| Skateboarding today is a very popular sport, and | | | | incarnation of boards, use modern urethane wheels |
| many who are involved in it, whether they are riders | | | | rather than clay or metal wheels. Incorporating trucks |
| themselves or simply spectators, collect vintage | | | | and other components that are much closer in style to |
| skateboards. These relics of the 1960s, 1970s, and | | | | modern skateboards than those produced in the 1950s |
| 1980s, go back to the earliest forms of the sport. Many | | | | through the early 1970s, these boards often had decks |
| skateboards from this era look nothing like modern | | | | made of polypropylene, fiberglass, or other modern |
| boards. Called "old school" by modern skateboarders, | | | | materials, though maple plywood was the most |
| vintage skateboarding decks have a great aesthetic | | | | popular material. |
| that is a lot of fun to display in your home. | | | | The 1980s is known for boards with creative artwork. |
| When collecting vintage skateboards, look for brands | | | | During this era, many top skateboarders owned their |
| or styles that were very popular in their day. Many of | | | | own skateboard companies or provided creative input |
| these were created by the sport's earliest pros, such | | | | for board design. These boards are among the most |
| as Stacy Peralta, who sold his board designs under | | | | popular for collectors because of their individualist style. |
| the "Powell Peralta" brand name. Today, these boards | | | | Some were even produced in limited editions, making |
| often sell for upwards of a thousand dollars. These | | | | them even more difficult to come by today. |
| high-end boards from the past are hard to come by. | | | | Vintage skateboard collectors consider not only the |
| Not only are they prized by collectors, but they were | | | | skateboard style and its rarity, but also its condition. |
| also produced in very small quantities. During the | | | | The most prized vintage skateboards are those that |
| sport's infancy, there simply were not as many skaters | | | | are still usable, though most collectors display them |
| around. Those who did purchase boards often did not | | | | rather than using them. Their wheel design was much |
| have the money to invest in high-end boards; these | | | | harder to control than those on modern boards, so you |
| kids were working odd jobs like mowing lawns to save | | | | may find it difficult to ride a vintage board even if you |
| up the money to buy themselves a board. | | | | are a skilled skateboarder. Today's skateboards, in |
| Now collectors' items, vintage boards went through | | | | contrast, use modern materials and have trucks and |
| several incarnations before settling on the size and | | | | wheels that have been designed specifically for |
| style of a modern skateboard. For example, those | | | | skateboards, making them easier to ride. |
| made from the 1950s through the 1970s were shaped | | | | If you like the vintage style but don't necessarily want |
| more like a surfboard, and constructed of solid wood | | | | a skateboard that is several decades old, consider a |
| or plastic. A few even had metal decks. Most were | | | | reissue of a vintage "old school" skateboard. These |
| only six or seven inches wide, and had clay or metal | | | | are great for skaters who love the look and feel of |
| wheels that were originally designed for roller skating. | | | | the older boards, but don't want to purchase an original, |
| Skateboards produced in the late 1970s, the second | | | | or can't find an original issue of the board they want. |