board cost

pbuckland05

I got a 7'6 spider board today with fins it cost 300 was that a ok deal or was I charged too much?

rafo802

If it was secondhand then it was too much, next time buy overseas, you will get a better deal.

Low Pockets

rafo802 wrote: »

If it was secondhand then it was too much, next time buy overseas, you will get a better deal.

Aw wow, thats fantastic logic. Thats definitely going to help our ailing economy. Give yourself a big pat on the back.

If you shop around, you will always find a better deal and most company's, (regardless of what area we are talking about) if you tell them, you can get it cheaper online will try do something to keep your business Irish.

And with surfboards, they have a pretty much set price. You want quality, it costs, you want ****e, you'll get it cheaper.

Pbuckland05, do you like the board? Are you happy with it? Then it was worth what you were willing to pay for it and personally I would think 300euro is pretty good for a board.

kodute

pbuckland05 wrote: »

I got a 7'6 spider board today with fins it cost 300 was that a ok deal or was I charged too much?

I hope you've had it out a few times since the 21st and can tell us if it was worth it

Low Pockets

http://kurungabaa.net/2010/03/05/its-made-in-china-so-why-arent-i-getting-a-deal/#comments

Worth a read

rafo802

Why would i pat myself on the back? I'm saying it as i see it.

The vast majority of surfboards are all now manufactured in China. None of the brands 'Bic, Al Merrick etc' putting their stamp on these boards are based in Ireland either. Simply put all the profits are leaving this country anyway. We live in a global economy now.

I recently returned from 2 years in Oz, couldn't believe the board prices when i arrived there first. Irish surfshops are shafting customers and i too have been shafted in the past when i didn't know any different.

Long gone are the days where customers will fire money at over priced equipment in this country, if you can save yourself a €100-200 by shopping abroad then i say go for it.

At the end of the day it isn't the customer's fault if surf gear is overpriced here. It's time some value and fairness in pricing was offered here. It's a surfboard (foam and glass), hardly the most technical piece of equipment.

spaceHopper

I've done the buy at home thing even had a board shaped now I'm tempted by a surf tech I priced one here and was quoted 1400 but I know on line I can get the exact same board for less than 800 more like 760 and that's from a shop in the UK who is making a healthy profit - no need to ask I'm ordering it from them.

donga_perkins

For an off the rack board if you can get it considerably cheaper abroad, and the local shops won't match or beat it (they might throw in a few extras), then I reckon you might as well get it abroad. Why should it cost you more?

For a really nice board? There's probably no upper limit on what I'd spend. There's a huge difference between a custom board from a good shaper and a standard off the rack board.

It's a surfboard (foam and glass), hardly the most technical piece of equipment.

I'm blinded by the ignorance here! Honestly, if that's all you consider a surfboard then you might as well save yourself a few quid and stick with Bic.

tedshredsonfire

As was said in Low pockets link the boys in china are getting paid f all. The guys in the surf shop is on a high minimum wage therefore your item is going to be more expensive. If everyone takes a wage cut prices can come down as overheads come down. In either case I'd sooner see it going to a local shaper at least more of the money is staying in Ireland that way and you are getting a far far superior product built for you.

spaceHopper

tedshredsonfire wrote: »

As was said in Low pockets link the boys in china are getting paid f all.

That's come up on Swaylocks http://www2.swaylocks.com/forums/china-surf-shop-again

Hi all
You probably know I am here in china, and not that far from DongGuan
(that post was not written about my factory or any I have been to)
But Generally -Most of that is true, But possibly blown a bit out of poportion.

Nearly all factories "offer" on site accomodation and Meals
If the worker wants to live and eat elswhere - he/she gets an ammount of money added to his wage.
Its not compulsary to eat/sleep on site, but its cheaper.

There are national laws that control wages and work hours,
People come to the city to make money, more money than working in their home towns,
thus, they work longer hours, Most guys here want those hours, and are extreemly dissapointed if you
dont have enough work for them to do the overtime each day/week

Notics I said Overtime, again, not compulsary, and yes, they get more money per hour
over their set work weeks hours, (40)

2.50 US per hour was mentioned above, If that was right (and probably is),
Thats actually - 21RMB (china yen) per hour
That money will buy the same goods and services that 21USD would buy in America
or per say, 21$AU would buy in OZ - -probably more --
As in, 21rmb could buy you here: 1 pack of marlbro ciggaretts + 3 x 40oz beers + 3 cans of Coke
and they earnt that in one hour !!?
say your not a smoker or drinker,
That same 21rmb could buy you: 1 dozen eggs + Half a kilo of pork + half a kilo of rice and a cabbage or two.
again, they earn that EACH HOUR. (more if its considered overtime)

"windowless cells" was also mentioned... thats funny,
How many windows do you have in your shaping bay ?
If you have windows...
How to you keep the aircondition or heat in the room ?
How do you collect the dust and rubbish for recycling ?
without is all "flowing out the window"
I could use that knowledge...
Sure its made in china, If you want a discount board using the same materials
and methods as the 700$ shortboard available locally ....

tedshredsonfire

sorry space not saying they are not getting fairly paid just saying that costs in other countrys are lower therefore prices are lower. If everyone wages came down the Irish shopowner could afford to bring prices down as well.

spaceHopper

tedshredsonfire wrote: »

sorry space not saying they are not getting fairly paid just saying that costs in other countrys are lower therefore prices are lower. If everyone wages came down the Irish shopowner could afford to bring prices down as well.

Fair enough I'd the impression that all Chineas boards were made is swet shops but when I read that I tought differently.

Still I want to get a new longboard thinking of a surf tech 9'6 - even Ger Byrne siad I should be surfing a bigger board (maybe he's calling me fat)

Surftech are mass produced so I can't see why they are so expensive - except because they can charage that.

rafo802

I'm blinded by the ignorance here! Honestly, if that's all you consider a surfboard then you might as well save yourself a few quid and stick with Bic.

Well i recently bought a foam blank to shape my own board, once i complete the shaping (with the help of the internet:)) i will glass it, apart from a fin set and a leash plug maybe you could enlighten me as to what i'm missing?

In my 7 years of surfing i have never surfed a Bic but if someone else wants too then i'm cool with that. I would never regard myself as being a snob. Its funny but i never saw many of those hard plastic boards abroad.

Look, it's irrelevant what x worker is being paid in China, it's not part of the arguement. My point is the vast majority of boards built are coming out of China so why am i paying way more here in Ireland for the exact same board being sold in Oz?

In a perfect world i would say support your local shaper as this is the only true way to keep your business in Ireland but realistically if i see a quality shaped board abroad selling cheaper then what do you think my choice will be?

spaceHopper

rafo802 wrote: »

Well i recently bought a foam blank to shape my own board, once i complete the shaping (with the help of the internet:)) i will glass it, apart from a fin set and a leash plug maybe you could enlighten me as to what i'm missing?

Have a look at swaylocks but read lots before asking questions they can get abut touchy about the same question been asked again and again....

What type of board you going to shape - if it's a long board or has a centre fin then drill the fin box and board and but the leash trough the hole.

glide

some shapers dont charge the earth for boards and beat shop prices for a custom!!

glide

also what blank did you get rafo?

tedshredsonfire

My only arguement and I,m not a surf shop owner by the way is the cost of doing business is more expensive here therefore the retail cost will be more expensive. If my rent, rates, insurance and wage costs for my shop in cork is more than the rent and wage cost in cornwall then I have to charge more for my products than the man in cornwall in order to keep the doors open.
Two friends of mine got custom made boards designed to their spec by glide for bugger all more than you would pay for a half decent board in a shop. Their boards are unique to them. Support your local shaper and surf shop so they are still there when you need leash, wax and new boots etc in the middle of winter.

TheBigLebowski

Does anyone know of any bad shapers in Ireland? It's just that it's always assumed that if it's made by a local shaper, it must be a quality product.

And equally, stuff that is made far away is crap.:rolleyes:

tedshredsonfire

I,m sure there are bad ones lebowski but wont be in business for long if they are. Most shapers I guess get their sales through referals of happy customers and you can see the board progressing in stages. When you go to pick up your board you can inspect it and not pay the balance if you wern't happy till it is to the standard you expect.
Anyway this thread started about was a fair price paid for the board which is subjective in any case.

Cecil Mor

Two friends of mine got custom made boards designed to their spec by glide for bugger all more than you would pay for a half decent board in a shop.

It was a lot less actually then any of the alternatives I looked at which included boards from abroad!

gumbynation

300 for a 7'6 PU board isnt a bad buy. youd probably pick up a smaller board cheaper as theres heaps going on the various messagebaords but
7'6 PU board will always be easy to sell on as theres floods of people taking up surfing each week. Though personally i think a better starter board would be a longer mal.
Dont agree that boards are always cheaper in oz, at least off the shop floor anyway, particularly with the exchange rate as it is at the moment (1€ = AU$1.5)
Just back from WA, my local shop had a sale on webbers for $600 think they going on MSW for 350-400ish?
Was down in Margs, second hand shortbaords boards and Guns in good nick for all around 350 - 400. so no massive savings there.
Maybe last year when it was €1 to $2...