Seb, well, I dunno how long he’s gonna last with a surf shop. One or two others have gone under in that location. I mean, I wish him luck, but the market is kinda limited, short and the profit overall isn’t good. It’s one thing, doing something outta the back of your van, and it’s something completely different with a real shop, employees and so on. Shapers- well, other than vec, no. Again, small year round market and only so many platinum card surf moms want to put money out to a non-name brand. Just as well…
Just was thinking about backyard/friend shapers, not everything has to be about $$. I agree that it is a small market though. Especially when you have the Pump House selling Bics out the yoo hoo. I used to work with the guy that owned the Pump House before he sold it to that guy and his kid, he said it sucked owning a shop. I’ve worked in shops, and had no problem as a teenager, but with commitments and bills it’s another story. http://www.chrisgillis.com
As far as backyard guys, probably a few. I don’t see a lot of 'em. Pump house, well - considering the tennis shoe place across the street is trying to cut his throat on everything, and people want to buy bics, more power to him. I’m not real crazy about the tennis shoe people and their games. Running a surf shop is a good time, but it’s no way to do much more than that. Wife and kids tend to be unhappy if you’re spending every day at it and if ya don’t you’ll go under. What’s Steve doing these days, I haven’t seen him in a few years. Last I knew he’d gone kinda corporate.
I ran into Steve and his wife (we were all chatham bars inn doofs) in the North End of Boston about two years ago. He was going school to study this really cool style of old architecture, that was only taught at this school. Oh wait - I ran into him last year at an irish bar in my hood (forgot). He was still in school I think, and wasn’t surfing much around here, but took some trips in the last couple of years. http://www.chrisgillis.com
Check out Mahogany co. in N.J. 609-625-8101. Surf Source is cheaper if your a business A five gallon bucket from Mahogany is about $128.00 Us fiberglass in N.C. is also fairly priced for cloth.
Ah, ok. Hell, I haven’t seen him since he got married then. It’s been a while. Architecture? That’s a 180. And, he’s an example I mention when I hear somebody say " I wanna open a surf shop" - he had to wait tables ( granted, the money is good at the CBI ) to make a living while working all day at the shop.