My $100.00, 6’ fish with translucent blue resin tint will be finished soon.
In all due respect, I have to ask you some questions. (Disclaimer this is not a personal attack.)
How long did it take you to shape your board? (Time is money)
How long did you spend glassing it? (Ditto)
How much time and money (infrastructure) shaping and glassing bays/area at your house? Or do you rent a space?(Is this stuff free?)
Don’t forget about the planer, and all the cool tools too?
Fish Blank? $60.00-$75.00
Resin and cloth? $25.00-$40.00
Add 25% profit=? (you tell me)
That $100.00 board really isn’t $100.00…You are selling yourself a little short. Never the less, the board that you are making is priceless…You cannot quantify the self gratification of riding your own board. (Priceless)
The shapers / glassers that are making some money and recognition have taken a long hard path. Unfortunately, they are under paid for the most part.
[ 3]Last year I called Kane Garden for pricing on a 6’ foot fish. Not a Twinzer or modern design from Larry Mabile. I was quoted $395.00 with A pinstripe and no color. $495.00 with cool colors and racing pinstripes. Considering the time and experience it takes to shape and glass one of these buggers, the cost doesn’t seem excessive.
Last August I checked out the KG and G&S fish side by side, single color, one or no pinstripe, in Carlsbad, and ea. was $500.00, give or take a few bucks. Still under that realm of excessiveness, IMO. Last month I checked out the Brom fishes in Santa Barbara. $780.00 bucks for a single color, pinstripe and Brom’s cool logo. HOLY CRAP!!! What the hell is the $280.00 difference? Now you know why I shape and glass my own boards. My $100.00, 6’ fish with translucent blue resin tint will be finished soon. [/]
Why so much! Do you even know how much it costs to build a board these days? All materials are dirived from crude oil. Gas has doubled in price so has resin, fiberglass, and pigments. In March 04 I was paying $500 for a drim of resin. It is now $ 800 and rising monthly! Get a grip on realty, Steve.
Wow! I figured I’d get a response out of that one. Especially after I reread my post.
Wanton,
You are EXACTLY right. I did sell myself short. The blank has been sitting in my racks for so long that I nearly forgot about buying it. It takes quite a bit of time for me to design and shape it. I had plenty of left over glass and resin from my previous boards. Right now I have all the tools I need, assuming my planer doesn’t cr@P out on me. I’ve built lights, stands and racks as well. Since I am NOT a professional shaper, this job takes away valuable family, surfing, eating, sleeping time. ( Not saying that it’s any different for the Pros, but it is not my primary occupation.) This being said, the board is still not done.
Paul and others,
I did not mean to belittle anyone’s work by complaining about the price of boards. I understand that shapers, glassers, sanders are highly underpaid for their work. They are in fact, true artisans in they’re field. Each time a pick up a planer I gain a new respect for the pros.
I apologize to any I have offended by my earlier statement. The point was trying to make was that the cost of a new surfboard along with a growing desire to create my own designs, and ride them, is the reason that I decided to shape my own boards. (Unfortunately, I did not word it as such.) Also, I may bitch about the price but I will still pay top dollar for a board that I am truly fascinated with. (There are several custom Hap Jacobs and a Skip Frye in my garage as proof.)
prices are a reflection of the value of our diluted dollar the buying power of which belive is now about 5 cents to the 1966 dollar thats like 20x1=or my 140.oo yater =2800.oo…paul your estimate is about right especially after you finish the nose and tail with glass and all that stuff and polish and of course a couple of dings…ambrose…Basa got 3000.oo for his old poly board and now its in yokohama museum