This, is a how-to guide, that'll show the beginner's, good tips to look out for when you buy a used deck.

 

 It's been very rainy here recently in Centralia, WA. I've been taking a break from downhill, until the weather dries up a bit. So, I've been in the market for a good cruiser, preferably in the style of like a pinner (or Pintail), or similar. So, I found an OG Gravity Hyper Carve 47, for only 14 bucks. (It retails 100-150)

 Here are all of the tips, to buying a used board.

1. Brands, what to buy, what to avoid

There are literally, tons of longboard brands out there, ready to be bought. Even more so, with dead longboard companies, like Five Mile, or Nelson Longboards. Even recently, the legendary Longboard Larry just closed, and people are hurrying to buy limited decks. 

Bad

While there are good brands, there are also a lot of bad ones. Usually in malls, or Zumiez, things like Penny, Kryptonics, Shark Wheels, Atom, Globe, Road Rider, Quest, Yocaher, and many more, are all manufactured poorly, in a chinese plant somewhere, and sold for dirt cheap, for max profit. These are all bad. If it's in a warehouse store, like Walmart, then it is not good. (p.s., support your local skateshop!)

 Good

There are many good, reputable brands, out there. Omen, Landyachtz, Sector 9, and other big name brands, are all good, with reputable sources. A good way to find other good, reputable brands, is to check out your local skateshop, and view all of their products. 

Rare

If you're wanting something hard to find (like me), then you'll want to know what brands or decks are hard to come by. Five Mile decks, Nelson Longboards, as of recently, Longboard Larry, Never Summer doesn't make longboards anymore, some Gravity decks, and maybe if you're lucky, custom artworks on popular decks, or old, outdated models of popular brands, like Sector 9, or DB, or Rayne. 

 

 Deck only, or Complete?

 The price is all dependent on your budget. Do you just want a deck, or do you want a complete? If you already have your favorite trucks and wheels ordered, and ready to install, then awesome. But if you don't then you'll want to look into the quality of the trucks, wheels, bearings, hardware, and bushings. Might as well check griptape quality, too.

 

Deck Quality

When buying a used longboard, there are several ways to check the weathering of the deck, and how used it is. 

1. Check for Curbed Nose and Tail

This is important, as depending on the severity, it can cause Delaminations in the longboard. The picture above, shows a severely curbed nose, and would drop the price down significantly. 

 Check the ends of your deck. Is there a slight discoloration on the ends? If so, then it is slightly curbed, and is normal and safe. If it feels rough to the touch, then it is common, but if it is chipping slightly, then the curbing is only moderate. If there are chunks of it missing, and you can see some of the layers start to have space in between, then that board is seriously curbed, and will Delam, and be unsafe.

2. Check for Delamination

Delamination, is when the individual ply's of your longboard/skateboard seperate, and lose the rebound and overall structure that it was originally designed for. A good way to check, is to look at the sides of the longboard. If you see any gap, hole, or ply's smashed, torn, and exposed, then that board has Delam, and could snap at any given moment, and you could end up hurting yourself, or others, while riding. Some people try to fix delamination, but if it get's too severe, you'll probably never get the feel, or quality that was originally intended, and have it snap on you.

3. Check for waterlog

Besides the Delamination, Waterlogged boards are the most unsafe, and unreliable boards out there. Waterlogging, means that your deck is logged, soaked, and full of water within the veneers, and soaked within the actual wood of your deck. This means that the ply's are weaker, heavier, and more susceptible to snapping whilst riding. Waterlogging usually happens when you skate in the rain, or leave your longboard in the rain.

4. Check for Stress Cracks

Cracks happen throughout the veneers, which is similar to Delam. Cracks can happen by abusing your longboard, landing hard on it during tricks, or just improper care. They are typically around where your trucks are mounted, and your wheel wells/flares. If there are cracks on the surfaces, and throughout veneers, then that is one bad board. 

5. Griptape Traction

A good way to check the traction of your grip, is to feel it with your fingers, and look. Does it look dirty? Does it feel coarse and rough? Or soft? Look to see if there are any grains left. If there isn't then it's a good idea to replace it.

6. Check for Warp

 

Warp, is when you're deck is damaged by either water, extreme temperatures, or unusual stress. To check for warp, you can look down the length of your board. It should be all level and even throughout, and level with each truck, but if you see it bend, then be careful. Warping is only bad, when one of the wheels are extremely off the ground. One of my first decks had mild warp, but it still worked for powerslides and freeride.

 

Truck Quality

If there are trucks on your longboard, it's good to see if it is not only made with good quality, but if it is actually still rideable. Some popular options are Randal, Bennet, Independent, Luxe, Bear, Gullwing, Paris, and many others. 

1. Bent Hanger

The Hanger, is the part of the truck, that connects to the baseplate, and wheels. It's the actual physical part, that turns your wheels. Bent Hangers happen when you use/abuse them, land on them, and just use them for a long time. Not all trucks have easily bent hangers, but for cruising applications, it's bound to happen with some. Make sure it's hanger is STRAIGHT. 

(NOTE: Paris Trucks are very susceptible to bending, despite being a top name)

2. Bushing Quality

In the picture above, bushings are the orange polyurethane barrels, that are in the truck. They act as cushions, and allow you to steer side to side, with ease. However, over time, they can get chewed up, and roughed up. If your bushings have bits that are missing, then it's time to replace them. Another good note, is to see if they're deformed. If they're smaller than most bushings, are darkly covered in grime, and look dead, then that's another good time to replace them.

3. Bad Pivot Cup

People will complain about squeaky trucks, and it's completely normal. You can just put bar soap shavings in, or bearing lube in your pivot, and it won't squeak anymore. However, the real quality isn't in the sound, but the texture. Take the hanger off, by unscrewing the kingpin nut off the bolt. Take the hanger off, and put your finger in the pivot. Does it feel smooth? Or does it feel rough, dry, and/or cracked?

If it's dry, you can try and put lube in it to make it have some moisture. However, if it's cracked, or generally rough, then it's time you replaced the pivot. Many bushing manufacturers make pivot cup replacements, just make sure you get one made specifically for your brand of truck.

Wheels 

Wheels are what sticks you, and your board, to the ground. Due to the fact that this is a first board, many wheels are okay. However, Shark Wheels, Road Rider, and other Yocaher type (chinese) wheels, are very bad. One of the best bang for your buck cruiser wheels, would be a Remember Collective California Cruiser. 

1. Check for cracked cores

Very rarely happens, but cores in the wheel can crack due to aggressive freestyle tricks. It will be evident if the core is cracked.

2. Chipped Lips

The lips to the wheel, if slid in chundery situations, will have some chips to it. These don't affect the function of the wheels, but some people hate it due to the look. 

3. Flatspots

Roll your wheel, and look at it. Does it seem to have one spot that is flat? If so, the wheel is flatspotted, and will either need to be replaced, or lathed to be round again. Easiest choice is to replace them, and use them as decor. 

Bearings

Bearings, are one of the easiest to use, and hardest to maintain. Any brand bearing will work, even if it is chinese. However, most recommended brands, like Holesom, or Zealous, are top quality, and can outperform most bearings. 

Most people have two sets of bearings, one for rain, and one for dry times. However, if you hear a really rusty bearings, and see evident rust on the outside shield, and around, then it's a good idea to replace them. 

Good Price

 Like what I said at the beginning, I got a board for 14 bucks. That is a screaming deal, but the board is in rough condition. There's drilled in holes, and lots of scuffs, but it's 11 ply, and really sturdy, and ancient. 

A good price range for a cruiser deck, is around 10 to 100 bucks. 130 is pushing it, but it'd have to be brand new for it. Rusty hardware, bearings, and trucks, would significantly decrease the value, scuffs wouldn't do much price-wise, but delam, warp, and stress cracks would significantly decrease value. Griptape doesn't matter, because it's easily replaceable.

If you got a Sector 9 Pintail, it should sell for around 50 dollars, in good condition, complete. (or other common board brands)

If it is a more style based board (downhill, dance, freeride) and built around that style, it will tend to be around 100 to 300, usually, but those are usually in mint condition, almost like new, and sold by experienced riders. 

Sometimes, you'll find an amazing board, in amazing condition, for dirt cheap, because the person who owns it, doesn't know much about the board, or why it's valuable. 

 

 Makes sense? Now, you should be able to buy a used longboard, and be smart about it!