shape was always the same, only the colors and geometric shapes were different. This is the “performer” model, whatever that means. Still, it screams 80s, and wouldn’t look out of place in a Dire Straits video. Actually, collecting a full set of these is probably VERY difficult. $271.
And here’s my 2nd favorite deck of the month. It’s a Powell-Peralta “vato-rat” team deck from 1984. It’s barely used; the graphic is all there. Yes, it’s been drilled for rails and tail, but big deal, you hardly notice that. I especially love the colorway on this one. You don’t see the natural wood stain very often, and the red and silver graphics really pop off it. I heart this deck. $699.
90s-today
First up we have this rare 101 skateboards team model from circa 1994. This “Forbidden Planet” model features kickass artwork of Robbie the robot and a scantily clad earth woman. Nice. Artwork is by Mark McKee, BUT, and it’s a big but, it’s a direct copy/rip-off of the 1956 movie poster, so the art credit should go that artist, whoever that was. The deck was supposedly it was owned and gripped by Natas. So it was never ridden, but is gripped. That didn’t hurt the price any: it went for $1,495.
Now here’s one you don’t see every day, or even every month for that matter. It’s a 1991/1992 Santa Cruz Bod Boyle deck. The girl is plunging to her death, uttering the phrase “Fuck Bod Boyle”. I’m not sure what message the graphic is trying to portray: the top graphic shows someone, Bod I guess, looking down out of his open window. It’s pretty disturbing when you think about it. You hardly ever see this graphic come up for auction. $340.
Here’s a Blind Mark Gonzales from 1992. It’s a slick bottom, with a photo of macaroni and cheese, and 2 Polaroids of the Gonz and a mannequin. The captions are almost as disturbing as the Boyle graphic: “When I ask for a kiss this one never says no”. Nice. $1,486.
I tell you what, every month brings a new early 90s Planet Earth deck, and I love all of them. The artwork is by Chris Miller, and they are clever and original. They are understated and ahead of their time. This one is a Chris Miller pro model from 1991, also known as “single tree”. I love it. $424.
And now we go from the sublime to the ridiculous. From a deck that is arty and understated, we go to this monstrosity of a graphic. It’s a BBC Monty Nolder from 1991. It’s known as the “rabid dog”. It’s a perfect example of what was going on when companies weren’t hip to the changing times. Planet Earth got it, as shown above. BBC didn’t, and were still pushing graphics with blood and gore etc. Much as this dog is sick and dying, so was BBC. Horrendous. $338.
Here’s a World Industries Mike Vallely “animal man” from 1992. It’s the second version of the graphic; the first deck had more shape to it and was a slick. It’s in NOS, but not mint condition, having storage scuffs and a price sticker on the nose. The graphic is a rip-off of an Animal Man comic book cover. $898.
Assorted Crap & Reissues!
Here’s the white Cab full dragon that Powell reissued about 5 years ago. In my humble opinion this is the best reissue that Powell has pt out, and might be the best reissue from any company. It is stunning in person. The colors pop; the silver looks exceptional on the white paint. It’s a beautiful deck. It was only out for a coupe of months, and then they changed it to black. The black one was really disappointing. It was flat and dull. Anyway, this went for $300, which is a very nice price.
This one really surprised me. It is the Black Label Matt Hensley “ray of light”, a reissue of his famous H-Street graphic. It is only a couple of years old, and is on a crap popsicle. Plus that huge-ass Black Label graphic on the nose really detracts from the main graphic. For a while these were everywhere, and I lost interest in it totally. So imagine my surprise when this one went for $280! That is amazing.
And here’s the Santa Cruz Jeff Kendall “graffiti” reissue. It’s one of the earliest SC reissues, and the earliest were the best. They seemed to lose interest after a while and put out crap, but this one is good. $305.
Words fail me here. These are a pair of Supra Chad Muska signature hi-tops. Hideous, just hideous. Are they a throwback to the 80s? No, they are a throwback to pure crap. Dude, if you see anybody wearing these, point and laugh out loud. They look like a cross between bad Van Halen stage wear and a pair of baby booties. $260? Are you fucking kidding me? They were a Buy It Now, so some douche thinks he got a real bargain.
Ok. Now this is rad. It is a Starkist Tuna t-shirt from the 80s, and as you can see, Charlie is “one rad tuna”. How cool is this? He’s pulling a 50-50 on a big-ass wood ramp, complete with Zorlac sticker. I love this shirt. Apparently it was a limited edition t-shirt made for a demo, sponsored by Zorlac. This kind of skating crossover makes a great collectible. $11.99. I wish I’d seen it because I’d have bid on it!
Hey Kilwag, ever wonder if your collection of vintage skate zines is worth anything? Well here’s a collection of 7 skate zines from 81-85, mainly issues of Skate Punk and Vertical Urge. These are obviously rare, and all appear ton be in very good condition. They fetched $87, which seems fair to me. It’s funny though, that some skate punk’s teenage scribblings from almost 30 years ago would become a collectible, but it really does sum up the energy and wide-eyed excitement of the time.
And finally we have the highest prices item of the month. It’s a Powell team world tour jacket from 1989. It’s used but looks like new, but it is a size xs, so it obviously belonged to one of the kids that were on the team at that time. It’s got the classic winged ripper on the back along with the Powell deck graphics of the time down the sleeves. We have Hawk, Barbee, Welinder, McGill, Guerrero, Caballero, Kevin Harris and Lance Mountain. Mullen must have left to form World by the time this jacket came out, because his logo is missing. It went for $1,825, and at a size XS is obviously going to be framed and hung on the wall. Unless of course some 40 year tubby is going to try forcing his way into this bad boy to show off for his friends!
See ya next month.
-Neil
