“SURFING’S NEW IMAGE” ..well that’s what the brand name says on the Donald Takayama-shaped “mid-70’s” single fin. Or is it a bonzer? Even an early thruster? Hang on, isn’t Donald the Hawaiian child protégé, best known for his long-board shapes?

These and other vexed questions will be traversing the minds of many would-be buyers for every 1 of Richard Hadley’s 100 collectable surfboards for sale, by way of auction, this Tuesday night in Perth.

There are two certainties about Lot 109 - Donald Takayama:

1) A new board is $850, so a price guideline of $300-$600 screams bargain; and

2) Richard told me “They’re all going to sell; 'coz I’m not bringing any home.”

Click here for a full preview of the 100 or so boards offered, including asking prices.

Serious collectors know the high-water mark for vintage boards was set last month, also at auction, in California. An authentic Greg Noll Sunset Gun, shaped and ridden by da Bull in the 1967 Duke contest went for USD$42,000 (AUD$57,000). This price, and others from the California Gold auction, will inform the Perth auction process (don't forget to add 16.5% 'buyer’s premium' and GST!).

Anyway you dress it up - or down - Richard Hadley’s passion has led him to curating an amazing collection. Those of us that have been lucky enough to have seen his boards at this, and last years auctions, have stumbled across 200 of the worlds most interesting handcrafted surfboards. Naked and together for the first, last and only time. RIP.

I’m really grateful for the six-sensory overload these auctions inspire; and the consequent salt water dreams. I can’t help having regrets too, thinking about future generations of passionate surfers and surfboard designers. It’s a real shame that dysfunctional commercial imperatives have deconstructed this functional art collection.

So what’s the pre-pricing for this years auction like when bench-marked to the market? I’ll answer that question in parts, starting with two rhetorical questions for each bidder:

• What value do you place on untouched originals vs. restoration?
• And similarly, what value do you place authentic boards vs. replications?

There are mighty fine specimens in each category for sale. If anything, with a weighting toward replicas.

If you want to know the latest pricing for each category, in my opinion, the Facebook forums and online auction houses provide a remarkable pricing consistency. However, there are aberrations and the setting needs to be considered: a boisterous auction house with 100 unique boards, each auctioned at two minute bidding intervals.

Come hammer time on Tuesday night, if someone has seen a “must have”, well they’ll be pinning their ears back and throwing those logical pricing metrics out the window.

I know of two more factors that will fuel their fervour:

• The marketplace for vintage surfboards is still in its infancy; and,
• Contemporary hand-crafted surfboards barely exist, so prices can only go up.

So back to the beginning: what is “surfing’s new image?” Don't worry, it's a loaded question. After all, what is 'new', what is 'old', what is 'real', what is 'restored'? In the world of vintage boards, judgments vary from individual to individual, but there are two immutable constants and they should be kept top of mind when assessing the value of vintage surfboards:

1) Beauty is in the eye of the beholder; and,

2) Caveat emptor – may the buyer beware.

By the way, I’ve spotted an ideal board for me to ride in the Mentawai’s in two weeks time. I reckon I’ll be the only one bidding for it, it’s a....

//DAMON HURST

PS: If you want the catalogue from last years auction, or a sales summary click here.