I have a freind who has acquired a G & S Skip Frye Model, # 117, from the guy that bought it new in 1966. It needs some restoration. Any opinions as to the ballpark value?
priceless!
Hi Bill,
I have one around that year that I purchased about 6 years ago. I paid $750. I has a few yellow spots and 1 ding, and a few whiteys, but in really good shape. Currently most super clean name brand models are going for about $1250 to $2500. Obviously it depends if its being sold on e-bay, garage sale, or the dreaded surf auction.
Don’t really know but I’d imagine a fair variation between boards from different shapers. If that is true the Frye would likely need to go near the top of the pile!
Then i guess anyone who want’s to give me $2000 for my old frye can have it.
I’m sure the board I saw was shaped by Skip, because of the early production number. At a production pace of two boards per day, five days per week, board #117 is out the door in around 11, or 12 weeks into production. Shaping from ‘‘scratch’’, two boards per day would take three hours plus or minus 1/2 hour, total time. Easily done by Skip, with plenty of time left over to surf. The fellow that has the board, was a glosser at G & S during that time, and may have done the original gloss on the subject board.
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Then i guess anyone who want's to give me $2000 for my old frye can have it.
The mind of the collector is indeed a labyrinthian and mysterious beast!
Think I’ll keep my retirement fund (though it is looking like however much it is worth in $ it may not be worth much in terms of value exchange soon).
If any of you come across a 9’3" G&S Hot Curl with a reddish/orange bottom and yellow foam stain between the butterfly stringers, take a close look. If there’s some writing that says something like “Another in a line of Barney’s hybrids” on the label please contact me.
Width: 23", Nose: 19" Tail: 17" With a wide round-pin tail.
It was stolen about 35 years ago from a barn where I was living in Topanga. I figure it was either ridden to death or is in someone’s collection at this point.
If I ever find it, there’s gonna be some splainin’ to do… there’s a police report on it.
I can assure you that if it is a Skip Frye model it was shaped by Skip. I worked at G&S in the late 60’s and early 70’s and I can tell you that all of the Frye’s that came out of the factory when I was around were shaped by Skip.
I have a 9’8 from 1967 and I have the original factory invoice to Keller’s Surf Shop in Lavallette, N.J. Written on the stringer it says No. 85 9948 Keller’s Surf Shop. The invoice date is 6/6/67 and it is hand written. The 9948 is the serial # that shows on the invoice and would have been the number preprinted on the order card. Palm Printing in Pacific Beach printed the order cards and pre printed the sequential numbers on the cards. Except when they made a mistake and printed the same # on a batch of 100 cards. This happened once in a while and will sure mess up the collectors. huh?
my rule of yhumb is to add a zeo to the end of the original invoice price
to equal what it would cost to dupelicate the board today in simular materials.
of course this would be the low ball price on the estimate perhaps even half the collector target price.
like apraiseing jewelery
it has a great deal to do with who desires the board.
…ambrose…
just a moment feeling the rail
most illuminating especially for the original shaper…
I know his new custom boards are going for small honda civic prices.
His clear sanded twin keel’s start at $2,300 and that includes fins
His clear sanded longboards start at , $5,000.00 and these to come with fins
just a heads up for anyone in the market for a Skippy.
Thanks Bill for posting the inquiry about my board… Stringer reads: “#117 10172 Surf Scene La Jolla” … I’m guessing this board was made in 1966, anyone have a better idea from what the stringer reads?? It’s 9’ 9" , 7" sq Tail , nose to tail its 17" 22" 15" … It’s been rode hard, but it’s a keeper, and worth restro, even if it won’t be all original…
Old G&S Glosser, spring and summer of 66’, Carl Ekstrom Glosser fall and winter 66’, thanks to lessons from Bill in 65’… Oh and glosser at Olympic Surfboards 65’, and salesman for WindanSea Surfboards in Mission Beach…
Ollie
May not apply to this board, but if I found a board at a garage sale or something, and it said 10172 on the stringer, I’d wonder if that wasn’t a date… Jan 1, 1972?
Well, I have an 8’8" G and S “Hot Curl” pintail. It is identical to the one that used in the magazine ads when they were introduced. Yellow foam stringer and yellow WAVSET fin. The serial # is 2034. So, it sure wasn’t shaped 26 years from now. Best guess is that it was built in 1968.
Anyone have a clue who might have shaped it? The rails show a decided Frye influence. 50/50 and knifey.
Your Hot Curl is a probably a 1968.
Sometimes the shapers would put their initials on the stringer by the serial #.
Production shapers around that time were: Paul Bordieri (head shaper), Dennis Benadum, Hoy Runnels? John Holly? Who else? We had 6 shaping rooms I think. Can’t remember all of the the names. I have some old black and white photos from the factory in the spring of '69.
Skip usually didn’t shape production boards just his model or special orders.
The attached G&S factory invoice from 6/16/67 to Keller’s Surf Shop in Lavallette, New Jersey shows 11 boards with the lowest serial # of 9953 and the highest # of 10301.
Along with the other invoice referenced in my above post should pretty much pinpoint the date of manufacture of your board to June of 1967.
How cool is that? Thanks for sharing!
SammyA,
Re: your Hot Curl
The G&S dealer letter dated October 7, 1968 says,
COMING SOON: The 1969 version of the top selling Hot Curl featuring a brand new streamlined outside shape and a single lightweight stringer design. This will be available with the regular bottom and rails or a flat bottom and low rails in the tail. We expect this to be another record breaking year for the Hot Curl. As of this date, the old wedge type Hot Curl is terminated.
The letter went on to introduce the Magic, which way outsold the Hot Curl in 1969.
Also. factory invoice # 01281 dated July 12, 1968 has 5 boards lowest serial #1225 and highest # 2080 including # 2059 which was a 9’4 Hot Curl with green top and bottom.
Balsa
Thanks for the info… Just talked to Hoy Runnels last Thursday… I’ll hit him up about the board the next time I talk to him… Thanks again for your input… Ollie
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I know his new custom boards are going for small honda civic prices.His clear sanded twin keel’s start at $2,300 and that includes fins
His clear sanded longboards start at , $5,000.00 and these to come with fins
just a heads up for anyone in the market for a Skippy.
Was in Oshmanns Sporting goods in Harajuku Japan today and the Skip Twins are ¥680,000 new that is $7250 U.S