Since the recent developments of Clark Foam disappearing, one of the ugly things about this industry has once again raised it’s head. Low Balling.
You people who are trying to exist in this industry or should I say off this industry that see a need to always be the lowest price are one of the reasons the surfboard building side of it has never allowed shapers to make enough money to continue experimentation and stay long term in this business. The few that have are simply a testiment to their love of the craft.
I am a consumer myself and I have no problems with low price if what your selling is actually the same quality product that is being produced at a lower price because of some invention etc. you may have created, but that has simply not been the case with surfboards or surfboards blanks in all too many cases.
I see many folk on the internet taking shots at other surfboard builders and foam makers by claiming to sell blanks for a lower price than some of their fellow boardbuilders and foam producers. It’s the back yard lowballer, chinese import mentality thats killing this industry and every customer that buys that crap and claims to care about this industry and having custom orders available long into the future are simply misguided parasites looking for a deal.
In fact, “the deal” is whats going to do in you board builders and foam makers that buy into the Walmart mentality.
You have an opportunity right now to actually improve your craft and take more control of your industry from the sellout Surf shops Department stores and those whose main source of surfboard income is derived from popouts, back yard low ballers and chinese imports. If you do not charge what your worth and educate (which means selling to some degree) the surfing public on why your products are better and different than the low ballers your going to continue to fall prey to the promoters of a quick buck like the ones claiming the lowest price of foam and surfboards. You will deserve your fate, because there is a bare minimum you can make something for and sell it for to pay yourself and all your bills and keep the doors open. If someone actually creates something superior at a cheaper price and can stay in business long term that way, then so be it, but I think many of us have seen how that turns out in the long run.
As for the consumers who may read this; when you see boards or foam blanks advertised as lower than the competition, you may want to consider, that if all someone has is the lowest price, very often they don’t really have much.
A Mercedes Benz is simply a better built care than a Kia. The Kia has four wheels and rolls and is worth sometimes less than half what you paid for it when you drive it off the lot, yet you can buy a used Benz with high miles that will go on another 100,000 miles and actually still be worth a little something. Not to mention it will be safe and tons more fun to drive and will probably still be around when Kia is out of business or upgraded to charge close to the same thing as the Benz.
If you don’t care whats under your feet on a wave, or the quality of craftmanship that goes into the production of the board your riding then please by all means buy a chinese import, a popout or a backyard built low balled surfboard. If your a builder and are not willing to try and find the best products on the market and pay for the research someone else has done before you on foam products, then you will be a victim at some point and probably out of business. Old habits die hard, but the new surf industry world it appears is going to filter out some folks. Many of those folks that have existed off the industry for awhile are simply going through death throws of their final gasp by lowballing their competition. Consumers don’t know about much of this and don’t care unless you can educate them why your products are better.
Not all surfboards are the same and neither are all foam or styrofoam blanks. Ask your shaper to explain the difference and been keen for catch words and phrases such as lower, more for, as good as, the latest, and the granddaddy…we care about our customers enough to charge the lowest possible price.
Good things in surfboards aint cheap and Cheap things are rarely good.
Some products have years of experience and experimentation behind them and many that produce those products have found and corrected the pit falls. Thats what your buying from a true craftman or retailer who knows what he is selling and is in the sport for more reasons than making buck and telling all his friends he owns a surf shop.
I typed this really quick, so sorry for spelling errors.