Mr. Gone
06-11-2008, 10:36 AM
ok, nowadays we all want our quality decks and products for super cheap online. most of us anyways, except for the faithful local shop supporters (which i happen to be) but for the rest of you i took a look at some popular online shops, observed the prices for skate products, and wrote one big review. i hope you'll find this list useful and have a little money left over for popsicles or something...
the topics i touched on are popular brand name decks, the less popular 3rd party decks, the shop models or blanks, the pre-assembled completes, trucks, wheels, hardware (mainly the colored hardware price), griptape, bearings (i only observed Bones Reds and other standard brands), and tools (i reviewed the price range only on the standard unit tool.)
my ratings consisted of 1 to 10. 1 being worst, 10 being best price, 5 being average. 4 and 6 were usually used when the price was a bit better or worse, 3 and 7 when a considerable amount was deducted or added, etc.
here are the average prices i used for the items.
decks: around $50
3rd party decks: around $40, sometimes a bit towards $50, it's hard to say.
shop/blanks: around $30
completes: $100-$115
trucks: around $40
wheels: around $30
hardware: for black $2, for colored $4-$5
grip: $5
bearings: $16
tools: $7
the shops i reviewed were:
www.skatewarehouse.com
www.actionvillage.com
www.the-house.com
www.activerideshop.com
www.360skate.com
www.utilityboardshop.com
www.blackholeboards.com
www.ccs.com
www.zumiez.com
www.blankdecks.com
www.skateamerica.com
enjoy!
www.skatewarehouse.com
decks: 6- some were underpriced, some were average priced.
3rd party decks: 4- usually the same price as pro decks.
shop/blanks: 8- great prices, they even come with cool graphics.
completes: 8.5- super low over all prices
trucks: 6.5- pretty low, maybe $5-$10 less than average.
wheels: 6- $5-$10 lower than a regular shop price.
hardware: 8.5- priced really low, the way they should be.
grip: 4- a bit above average.
bearings: 5- about average.
tools: 3- a little over priced.
www.actionvillage.com
decks: 7- around $5 below the average.
3rd party decks: 4- same price as the pro boards.
shop/blanks: 6- fair and varying prices.
completes: 8.5- super good prices on these.
trucks: 7- relatively low pricing on raw and plain colors.
wheels: 5.5- about the average.
hardware: 5.75- fair prices.
grip: 3- way overpriced.
bearings: 6- a little better than the normal shop prices.
tools: 5- average.
www.the-house.com
decks: 5- average prices.
3rd party decks: none
shop/blanks: none
completes: 5- about average.
trucks: 4.5- a little higher priced than average, not by much though.
wheels: 6.5- save around $5.
hardware: 5.5- a little bit cheaper than average.
grip: 5- average.
bearings: 3.5- a tad overpriced.
tools: none
www.activerideshop.com
decks: 5- average.
3rd party decks: 5.5- save a bit more than top brands.
shop/blanks: 8- great selection of graphics & prices.
completes: 5.5- pretty average.
trucks: 5.5- about average
wheels: 4- a little more expensive than the average.
hardware: 5.5- better than average.
grip: 4- a bit more expensive than the shop.
bearings: 4- a little bit more expensive on some.
tools: 5- average.
www.360skate.com
decks: 4.5- a few dollars below the average.
3rd party decks: 4- same as pro decks.
shop/blanks: none
completes: 8- on sale!!
trucks: 5- average
wheels: 4.5- a little bit below average.
hardware: 9- very inexpensive.
grip: 4- usually about a couple dollars more.
bearings: 5- average.
tools: 4- about $1 more.
www.utilityboardshop.com
decks: 5- average.
3rd party decks: 4- same as the pro decks.
shop/blanks: 4.5- a couple of dollars off.
completes: 4- most average, some overpriced.
trucks: 5- average prices.
wheels: 6.5- couple of dollars below.
hardware: 7- cheap.
grip: 4- a couple dollars worse than the average.
bearings: 5- average.
tools: 4- around $1 more than average.
www.skateamerica.com
decks: 5- average.
3rd party decks: 3- pretty overpriced.
shop/blanks: 9.5- super cheap.
completes: 4.5- average, most of the time.
trucks: 4- around $5 overpriced.
wheels: 6.5- good prices.
hardware: 5- average.
grip: 4- a little overpriced.
bearings: 5.5- a tad better than average.
tools: 4.5- a little overpriced.
www.blankdecks.com
decks: 7- good prices, small selection, hahaha.
3rd party decks: none
shop/blanks: 9- very well priced.
completes: 9- good prices, but they're blank.
trucks: 9.5- great prices, mostly on name brand raws.
wheels: 8- good prices, but once again bad selection.
hardware: 4.5- about average.
grip: 6- good prices.
bearings: 8-cheap for name brands.
tools: 8.5- cheap
www.ccs.com
decks: 4- about $5 overpriced on all.
3rd party decks: none
shop/blanks: 7.5- fair price.
completes: 5- average.
trucks: 4.5- usually around average.
wheels: 5.5- a tad better than average.
hardware: 5- average.
grip: 5- average.
bearings: 6- pretty much average.
tools: 4.5- a little more expensive than average.
www.blackholeboards.com
decks: 7- a little bit cheaper for name brands.
3rd party decks: 4- same or more expensive than pro decks.
shop/blanks: 7.5- fair prices.
completes: 5- average.
trucks: 5.5- average, sometimes a bit less.
wheels: 5- average.
hardware: 5.5- average.
grip: 5-average.
bearings: 8- way cheaper than the shop.
tools: 5- average.
www.zumiez.com
decks: 3.5- pretty overpriced.
3rd party decks: 6- well priced.
shop/blanks: 5.5- fair prices.
completes: none, they only distribute custom built completes.
trucks: 5- average.
wheels: 4.5- a bit more expensive than usual.
hardware: 4- a tad overpriced.
grip: 5- average.
bearings: 5.5- a tad better priced.
tools: 4- a tad pricier than the average.
my conclusion for the cheapest products:
decks: www.actionvillage.com, www.blankdecks.com, and www.blackholeboards.com
3rd party decks: www.zumiez.com
shop/blanks: www.skatewarehouse.com, www.blankdecks.com, and www.activemailorder.com
completes: graphics- www.360skate.com, blanks- www.blankdecks.com
trucks: www.actionvillage.com, www.blankdecks.com
wheels: www.utilityboardshop.com, www.skateamerica.com, www.blankdecks.com
hardware: www.360skate.com, www.skatewarehouse.com
grip: www.blankdecks.com, it's really average everywhere else.
bearings: www.blankdecks.com, www.blackholeboards.com
tools: www.blankdecks.com
remember, this review is only for product, not skateability.
so next time you order something off the inter check to see if you can get some great deals.
comments/crits/other sites are excepted.
sorry if this has already been posted.
thanks for reading!
the topics i touched on are popular brand name decks, the less popular 3rd party decks, the shop models or blanks, the pre-assembled completes, trucks, wheels, hardware (mainly the colored hardware price), griptape, bearings (i only observed Bones Reds and other standard brands), and tools (i reviewed the price range only on the standard unit tool.)
my ratings consisted of 1 to 10. 1 being worst, 10 being best price, 5 being average. 4 and 6 were usually used when the price was a bit better or worse, 3 and 7 when a considerable amount was deducted or added, etc.
here are the average prices i used for the items.
decks: around $50
3rd party decks: around $40, sometimes a bit towards $50, it's hard to say.
shop/blanks: around $30
completes: $100-$115
trucks: around $40
wheels: around $30
hardware: for black $2, for colored $4-$5
grip: $5
bearings: $16
tools: $7
the shops i reviewed were:
www.skatewarehouse.com
www.actionvillage.com
www.the-house.com
www.activerideshop.com
www.360skate.com
www.utilityboardshop.com
www.blackholeboards.com
www.ccs.com
www.zumiez.com
www.blankdecks.com
www.skateamerica.com
enjoy!
www.skatewarehouse.com
decks: 6- some were underpriced, some were average priced.
3rd party decks: 4- usually the same price as pro decks.
shop/blanks: 8- great prices, they even come with cool graphics.
completes: 8.5- super low over all prices
trucks: 6.5- pretty low, maybe $5-$10 less than average.
wheels: 6- $5-$10 lower than a regular shop price.
hardware: 8.5- priced really low, the way they should be.
grip: 4- a bit above average.
bearings: 5- about average.
tools: 3- a little over priced.
www.actionvillage.com
decks: 7- around $5 below the average.
3rd party decks: 4- same price as the pro boards.
shop/blanks: 6- fair and varying prices.
completes: 8.5- super good prices on these.
trucks: 7- relatively low pricing on raw and plain colors.
wheels: 5.5- about the average.
hardware: 5.75- fair prices.
grip: 3- way overpriced.
bearings: 6- a little better than the normal shop prices.
tools: 5- average.
www.the-house.com
decks: 5- average prices.
3rd party decks: none
shop/blanks: none
completes: 5- about average.
trucks: 4.5- a little higher priced than average, not by much though.
wheels: 6.5- save around $5.
hardware: 5.5- a little bit cheaper than average.
grip: 5- average.
bearings: 3.5- a tad overpriced.
tools: none
www.activerideshop.com
decks: 5- average.
3rd party decks: 5.5- save a bit more than top brands.
shop/blanks: 8- great selection of graphics & prices.
completes: 5.5- pretty average.
trucks: 5.5- about average
wheels: 4- a little more expensive than the average.
hardware: 5.5- better than average.
grip: 4- a bit more expensive than the shop.
bearings: 4- a little bit more expensive on some.
tools: 5- average.
www.360skate.com
decks: 4.5- a few dollars below the average.
3rd party decks: 4- same as pro decks.
shop/blanks: none
completes: 8- on sale!!
trucks: 5- average
wheels: 4.5- a little bit below average.
hardware: 9- very inexpensive.
grip: 4- usually about a couple dollars more.
bearings: 5- average.
tools: 4- about $1 more.
www.utilityboardshop.com
decks: 5- average.
3rd party decks: 4- same as the pro decks.
shop/blanks: 4.5- a couple of dollars off.
completes: 4- most average, some overpriced.
trucks: 5- average prices.
wheels: 6.5- couple of dollars below.
hardware: 7- cheap.
grip: 4- a couple dollars worse than the average.
bearings: 5- average.
tools: 4- around $1 more than average.
www.skateamerica.com
decks: 5- average.
3rd party decks: 3- pretty overpriced.
shop/blanks: 9.5- super cheap.
completes: 4.5- average, most of the time.
trucks: 4- around $5 overpriced.
wheels: 6.5- good prices.
hardware: 5- average.
grip: 4- a little overpriced.
bearings: 5.5- a tad better than average.
tools: 4.5- a little overpriced.
www.blankdecks.com
decks: 7- good prices, small selection, hahaha.
3rd party decks: none
shop/blanks: 9- very well priced.
completes: 9- good prices, but they're blank.
trucks: 9.5- great prices, mostly on name brand raws.
wheels: 8- good prices, but once again bad selection.
hardware: 4.5- about average.
grip: 6- good prices.
bearings: 8-cheap for name brands.
tools: 8.5- cheap
www.ccs.com
decks: 4- about $5 overpriced on all.
3rd party decks: none
shop/blanks: 7.5- fair price.
completes: 5- average.
trucks: 4.5- usually around average.
wheels: 5.5- a tad better than average.
hardware: 5- average.
grip: 5- average.
bearings: 6- pretty much average.
tools: 4.5- a little more expensive than average.
www.blackholeboards.com
decks: 7- a little bit cheaper for name brands.
3rd party decks: 4- same or more expensive than pro decks.
shop/blanks: 7.5- fair prices.
completes: 5- average.
trucks: 5.5- average, sometimes a bit less.
wheels: 5- average.
hardware: 5.5- average.
grip: 5-average.
bearings: 8- way cheaper than the shop.
tools: 5- average.
www.zumiez.com
decks: 3.5- pretty overpriced.
3rd party decks: 6- well priced.
shop/blanks: 5.5- fair prices.
completes: none, they only distribute custom built completes.
trucks: 5- average.
wheels: 4.5- a bit more expensive than usual.
hardware: 4- a tad overpriced.
grip: 5- average.
bearings: 5.5- a tad better priced.
tools: 4- a tad pricier than the average.
my conclusion for the cheapest products:
decks: www.actionvillage.com, www.blankdecks.com, and www.blackholeboards.com
3rd party decks: www.zumiez.com
shop/blanks: www.skatewarehouse.com, www.blankdecks.com, and www.activemailorder.com
completes: graphics- www.360skate.com, blanks- www.blankdecks.com
trucks: www.actionvillage.com, www.blankdecks.com
wheels: www.utilityboardshop.com, www.skateamerica.com, www.blankdecks.com
hardware: www.360skate.com, www.skatewarehouse.com
grip: www.blankdecks.com, it's really average everywhere else.
bearings: www.blankdecks.com, www.blackholeboards.com
tools: www.blankdecks.com
remember, this review is only for product, not skateability.
so next time you order something off the inter check to see if you can get some great deals.
comments/crits/other sites are excepted.
sorry if this has already been posted.
thanks for reading!