ok you can call me asscannon
yeah its a small business
the best i can hope for waged in nz as a jeweller is about 25 to 30
contract at 40
i go for25 to 30 flexible hours a week on wages
makes sure the bills are all paid and i can go surfing when i want
to round the lifestyle off i need another 6 to 700 a week to part’e
so the plan was a board a week and the odd private engagement ring
turns out that machine shaped polys are the way to go for pocket money
and compsands maybe one a month
Thanks for the heads up. Back to PU.
ok you can call me asscannon
yeah its a small business
the best i can hope for waged in nz as a jeweller is about 25 to 30
contract at 40
i go for25 to 30 flexible hours a week on wages
makes sure the bills are all paid and i can go surfing when i want
to round the lifestyle off i need another 6 to 700 a week to part’e
so the plan was a board a week and the odd private engagement ring
turns out that machine shaped polys are the way to go for pocket money
and compsands maybe one a month
I’m messing with you. Glad you get the customers to help with the cash.
When the value and quality surpassed the “artistic way” of doing things, only then did I hear the complaining start.
Yeah well that’s the even more ironic flipside isn’t it.
The guys who first solved the puzzle of how to actually make a good living out of boardmaking were suddenly the spawn of Satan.
Gotta say I wonder if those days are largely behind us now, there seems such a range of boards available at so many different prices and standards, and so many different types of surfer buying 'em, maybe the old “chintz” method of paying for a board is losing its mojo.
I will say it feels to me like every surfer is getting better value for money these days… just did a board test, 18 craft from different m’facturers, most of 'em PU/PE, in solid beachbreak reminiscent of Hossegor or something, and not one board broke or creased, or even suffered much dentage. V different to how they’d have looked five years ago. There’s an addenda to this thread: Has the success of Surftech et al led to increased attention to detail on the part of PU makers?
Quote:The guys who first solved the puzzle of how to actually make a good living out of boardmaking were suddenly the spawn of Satan.
Not that they ( some ) were the spawn of Satan. They ( some ) simply didn’t tell the truth and overhyped. Just like the silly rag manufactures. Those few did have vision of what could be acomplished where others attempted to cling to their " Surfboard making isn’t about the money " attitude. So the few were in the right place at the right time in history.
Quote:Gotta say I wonder if those days are largely behind us now, there seems such a range of boards available at so many different prices and standards, and so many different types of surfer buying 'em, maybe the old “chintz” method of paying for a board is losing its mojo.
Here is the answer to the first paragraph. It’s behind us now because the customer on his own with no prompting by Hype decided they wanted boards that floated better, were easier to surf, and were made of quality by quality craftmen the old ways. Not saying a couple of movies didn’t help, but the movement had already started way back in the mide nineties. It was just small. The funny thing…is the guys that supposedly were so smart and had it all figured out…were not making nuggets, performance eggs, performance longboards, hulls, retro singles, retro fish or four fins and various other types of surfboard to any large degree. Instead…they like the shops had to keep pushing the pointy nosed low float thrusters because of the huge inventory out there of them. When these surfers began searching out the old masters again…they found they didn’t work for cheap and so the Chintz way simply wouldn’t work. I think it’s worked out way better than the previous twenty years. I think we are in one of the best times in surfboard building and selling because customers are open to many different designs. In 93 or even 86 if you went to your local surf shop…what you saw was rarely over 6’4’‘…maybe one 6’10’’ for an only slightly bigger than average surfer. Most all would have a pointed nose, low float and be around 18’’ wide. 19’’ was considered…really wide.
Quote:There’s an addenda to this thread: Has the success of Surftech et al led to increased attention to detail on the part of PU makers?
I don’t think there was an agenda to the thread. Maybe. No to answer the question. I think the masters have done it all along. Only the back yard cheapy makers had to start learning it or miss some of the sales they used to get which were now going to Chinese manufactures or Surftech. I’ll bet you Jim Philips, Geoff Mccoy, Skip Frye, Roger Hinds and the like have never slipped in their attention to detail. In fact…now…their skills are more in demand that in quite awhile me thinks for that very reason. Some of the new shapers like Matt Calvani are also doing well with the old ways of making boards to last.
What I do think is happening right now because of the economy and other factors is a cleaning out. I think folks have found China is not the answer and neither is Surftech, Board works or Firewire. They are just alternatives. Like everything else. I am happy to see many surfers opting for the well made board and paying the price…they will have those boards around working for many years to come.
Good post Nick…I just wanted to add a few things from my memory.
Addenda, agenda, two different things.
I won a surfboard years ago for letter of the month, pretty much on this very subject. Part of it was addressing the issue of overseas quality, and how the smaller local manufacturers would have nothing to worry about if they could match or better the quality available form alternative sources. Or go down.
As Nick stated, over all the game has lifted in the last few years, from raw materials to finished product. Clark closing also promoted a pretty timely cull.
“Addenda”, not “agenda”.
right back at ya solo re post. This is a v interesting thread…specially given the economic circumstances. Board builders in the main are the poor relations in the Surf Industrial Complex … but I seem to recall in the last recession, 1990-92, boards were one of the few things that kept selling well. Then – as now I suspect – it was the simple act of going surfing that kinda pulled everyone through.
Just a quick note from the frontline on this issue.
ST have reduced retail prices by about a hundred bucks just recently…whether in response to macro-economic conditions or to increase competitiveness with big name pu/pe manufacturers is open to speculation.
I would say board buyers have never had it so good.
As for board makers…my last local custom I bartered up.
The shaper said x…i said I’ll pay x plus fifty.
Prejudice amongst local surfers against asian pop-outs is still fairly strong here.
Steve
After several seconds of intensive research I’ve now drawn the conclusion that surfboards are good for selling clothes and that’s about it. With that sort of genius I should be making my own boards! Oh wait…
you could call 'em "bonk surfboards " , eh ?
got a nice …er… “ring” to it …
passion not profit…It would be nice to make a few MORE bucks but I just wanna make nice boards coz thats what I love to do…
Yer thats what I love too but it would be nice to be able to make a decent living out of it and give up the day job.
It probably just about pays for itself, maybe a little spare but not much and thats with me working my arse off.
Ive come to the realisation that I will probably never have the opertunity to do this full time, don’t have enough time to make many boards coz I’ve still got bills to pay, and if I give up the day job I’d have to make so sell so many boards to make ends meet the quilty would be compramised. People just wont justerfy paying more than the mass produced boards.
It wont stop me making boards, I’d still make them, surf then sell them for what I can to make space for more boards or keep them em, but I wish I had the opertunity to make more, develope my skills, and improve my boards. My current emphasis is deffinately on the boards not the profits but only because I’ve given up on actually trying to turn one in that it seems pointless to try. Just make the best board I can and go from there, try to make each one better.
I’ve seen some reall talented guys turning out great boards but they are just scraping by, and having to take on extra jobs. seems to me if you want to make boards make boards, if you want to make a profit pay some else to make them for you?
“Addenda”, not “agenda”.
right back at ya solo re post. This is a v interesting thread…specially given the economic circumstances. Board builders in the main are the poor relations in the Surf Industrial Complex … but I seem to recall in the last recession, 1990-92, boards were one of the few things that kept selling well. Then – as now I suspect – it was the simple act of going surfing that kinda pulled everyone through.
Sorry I missed the addneda. I was not disagreeing with your post BTW. It just gave me some other thoughts. I agree…boards tend to sell. Americans and western culture like their toys. When that goes…we are in deep trouble.
…so why most surfers are only cheapo with boards?
I dont see cheapness with surf fashion or marketing crap like wetsuits
for me, one of the reason is that you cant go to knock knock the door of those cloth/gear designers, etc
“nobody” knows where to find them
and if you just find, there s no possibilities to claim nothing
I think it’s because cheap boards still work… cheap wetsuits don’t (at least not well). And neither will last very long, but you buy what you can afford at the time, I guess.
Besides… once you start doing it for the money, you have to hear people complain. For the most part, people come to backyard guys for boards because they’ve seen their work, maybe even ridden their boards, and like what they see. There are no secrets… no marketing pitches. They seek you out because they want a board from you. You can always say no. But if you do build a board for that guy, and you tell them up front the price and turnaround time, they either take it or leave it. Just build a good board, deliver it on time, and you get no complaints. They get what they expect.
That way, you can enjoy building boards, make a few bucks on the side, and you still get up and go to work in the morning to earn your paycheck.
Hi Reverb -
For posers, it is far more important to look like a surfer at school or wherever. Just read the magazine ads, see what the pro/models are wearing and buy it at any price to fit right in with coolness.
On Topic…
http://cgi.ebay.com/63-Fiberglass-Anacapa-Al-Merrick-Pro-Surfboard_W0QQitemZ220263565929QQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116 (link to eBay listing for Anacapa shortboard at $299.00/OBO)
With brand new Anacapa shortboards going for under $300.00/OBO on eBay, it’s pretty tough to compete. Granted they are made overseas but they’re modern designs by Al Merrick. The quality is equal or better to what’s sold retail by many domestic manufacturers.
Materials and supplies alone cost a small time operator nearly that. I bought one gallon of acetone the other day at the local hardware store. With tax it came to nearly 20 bucks. A gallon of gloss resin at FoamEZ is listed right now at 62.00. Coupled with driving around getting stuff, time spent discussing design, and the hours spent actually making the board… let’s just say if you’re going to compete on pricing, it’s a mighty thin profit margin for most.
This is exactly what I mean. Firewires sell for between 7 and 8 hundred. This where compsand should start but being custom we should be more. We’ll see.
…so why most surfers are only cheapo with boards?
I dont see cheapness with surf fashion or marketing crap like wetsuits
for me, one of the reason is that you cant go to knock knock the door of those cloth/gear designers, etc
“nobody” knows where to find them
and if you just find, there s no possibilities to claim nothing
It’s a right of passage thing with surfers. They don’t feel they have arrived until a slick shop owner or a boardbuilder gives them their personal discount. Once they get it they are ruined. They assume thats how the game is played.
Desperate back yarders selling low priced boards and shop owners giving huge discounts…or…pressuring shapers to give huge discounts for their so called team guys. The shop owners even give the silly 15% or 20% discount on their soft goods to buy the business. I have seen them harass customers in the water for spending their money in other places.
Once you have shown whats up your skirt…it’s hard to go back.
I think I’ll just stick with another backyard surfboard shaper thanks. Mind you bonk surfboards and getting your stick wet has a certain ring to it.
Instead of aiming for it’s foot, maybe the custom surfboard industry should aim for it’s head if it does the same thing with this new way of reinforcing surfboards.