A Hansen Cardiff surfboard recently came into my possession. I know nothing about surfboards and I do not surf. I would like to sell the board but I know nothing about it other than the fact that it has been hanging in a garage for a very long time.
I have attached a few pictures of the board. It does say Hansen Cardiff and has a number at the bottom. I beleive it is either “3595” or “5595”… I am unable to tell what the the first digit is.
The board seems to be in pretty good condtion. I did not see any deep scratches, however as you can tell by the pictures the many years of dust has left it quite dirty. I was also concerned about the fin. I don’t know if it is damaged, or it is supposed to have the concave to it.
My questions regarding the board are…
When was it made?
Who “shaped” it? (the term for who made the board?)
How much is it worth?
Any other information would be appreciated. I’m not just interested money, I know people are passionate about these types of things and wouldn’t mind a little history on the item.
Your board’s number appears to be 3595. That number would put the board in mid-summer 1965. I’m mystified by the partially obscured board number. It may have happened in glassing. The dot. at the end of the number, (there should also be one at the start of the number) indicates to me that the board was shaped by Fred (Buzzy) Smole. I was a shaper at Hansen during the time when that board was made. Each shaper had a unique mark, that identified who shaped a particular board. Given the wear on the fin, that board made many a trip to the beach!
Agreed on the fin. Somebody rode it right into the sand, too many times.
It looks like it might clean up pretty well, given the pic of the bottom. You should have cleaned it first, so we could have a better idea of its true condition. It appears to be a rather stock board for the period. The biggest detriments to any cash value are the fin damage, and worse yet, what appears to be a leash plug that was added at some point. If it really is a plug, somebody reduced the worth by half, right there. With luck, you might get $500. Old boards don’t sell like they used to, unless they’re unique or in truly mint condition.
Another thing to take into consideration in value is where you’re located. Seems like a lot more longboards, and in better condition, survided on the East Coast and prices are subsequently lower in general than in California. Sammy’s about ballpark based on what I’ve seen lately.
Fin could be a sand-out of an impact, seen that plenty of times. Sure hurts potential value, though, in any case.
“Roofing tar”? Highly unlikely. It looks like nothing more than old, dirty wax with decades of dirt embedded. I’ve handled my fair share of roofing tar and can tell you there’s none on that board. It would look a hell of a lot worse.
jeffrey makes a good point about location. A friend of mine has a barn full of old Hansens in New Hampshire and he can’t sell them for what they cost a few years ago.
Thank you for all of the information on the board I really appreciate it. Sorry it took me a little to get back, I wanted to clean it and take more pictures to get a better idea of what I have here.
I am in Rhode Island. While the board certainly is cool, I have no space for it or sentimetal value for it. I do plan on selling it but I don’t know what to do with it. I am very skeptical about trying to ship it anywhere considering I think the shipping would cost more than the board (read damage below). I know this is the ocean state and there are surf shops around.
The good news is, the board cleaned up very nicely and it was just old wax and luckily the board doesn’t have a leash plug like SammmyA pointed out.
Unfortunately all of that old wax was covering up all the old damage. It does appear this board got quite some use in its day.
The first three pictures show how well the board cleaned up.
However the next two photos show what appears to be a small dent near the logo. Maybe it was shot by a bb gun?
The next two photos shows some cracking on the glossy layer of the board. It is about where someone would stand I suppose.
The next four photos show the sides have a bit of damage. Generally the sides are pretty worn out. Especially the top of the board and the side near the fin.
The next three photos are of the fin. I guess it was damaged and sanded? If the original shape was round then obviously there is damage there.
And sadly, the worst for last… I don’t even know… A sloppy repair? It is smooth but bumpy, like a pile of wax. Or someone tried to “glass?” it to repair that small section.
So… not in great shape. Obviously someone enjoyed themselves atleast. I imagine most people who buy these things not as perfect condition collectables hang them up on the wall as art or something. I realized its not worth a thousand but with all this damage but I was hoping someone could give me an estimate of what it may be worth in this conditon. (Rhode Island). Also… I’m not quite sure where I would sell it. Shipping this almost 10 foot monster seems very expensive. Would it be worth calling local surf shops? Craigslist? Any other ideas?
Thanks for posting the new photos - I think we all enjoy that and it makes it much easier. She’s seen some use, but is far from what I’d call abused. Just honest wear and tear which, unfortunately, does affect value. Still be a fun board to cruise on a waist-high day!
Were I you, I would post the board on Jamboards.com where there are quite a few Hansen afficionados from the East Coast who will be happy to give you a fair estimate and in all liklihood you’ll find a purchaser. Unless someone here chimes in, of course! I’ve found the users on that site to be generally fair - both with one another and in their dealings with the public a large.
User, post it for sale on craigslist. There has been one around the same vintage listed in LI for awhile for $300. Unfortunately late 60’s Hansens bring the money or should I say better money. Honestly this board will be a hard sell. I think you need to do what will make you the happiest because I’m afraid you won’t make a lot of money selling it. Sorry to be a downer but that is the reality in the northeast.
Given its age, and the fact it’s in RI, I’d say it’s in damn good condition. RI has tons of rocky breaks and any board from there that’s seen a lot of use will have its fair share of dings. Especially one built well before leashes came along. There’s a good chance that board came from the Will Jacobs operation. Based in CT, but he had a shop in Newport for a few years and they were the only Hansen dealer in RI at that time.
You might try contacting Sid at Waterbrothers in Newport. Tell him what you have and ask if he knows any Hansen collectors. Can’t hurt to ask. In fact, try all the shops in Newport and Gansett. Ask if you can post a “for sale” flyer.
15 or 20 years ago, you might have gotten 1200-1500 for it. The bubble has burst on stock 60s boards, though.
