Ebay Watch: November 2013

I’m composing this edition of Baywatch from my parent’s home in Wallasey, England. I’m visiting my mom for Christmas. The down times give me plenty of time to work on the column, so here you go! I’m happy to report that the skateshop that had just opened in town on my last visit (Last December) is still here, but it now appears to sell mostly bikes, so I’m not sure if that’s good or bad. It’s always great to visit old friends and to see old skate spots again. In fact I discovered a new one to me just today, on the seafront up towards Leasowe! A big expanse of banked seawall that would be awesome for long carves. When it’s not wet of course! And a big Gabba Gabba Hey goes to S&B member Hotrod who I managed to meet up with in Liverpool for a pint or 5. Great meeting you mate! Nice shoes…

60s, 70s, very early 80s.

First up this in the 70s section this period is this complete from the 1975. It’s an Airfoil deck from Haleiwa Hawaii, made with beautiful Koa wood. It comes complete with first gen ACS 500 trucks and first gen Sims Pure Juice competition wheels. It’s been gripped and ridden but it still in very nice condition. But those stickers really ruin it. They need to go immediately. It sold for $700.

Now here we have a Sims Dave Andrecht “Beamer” from 1979. It comes complete with Gullwing Pro trucks and Sims Snakes wheels. The deck has had some restoration work done to it, so I’m not sure how that has affected the value. The Dogtown sticker on the tail throws me! The wooden tailbone matches the diamond shape of the tail perfectly, so I’m not sure if that was a Sims stock piece or if it was handcrafted. This nice looking specimen sold for $556 on 14 bids.

And here’s a beauty! It’s a Dogtown Bob Biniak “Bullet” from 1978. It comes complete with Trackers and Yoyo wheels. It’s in very good used condition. All of the graphics are fully intact and the griptape up top even looks clean. The two mini Indy stickers aren’t distracting at all, so I think they should stay! Now that is a thing of beauty. It sold for $510 on 13 bids.

And from the glorious, wacky 70s we have this Francisco Products “Boogie Board” from 1975. It’s NOS, and still has the product sticker on the bottom, giving the phone number for ordering new parts! It has XCaliber trucks and no name wheels. It’s a classic piece of craptasm from craze of the mid 70s. It sold for $430.

But here we have a real pro setup from just a couple of years later. It’s a Sims Brad Bowman “10 inch” from 1978. It comes complete with 1st gen Indys and Sims Snakes conicals, two green and two orange. The deck appears to have been slightly restored, but it the whole complete is in really nice condition, and even the griptape up top is clean. The big Sims sticker isn’t out of place at all. It sold for $510 on 13 bids.

Ohh, here’s a beauty. It’s a Kryptonics Krypstik with Variflex reverse kingpin trucks and red 70mm Kryptonics wheels. The board looks as fresh as it was when it left the skate store in 1979! The colorway is great and the red type matches the wheels. It’s a super clean looking complete. Lovely. It sold for $433 on 4 bids.

And finally from the 70s this month we have this exquisite Sims/Powell 90kg Quicksilver deck from 1975, complete with pristine Gullwing HPG IV trucks and brand new Belair Bolts wheels. Seriously, this thing is in awesome condition. Mint doesn’t even begin to describe it. The trucks alone are amazing. So for this to sell for just $495 seems insane, especially in these days when reissues sell for $700.

Mid 1980s

So first up in the 80s section this month we have this Powell Peralta Ray Barbee “Fire Hydrant” from 1989. It’s in mint in shrink, full size and black dip. It checks all of the boxes that make it very desirable and is one of those decks that is exploding in value. It sold for $1,325 on 7 bids.

And here we have a deck that on first glance looks like a total piece of shit! It is in a bland blue on blue colorway, with a bunch of totally naff stickers. But look beyond the stickers and you will see a very rare G&S Neil Blender “Ramp Sketch” deck from 1981. It’s his very first pro model, and is never seen. It appears that the graphic is in great condition, but behind all of those silly radio station stickers, who knows? It comes complete with blue Gullwings and Yoyo wheels. At least one person saw the rarity of this one, because it sold for $1,500 on a BIN after less than a day.

Here we have a Powell Peralta Steve Caballero “Full Dragon” from 1986. The deck has been set up and used, but is in very good condition. The white dip has yellowed which can happen, especially if it belonged to smokers. Interestingly enough, the deck is a very early XT model, but the top graphic doesn’t have the XT icon on it. It sold for $495 on 3 bids.

Here we have a Vision “Street Ghost” team deck from 1986. It is one of the “Old Ghosts” series with artwork by John Grigley. He is right handed, but had a broken right arm so he did this graphic with his left hand! It comes complete with bright red Gullwings and Vision Blurr wheels. It is in really nice used condition and is one of the most bright and colorful setups that I’ve ever seen. Looking at this one I’m not sure if this is a good thing? And is if the main graphic wasn’t bad enough, we have purple tailbone, green rails and red lapper. It sold for $600.

Description 12Now here we have a Vision Mark Gonzales “Gonz III, Man and Woman” from 1988. It’s in decent used condition. The tail is well worn but the main graphic is all there. The colorway is great too: it appears to be a dark silver dip with super bright fluorescent main graphic. It’s a classic graphic from a legendary skater, and was being sold by Jeremy Wray. It sold for $500 on a BIN.

Here we have a Skull Skates Dave Hackett “Iron Cross” model from 1986. The deck is NOS, never gripped or mounted, but it does have surface scratches, storage marks etc. The white dip with silver graphic is super nice here, and it’s a rare deck in this condition. It sold for a large $1,405 on 30 bids!

Here we have a Sims Christian Hosoi “Rising Sun” model from 1982. It comes complete with Indy Stage IIIs and Powell Peralta Street Bones. It’s in really nice used condition. The plastics have saved the board from any real damage, and the wheels and plastics are nicely color coordinated with the rest of the complete. It sold for $700.

Here we have a Santa Cruz Jason Jessee “Racing Flames” from 1989. It’s mint in shrink, ad in a very unusual colorway. The dark red/rust stain is nice and deep, and allows the colors of the main graphic to really pop. This is an outstanding example of this deck, and the fact that it is mint is highly unusual. It sold for $1,525!

And here we have a really nice looking Sims Lester Kasai “Splat” from 1983. It’s NOS, never mounted or gripped, and in a wonderful white dip that looks as bright white as the day it rolled off the production line. The fluorescent green and bright blues are wonderful too, and if you were after one of these, then you couldn’t really do better could you? Outstanding, and $1,340 on 25 bids.

Now here’s a really unusual one. It’s a Schmitt Stix John Lucero ‘X2” from 1987. Apparently the maple veneer was so outstanding that they decided to leave it as is and just screen-print the blackline art over the top of it. It is an unusual looking deck, and I must say that it isn’t my favorite colorway for this deck by any means, but these “one-off” screening room oddities do go for big bucks, especially on a collectible deck. It sold for $2,025 on 15 bids.

And here’s another big hitter! It’s a Powell Peralta Mike McGill “Skull and Snake” from 1987. This was obviously a graphic that was around for years with lots of variations. This is the bottlenose snakeskin background design. It’s also a mini and in Boneite XT as well. The deck is NOS, never gripped or mounted, and in a superior colorway as you can see. This would impressive in any collection. It sold for $1,383 on 33 bids.

And here’s it’s earlier bigger brother. It’s also a Powell Peralta Mike McGill “Skull and Snake”, but this one is the early pig version from 1984. It has wheelwells back and front, and is in a great powder blue dip with gold lightning and eyes. The deck has been gently ridden, but has been carefully disassembled and the griptape was removed. It’s a great, classic board. It sold for $1,494 on 20 bids. Which one is your favorite?

So here we have a Schmitt Stix Alan Midgette “Flower Picker” from 1987. It is NOS, never gripped or mounted, but has the obligatory storage marks etc. It’s in a nice deep burgundy stain with the blues and golds of the graphic really standing out. It sold for $800.

Damn! Here we have a Powell Peralta Lance Mountain “Future Primitive II” from 1987. It’s NOS, never mounted or gripped, but the best thing about this one is the lime green colorway. It really is superb, and the grey/silver frosting just takes it to a whole other level. My only criticism would be the pale blue lettering. I think it’s too weak and should have been a stronger color because it fades into the background, but of course maybe that is the point. I’m really just quibbling: it’s awesome. It sold for $1,500.

Here’s one of those decks that don’t come up very often, but the price surprised me because the graphic is so naff. It’s an Alva Jim Murphy “Outlaw” model from 1989. The deck is NOS and in a very bright colorway, but that’s about it for me really! But some people must love this one, because the auction literally lasted for 20 seconds before somebody pulled the BIN trigger for $530. I bet the seller was kicking himself for not putting a higher BIN on it, and I wonder how much it would have gone for if it had run seven days?

Here we have a Sims Eric Nash “Bandito” from 1987. It’s the rarer, first version of the deck with the “Fuck You” in the smoke. Of course it actually says “Eric Nash”, but it does appear to say Fuck You if you squint and have a good imagination. The deck is NOS< never gripped or mounted. It sold for $550.

Here’s a SMA (NHS) Natas Kaupas “Evil Cat” from 1989. It’s NOS and in an amazing tomato-red stain. This one really is a head-turner, so the $500 winning bid was kind of a surprise. I thought it would have gone much higher than that.

Now here’s a deck that I haven’t featured for a very long time! It’s a Sims “Pharaoh” from 1986. The deck was set up and lightly ridden, but the graphic is all there, which is unusual for this one, what with it’s full bleed coverage. It has been drilled for rails etc. and has had some minor touch-up work o some scratches. It sold for $691 on 36 bids.

And again from Sims we have this Jeff Phillips “Breakout” from 1985. This is the second version of the well-known graphic, featuring the Sims logo in a shard of glass and with the 3D lettering. The deck is basically NOS never having been ridden, but it has been drilled for rails and it does have the factory griptape up top. The white dip is killer and the pink and green main graphic is just excellent. It’s a beautiful board and it sold for $1,776 on 20 bids.

Here we have a really surprising auction. It’s an Alva Eddie Reategui “Monkey” from 1988. The deck is NOS, never gripped or mounted, and in a really nice fade. When it comes to collecting Alva decks it seems that you can double the value if it has a fade. It sold for a very surprising $710 on 17 bids!

And here we have a Santa Cruz Steve Alba “Tiger” deck from 1989. This one is mint in shrink and in a most excellent dark pink stain. It’s a staple for any Santa Cruz collection, but this one is truly exceptional. You normally see the darker colored stains, so this one really stands out. But I suppose that some might say that the pink is overpowering and that it detracts from the graphic. Either way it sold for $1,126 on 24 bids.

And finally from the 80s this month we have this Alva Fred Smith “Dragon Rider” from 1989. This deck actually has one of my favorite Alva graphics. I really like the Japanese feel that it has, and the symbols in the background are a nice touch. The deck is NOS, never mounted or gripped, and the red stain with green and blue main graphic is outstanding. It sold for $525 on a BIN.

90s-present day

There’s not much in the 90s section this month I’m afraid, so if you’re a 90s collector you might be disappointed. Sorry about that! First up in the 90s section this month we have this Element Bam Margera “Heartagram” from 2001. It’s NOS, but had griptape at one time that was removed at some point. As you can see it has been autographed by the entire “Viva La Bam!” cast in silver sharpie. I’ve never watched the show so I can’t really speak to that, but it was popular I assume. It sold for $830.

Next we have this set of two Powell Peralta Lance Conklin decks: “Face I” from 1990 and “Face II” from 1991. They are both in the same tomato-red stain and look absolutely awesome as a matched pair. It’s funny. I’ve seen this graphic for years and never though too much of it, but when you see it in the right colorway, a deck like this can be absolutely stunning. The graphics are rich and intense, almost like the face from a Picasso painting. The pair sold for $725.

And from the sublime to the ridiculous! Here we have a New Deal Steve Douglas “Gang Fight” from 1991. The graphic is downright embarrassing, looking like a still from a shitty Taiwanese cartoon. The deck has been set up but never ridden, and it comes complete with Gullwing Street Shadows and New Deal Nude Eel wheels. What were these fuckers smoking in 91? It sold for $510 on 7 bids.

Next we have a Hook Ups “Special Police” team-deck from 1994ish. The deck is mint in shrink. It’s one of their first decks I believe, and features the sexy manga style artwork that was to become so popular for them, although this one is quite understated! They are becoming very collectible and this one sold for $1,100 on a BIN after 4 hours.

Now here’s one of my favorite Christian Hosoi decks. It’s a Hosoi Skates (NHS) “Vert Flag” from 1990. It’s NOS and in the fabulous flat matte black dip. It’s simple and classic. The shape looks like a fun rider too. It sold for $620.

And finally in the 90s section this month we have this Santa Cruz Jason Jessee “Fat Elvis” Everslick 2 from 1992. The deck is mint in shrink, and although the bottom graphics on the SC slicks from this time period all looked the same, the top graphics were different. This one features Elvis in his later chunky years, surrounded by a border of cocktails, burgers and Quaaludes. It sold for $625 on 16 bids.

Assorted Crap

Now here’s a series that used to drive collectors nuts because it was so difficult to complete. Actually I got taken on one of these. That was the early days of eBay and skate collecting and I was new to Skull and Bones. This set had just come out and the Neal Hendrix was apparently very hard to find. My local shop had one on the shelf; so, in a fit of collecting brotherhood I bought it for a fellow collector and sold it almost at cost, only to find that he subsequently sold it on for a huge profit. So lesson learned: no more “bro” deals unless you are my bro… Anyway, this is the Black Label “Bombshell” set from around 2011. It’s a set of 11 decks, all with the kind of pinup artwork that would have been at home on a WWII bomber. Some decks were very limited so the set is hard to complete, especially NOS. This sold for $1,499.

Here we have a Powell Bones t-shirt, probably from 1982ish. It’s an XL and in a very 80s, lovely lilac color! It features the most excellent skateboarding skeleton graphic which Powell used for a while as their main graphic. And note that the deck says Powell: no sign of Peralta yet, which really dates this shirt! It has the usual wear stains etc, but actually doesn’t look bad at all considereing its age. It sold for $496.

And here’s a similar Powell Bones t-shirt, which again doesn’t mention Peralta anywhere on it. This one is dated 1983, and has an early version of the Ripper logo on it. It’s in worse condition that the shirt above, having some holes in it and being pretty stained. But still, the main graphic is all there. But what on earth do you do with something like this, and how do you justify spending $496 (again) on a grubby old t-shirt?

So sticking with the Powell Peralta clothing line, next we have this mint condition Bones Brigade World Tour 89 jacket. I normally make fun of this stuff, but this one is actually a beauty. It’s a size L making it wearable, and looks brand spanking new. The red is super bright and the screen-printed graphics on the sleeves and back look flawless. Ray Barbee signed the jacket on his tarot card graphic on the sleeve. Of course, being a nice piece it sold for a nice price: it sold for $2,565.

So here we have the reissue of the month. It’s a Santa Cruz Salba “Tiger” from 3 year back. Yes it’s in a blue stain and the graphic looks great, but let’s face it, it is a heat transfer on a deck less than 5 years old. So for it to sell for $500? Crazy! Yes, that is insane, but maybe I’ve got to start changing the way I view this stuff because “limited edition” reissues are all changing hands for big money. It’s just the way of the world I guess. But only certain colorways appear to be desirable, so it’s still a crapshoot!

Quick Hitters

1987 Alva Bill Danforth “Circle of Skulls” deck. NOS and signed. Hard to find in a fade. $1,025 on 26 bids.

1984 Santa Cruz Duane Peters “2” complete. Indy Stage III and Vision Blurrs. Rip off the stickers please. $500.

1976 Gullwing HPG IV trucks. NOS in gold. $450 on 1 bid.

1978 Kryptonics “Foamcore” team deck. Complete with Trackers and red kryps. Very nice condition. $795 on 33 bids.

1978 Dogtown Shogo Kubo “Airbeam” deck. Very good lightly used condition. $1,325 on 32 bids.

1984 Plan 9 Misfits “Evil Never Dies” deck. NOS. $1,276 on 34 bids.

1988 Alva Eddie Reategui “Warrior” deck. NOS. $500 on 22 bids.

1986 Santa Cruz Rob Roskopp “Face”. Complete with Gullwings and SC Bullet 66s. NOS. $718 on 42 bids.

1986 G&S Billy Ruff “Puppet”. NOS. $411 on 32 bids.

1978 Sims Lonnie Toft “Outrageous 8 Wheeler” deck. $1,200 on a BIN after exactly 24 hours.

1989 Hosoi (NHS) Sergie Ventura “Trident”. Mint. $455 on 17 bids.

1985 Powell Peralta Per Welinder “Nordic Skull” freestyle deck. NOS. $898 on 13 bids.

More next time.

-Neil