Welcome to the April Board Bazaar. For the last few months I've been banging on about the lack of value in second hand boards. I'm not about to go back on that, the bottom has dropped out of the market, yet as you'll see below the value is till there for select boards. Ain't no getting around the fact that an MR twin or George Greenough logo is gonna get the buyers in a fervour.

Never mind the big names though, this month my pick of the boards is the very first one off the bat...

Last month Swellnet ran an article on channel bottoms and Darren Handley made mention of Erle Pedersen and his jet bottoms. At the time I wondered how many crew would know Pedersen. Well, by coincidence one of Erle's Hydrophillic jet bottoms went up for sale last month. Did you know 'phillic' in Latin means 'to love'? Erle's boards may well have loved the water but I doubt the sanders felt very 'phillic' towards them. 4 eBay bids took the 6'6" Hydrophillic thruster jet bottom to $182.50.

Lately Noa Deane has been using front deck grip on his sticks. The teen phenom has a mild infatuation with the 80s which shows in his surf fashion and music choices, but what better pairing than this: Noa Deane riding a Hot Buttered shaped by his old man, Wayne. This HB is in mint condition, milky white foam and minimal damage to the glass. It's even been sanded and buffed by the last owner! It was a popular sale on eBay attracting 35 bids yet went for just $255.

The pulling power of a name! Kneeboards don't often generate much interest on eBay; the market is there, yet it's comparatively smaller and hence the competition is reduced. However, this kneelo fetched a mighty $1,200 solely on the back of the 'George Greenough Designs' logo. A close reading of the eBay entry finds it was actually shaped by GG's running mate Michael Cundith. But never mind, it says George Greenough and the bidding reflected that.

Who the hell drills a legrope plug into the nose of a surfboard? I've seen some heartbreaking things done to old boards over the years: stripped glass, tails reshaped, total overhauls that can't be restored. On that scale the retrofit on this MR twinny is minor, it can be fixed without too much effort, though it is pretty bloody weird. The weirdness didn't deter the punters who placed 27 bids on the classic flyer swallow tail from MR's golden era. Winner nabbed it for $520.

Going on the two boards above a seller needs a big name to pull some coin, 'cept it's not always the case. Take this clean skin singley for instance with no marks or clues to its provenance. It is, however, in good nick and appears to have a nice mural on it. Looks like a fun rider too. On any other day this board might fetch $100-$150 but it more than doubled that with $327. Unless the bidders saw something that I missed then it punched way above its weight, so to speak.

No doubts about the provenance of this sucker. We know the time and place it was shaped, and also it's historical context. It's an 8'1" V bottom with chisel tail shaped in 1969, right in the heart of the shortboard revolution, and sports a classic raked fin. All in original condition. The only question mark is the shaper, there are no clues on the eBay page but ex-Parramatta Eels coach John Monie was head shaper in '69. Good chance it was he. It predictably attracted lots of attention, 27 bids took it up to $590.
Do skateboarders collect old boards same as surfers do? Would they consider this board, a Surfa Sam, part of skateboarding history? Clearly aimed at surfers, Surfa Sam skateboards were popular in the early 70s. Clay wheels and no kick led to plenty of scuffed knees and bleeding toes. Do people really look back at such things fondly? This board is in 8/10 condition but failed to sell. It may have been a case of old guys rubbing their arthritic knees, or perhaps the $1,500 starting price was a tad high.

Rather than spend my coin on a 70s era skatey, I'd sooner save it for a 70s era twinny. Just as loose and 'skatey' but the falls are a bit more bearable. This 5'10" Pacific Surf Design twin was shaped in Byron Bay by Mark Plater who spent time shaping for Mark Richards and still shapes for Maddog. Fella knows his twins. There are a couple of laughter lines here and there, and the odd battle blemish too, but otherwise it's ready to ride and slide. 13 bids took it to a generous $270.

Hmmm...a "1940s Kookbox toothpick" surfboard completely painted and without any record of its history? Why is the bung brand new? How does the buyer know it's an antique? My antennae are vibrating, and it ain't just a pathological hatred of the Saints. For all we know this could've been whacked together with cheap timber from Bunnings then given a lick and a new bunghole. "Caveat emptor" as the old blokes in togas used to say, and so far they all have - listed twice, no buyers.

According to the seller this Golden Breed singley, "has apparently never been surfed". No, no, no, not another fully painted 1940s Kookbox! With no proof either way if this board has been surfed - alhough the fin has a legrope hole drilled through it...hmmm? - I'll judge it solely on condition. It's in tip top nick, good as a 40-year old board can be. Golden Breed were more known for flash 1970s duds but Barry Bennett produced a few boards under license. Was listed twice at $750 with the seller accepting an offer.

Till next month...

...or check other Board Bazaar's from 2015:
January 2015
February 2015
March 2015