On the heels of talking about skateboard decks made in china I should probably talk a little about blank decks.
Like them or not, they’re probably here to stay and there’s not much anyone can do as long as the kids keep demanding them.
What’s the issue? It’s price. Blank decks are cheaper than company or pro decks, and when the kid who just came into the shop because he broke his deck pulls out his $35, what can he buy? He can get a blank deck with grip, or he can wait another week to earn $15 so he can get the pro deck.
If this kid can’t tell any difference between a pro deck and a blank, which one is he going to buy? Even if he knows the blank doesn’t feel quite as good and might break sooner, he’s probably still going to buy the blank. This means that ultimately the only people who are going to buy pro and company decks are those who are very brand conscious, the wealthy, or the ever-shrinking group of those who think there really is a difference.
Let’s tackle the quality issue first, because it’s arguably the main one. Yes, some blanks really stink. I’ve used blanks that are junk and which I would never buy again. If those blanks were the only blanks available I would be willing to spend the extra money to get a real deck.
However, there’s a dark little secret out there that some of you kids may not know, which is that some blanks are made by the same companies making the pro decks. Not all of them, but some of them. So you could, in fact, go out and buy a blank that is the exact same deck that your favorite pro skater uses, except without the graphics, of course.
And even if this weren’t the case, eventually people would figure out how to make blanks that aren’t the junk I’ve used before, but would actually be a good deck, and then they might as well be made by the same companies making pro decks.
Personally, I would like to see kids buying pro decks, if only to support the pros. But I don’t think most kids are that altruistic. So what’s the solution? The easiest thing to do would be for pro decks to be prices alongside blank decks. There’s only one problem–it’s not easy, even if it is the easiest solution. You drop the price on pro decks and suddenly pros aren’t making anything on decks, and the companies aren’t making much either.
I could see companies dropping prices by perhaps $5 at the very most, which doesn’t exactly take care of getting the price at your local shop down from $50 to $30. To make up the difference between blanks and pro decks the pro companies would need to drop their prices by about $10, which would mean they’re making almost no money, and it also wouldn’t solve the problem because then the blanks would drop in price too and we’d be right back where we started except that people would be making less money. Of course the kids would love it because they’d be getting decks for cheaper. But there needs to be a balance, and unless the manufacturing of decks actually becomes cheaper (uh-oh, China again…), the pro deck companies can’t lower their prices by anything substantial. At least that’s how I see it.
Ultimately, prices on pro decks will probably drop, either because of competition from blanks or because they’re cheaper to make in China or most likely a combination of both. If this drop in price is sufficient, it could work out to not be a detriment to the pro companies. People generally buy more of something when it becomes cheaper, and if decks drop in price by $5-10 I would guess that kids really would buy decks more frequently. Combine this with the continually rising popularity of skateboarding in general and dropping prices on pro decks to compete better with blanks might not be such a bad idea as long as blanks don’t immediately drop in price as well.
As for Sublimited, yes, we are going to sell shop decks, but we’re not going to promote them too heavily. We’ll probably have 80-120 decks on our shop wall, and only one or two of them will be shop decks. We know the kids will ask for them, but we’re not going to shove them in their faces. That’s going to be our attempt to balance things by selling the blanks that the kids want, but promote the pros at the same time.
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I agree, theres really no argument. I’m noticing price drops in the pro decks at my local shop, and how there disguising the pro decks into completes with stock trucks,wheels,bearings etc. to charge more for a fake complete than its really worth, to make the differences to fulfil what the big name companies want.
ok im not here to diss the pros ive been skating for 16 years. ten years ago you could buy a complete board from ccs for 99.99 any deck truck wheel not a bad deal .they wernt the only shop to do this.you could also buy blanks infact you could buy them back in 80s maybe in 70s.the fact is im not gonna spend 50 bucks for a graphic im gonna shred off in a couple of weeks.what the major companies should do is jump on the mini logo band wagon like powell and atm.that way you can buy a element thats blank with a small logo and sell them for like 30 to 35 dollors.they will sell. your always gonna have kids who think more expensive is better.they will buy the pro mods and will be affraid to scratch the graphic. remember that skating is DIY its about taking somthing and making it your own the choices are endless.its not about the pros its about you and how much you love skating ive had many injuries.spent alot of money and lots of time and dedication to skating
can you tell me where to find real professional blank decks made in china-?
Cut the crap.Nobody is really skating blank wheels,bearings or trucks so it all balances out in the end.You don’t want people to buy blanks?Don’t sell (carry)’em.Life is all about choice,don’t try to take mine away.I probably won’t buy a BLANK blank,but yeah,a branded deck with no pro name on it,not an issue.
I personally DO buy blank decks- not the crappy ones but skateshop decks, small companies, etc. Doing this is supporting the skateshop and supporting the smaller companies, which i feel is a good thing. I honestly couldn’t care if the pros made less money off deck sales, they get paid to skateboard, quit complaining
I think blanks are cool. Why get a skateboard with a pro graphic while you are just going to rip it up.
i do see the argument for blank decks, Why the heck would i buy a 50 dollar deck when i could get 5 for that price? i’ve skated blank decks and if you have too, you cant lie to yourself. Most of them do suck. The break and chip waaaay too fast and have Horrible Shape which to me, is the most important aspect of a deck. But you also must look at the pros, most of them havent attended collage and arent cut out for other jobs than skating. And if they were no pros making sick video parts or Apearing at a demo (Money funded from board sales) skateboarding would be plain and boring. But then you say ” i dont care about pros, i skate for fun!”, but you have to realize that behind the fun and dedication comes inspiration from a professional somewhere along the line.
i had millions of blanks becuz i didnt no the difference. 4 days ago i got a foundation. it is 8000000 times better than blanks more pop, better shape, cooler grafic, and, awesome. you dont see billy marks or chris cole walkin around skatin wit blanks becuz=thay suck
Why get a board that u will have to replace in a couple of months with all the grinding and stuff u do with the board and that will cost alot over time wayy more than a pro-grade board thats only like $100 that lasts for years
Sporting goods don’t need pictures to function well. Would you pay an extra $20 to get a plaid basketball? Or one with skulls on it? Hell no. I’ll “support the industry” by putting stickers on stuff and buying the occasional T-shirt or sneakers. Skate graffics are awesome to look at but they last until you do ONE trick on the board. then its f***ed. I’m not paying $20 for that. I could just buy a painting and it will last forever if I want art. Unless I can get a REALLY good deal on a pro board I like I’m straight MINI LOGO for life.
A good place to buy blank decks is at blankdecks.com my favorite is sturdy mold decks their deks are great they last a pretty long time and barely chip.
now,i buy the blank decks all the time,never once would i buy a pro. no affence. but,im searching for somebody who will anser this question. what the difernce betwwen a pro and a blank deck. is it how long the baord will last? how good the pop is? is blank decks the same thing as pro decks,but instead its made of a diffrnt type of wood and has a graphic on it?
Im not sure where everyone comes up with their philosophy and supposed experience on blank decks. ive skated most brands of pro decks, and several brands of blank decks. yes some pro decks have phenomenal shape and pop, but just the same some blank companies have incredible shape and pop—case in point being Shuvit. Awesome skateboards for the money. Blanks such as TGM, and yes folks even Pop-lite are not that bad. Everyone talks about a board lasting for months upon end–Im not sure what world youre living in. Ive been skating for close to ten years now on and off, and while I kept boards for a long time when I was young it was only because I was inexperienced, couldnt do any tricks, and had no money. These days it is not rare for me to break a board every one-two weeks, whether it be a pro model or a blank model. Unfortunately, Im not sponsored so, why wouldnt I buy the cheaper board? If you truly think a pro model is going to survive months of stairs and flip tricks over the performance of a blank made of the same wood and pressed with the same glue and methods, youre simply incorrect. Not dissing pro decks, but just the same the blank deck should be respected in its own right.