Board Bazaar - January 2015

Stu Nettle picture
Stu Nettle (stunet)
The Rearview Mirror

Welcome back to the Board Bazaar, and Happy New Year if ain't too late for me to say so. To the people who wrote and asked where the Bazaar was last month, thanks for the gesture. If we ever find ourselves in a bidding war I'll humbly withdraw.

There was a noticeable slump in sales over January, eBay had up to a third less boards than usual as crew took time out from work, not to mention the work of hoarding boards. For those who remained on the job the lack of bidders provided bargains. See the last entry for proof. And with that let's get into it.

5_6.jpgThere's some irony in surfing's greatest iconoclast, Miki Dora, becoming an icon himself. Items sporting his name fetch top dollar simply on the strength of association, like this board for instance with an asking price of $2,500. The seller knows his audience: "Will look fantastic in your collection, living room, or surgery." Looks to be in original condition except for the hole drilled in the fin ("Damn kook cords!"). Despite two laps around eBay the seller found no rich doctors willing to hang the board. Miki can rest easy in his grave.

7_6.jpgFrom icons to iconography. Throughout his 40-year career Geoff McCoy dabbled in all manner of designs, but there was always one constant - the McCoy logo. Has anyone run with the same logo for as long? Whether it be on a single, twin, tri, or inter-planetary vehicle, McCoy always planted his big arse, cursive font logo on the nose. Of course this late-70s single is no exception. Needs some serious tail work, might be a hard colour match with the airbrush, but the logo sits untouched and timeless. 9 bids took it to $202.50.

2_16.jpgYou can draw a lot of similarities between record collectors and board colectors: both are meticulous, anal, and obsessive. And they love genealogy. Just as you can trace the lineage of great bands, so can you trace the lineage of great shapers. Take this Age single fin. Of 70s vintage it was shaped in a factory in Lakemba. On the floor of the factory was a young fella named Bill Cilia. The owner of Age moved the factory to Kincumber and renamed it Nirvana, and a few years later young Bill bought it. Been there since. Like the Yardbirds are to Led Zep, so is this board to Nirvana. 5 bids took it to $49.50.

3_11.jpg...and while we're on a music tip check this Greg Clough-shaped Aloha quad with 'Quadrophonic' emblazoned down the guts. Seems to be ripping off The Who's 'Quadrophenia' (and if it isn't this segueway was pointless). Always a kick to compare 80s quads to todays; they may only have one more fin than a thruster but the positioning seems endless. In this case the rear fins are wide apart. Beyond its great condition, there's lots of reason to like this board. The bidding, however, was mild - after 14 bids the winner got it for just $182.50.

6_8.jpgFrom the days of big dings and abrasions comes this lethal Sam Egan single fin. Doesn't matter where it hits you this sucker is gonna hurt. By the look of it past owners have kept it well out of harm's way cos it's in very good nick. And doesn't it look so streamlined? And doesn't the logo just match the era? On that score, Sam Egan has had no less than 15 logos in his time. Take that Mr McCoy! This board was sold for $315 but almost immediately relisted. If you're interested check it here.


8_6.jpgBy the late-70s Shane Stedman's shaping heyday was just about over. He was still on the radio giving surf reports and still the man about town, but his Brookvale proteges - Fitzgerald, Anderson, Latta et al - had taken the shaping baton and run with it. But although he wasn't capturing the zeitgeist he could still pump out fair impressions of it, such as this twin swallow clearly taken from the MR mold. It's in great condition, so many old swallows have the ends worn and rounded, but not this one. Spray looks good too. 19 bids took it to $211.

4_13.jpgExhibit A) for beaten up swallow tails, right here. This Piping Hot twin appears to be early-80s vintage and in real estate parlance would be called a handyman's dream. It obviously can't be ridden with torn glass and exposed foam but the foundations are there for a good restoration job. Keep the deck intact - how is that fade spray by the way - and colour the bottom so it's less creme brulee and more flat white. 13 bids saw it sold at $76. Here's hoping the buyer knows his way around a resin tin.
 

11_6.jpgCaringbah is not Brookvale, Part 1. By that I mean that despite all the great board shapers who serviced Cronulla surfers there were no Newton-under-the-apple-tree moments in the Shire's backblocks. However, this board shows they weren't far off the pace. A 70s single fin with channel flutes following the rail line in the manner of Jim Pollard and built upon by Col Smith and Al Byrne. It's an incredible looking board, and also in great condition. The seller has just relisted, click here to view.


9_5.jpgCaringbah is not Brookvale, Part 2. When California's Gordon & Smith set up an Aussie operation they did so at Captain Cook Drive, Caringbah. Lot of great boards came out of there, even if no great breakthroughs followed. But perhaps there could have been? This single + side fins betrays the thought process of the shaper Terry Bishop. But did he shape this three-finner before whatshisname Anderson? Hard to say, though it looks more 70s than 80s. Perhaps Caringbah could've been Brookvale had a few cosmic ducks lined up?

10_5.jpgOne cosmic duck who made Cronulla his home was Peter Townend. Before becoming surfing's inaugural world champ, and also Jack from Big Wednesday, PT fled south in the winter of '72 and stayed until '74. He made Sandshoes his local and shaped for G&S. Here's one of his creations, a "Tubeshooter" - how 70s hey? - with single fin and rounded pin. Great spray and all 'round good condition. One bidder scooped it for a generous $699.



1_36.jpgAnd here's the bargain story of the month. Otherwise known as "The bastard bought it for what?!" While you were drunk in Byron, sweating in a caravan at Prevelly, or generally kicking back on your holiday a lucky git scored this board: a Shane single fin shaped by Simon Anderson. Needs a little work around the tail but the damage is easily offset by the price paid - just $29! Once again the rule is proven: as soon as you drop your guard some other bastard gets a bargain. Stay vigilant people!

 

Comments

zenagain's picture
zenagain's picture
zenagain Wednesday, 4 Feb 2015 at 6:24pm

Please don't ever stop these. Such a great read.

Stu, ever considered an alternative career an as auctioneer or maybe even that voiceover bloke on the Price is Right?

Great stuff!

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Thursday, 5 Feb 2015 at 9:55am

It's time to play a new round!

If you can arrange the boards in correct order of price you'll take home the lot!

 

niggly's picture
niggly's picture
niggly Wednesday, 4 Feb 2015 at 7:04pm

yep'
awesome Stu.

Cheers

Blowin's picture
Blowin's picture
Blowin Wednesday, 4 Feb 2015 at 7:07pm

Agreed. Great stuff.

top-to-bottom-bells's picture
top-to-bottom-bells's picture
top-to-bottom-bells Thursday, 5 Feb 2015 at 8:49am

Nice. The Age board could've been described "As Nirvana is to the Foo Fighters this board is to Nirvana."

wildenstein8's picture
wildenstein8's picture
wildenstein8 Thursday, 5 Feb 2015 at 9:33am

Stu, on the red G&S, are you sure those small fins aren't retro-fitted? It looks to me a single fin shaped just before 1981 and had those fins glassed on to keep up with the times.

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Thursday, 5 Feb 2015 at 9:57am

Nah, they're definetely originals. If you look closely there are G&S logos under the glass running paralel with the fins. Wouldn't be there unless original.

wildenstein8's picture
wildenstein8's picture
wildenstein8 Thursday, 5 Feb 2015 at 2:54pm

That makes it a valid historical board then, puts it somewhere between the Bonzer and Thruster (assuming it was shaped after '81). I love how these things pop up and shake the tree of history. It shows that innovation doesn't happen in a vacuum.

radiationrules's picture
radiationrules's picture
radiationrules Friday, 6 Feb 2015 at 10:58am

Another great article stu. I got 4 laughs b4 8am! Inconoclast to icon. Icon to iconography. .as the yardbirds were to led zep. A hear an emerging spoken word poet.

One market question - why so many low value trades? Nothing going of quality.?

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Friday, 6 Feb 2015 at 11:48am

The people's poet? Who else will save the victimised youth?

Reckon the low trades all boil down to one thing: the time of year. There's simply less people in the market during the holidays.

Lesson there for both buyers and sellers.

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Friday, 6 Feb 2015 at 11:53am

In December a 7'2" channel bottom swallow tail in very good cond by memory sold for $32 cant remember the brand wasn't a AB.

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Friday, 6 Feb 2015 at 2:25pm

Coincidence: Today Peter Townend posted about his time in Cronulla, mentioning a few of the things stated in article above.

https://www.facebook.com/165811153908/photos/a.165916378908.118319.165811153908/10153067433558909/?type=1&theater

Rjb's picture
Rjb's picture
Rjb Saturday, 7 Feb 2015 at 5:24pm

With regard to the G&S red single fin, I bought a second hand Crozier in 1973 and it had an identical set up with a single fin and 2 stabilisers. A few people were doing them at the time but they didn't seem to be quite sorted. It shows that people were on the right track however. I think that MRs surfing on twin fins in the following years also steered people away from 3 fins till Simon came along.

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Monday, 2 Mar 2015 at 4:51pm

Cheyne Horan has one of personal McCoys listed on Ebay : starting price of $7000.

simba's picture
simba's picture
simba Monday, 2 Mar 2015 at 5:26pm

bargain..............? na