Big SK8 industry take over

Here is a picture with me and my friend  holding up some vintage skateboards. At this time in skateboarding history collecting wasn't a real thing yet. Non of us kids ever thought about saving a board new to get an investment in the future. And at this time neither did the skateboard industry, they where to busy competing with each other. Yes maybe some boards were held back with a hopefull purpose but not as a marketed idea.

Now here it is over 40 years later and the skateboard collectors market is huge and world wide. But this was started by years of old school skaters trying to get back there history one board at a time. And this was the spark that started the collectors market as we see it today. This beginning spark was from skaters not the SK8 industry. This spark was owned by skaters passion of there past. A time we shared all of us. The SK8board industry, the pro-s and the skaters. I like to call it the full circle that had real skateboard culture.

The kind that can't be copied!!

But today almost every vintage board made has been copied one way or another by someone. And the market is flooded everywhere you look. Not so much with vintage skateboards but with 

non skated re-issues. And if todays vintage 

re-issues don't sell the industry put's a pro signature on them and sell 's them for even more creating a new collectors market for todays world. But what most don't understand about  todays re-issued product is this, it's the take over of our market by the 

SK8board industry.

So what happend how did we skaters loose control of our history and our market? Some will say it happened in the 90's or 2000's. And some will say it all started when China started taking over the skateboard industry market and the jobs here in the USA and other core skater owned territory like the U.K. couldn't compete with manufacturing prices. And all this could be very true!

But it realy started when the skaters of the past  wanted more than they could get. And at that time those in the industry saw that as an opening for a new market with there history alone and there skateboards history alone. They knew that collectors wanted the past back and they were happy to oblige for a price!

And as the skateboard industry started the new collectos market for the (old guy's), they knew they now had skaters hooked. It seem's greed and fad go hand in hand and the SK8board industry went full throttle into madness!!!

And so did the collector...

Instaid of splitting the skateboard collectors market into 2 like an old school and re-issue market. They have now both merged into one market. Sold in the same places. And it's this merge and selling of these boards side by side that kills the value of vintage skateboards. Again all this is pushed and fueled by the skateboard industry.

And in the defense of the skateboard industry I will say this. "They know not what they do".

How could they, selling is all they know. It's all they have ever done. But the side affect of there ignorance and greed today is the loss for us skaters with skateboards history.

How can we convince todays collectors that old vintage boards are more valuable than today re-issues? We can't!! Thay see today's boards as fast cash and fad. And when they see a re-issue next to an old board crumbling apart, the choice becomes easy for them. And now the new market made by the SK8board industry has it's future sales demographic set in place. And the value of vintage skateboards with real history get's further and futher away.

As soon as the marching orders were sent out across the SK8board industry that works largely hand in hand these days. They started digging up what ever they wanted to copy. Of corse they went right towards what made them successfull in the 1st place. And till this day they still copy that but with an endless supply of colors.

The prize of getting the latest and greates was the new game of skate for the collectors market of today. No longer waiting years to find your skateboard history. You just had to be the 1st to get the latest and greatest to be cool. And as this was happening, the price kept going up and up. Priced so high now when they get sold out of the thousands of boards made the 2nd and 3rd hand market would push prices even higher. But the side affect of this madness meant that no one was really skating these boards and no new skater could afford to buy one to skate. The values have changed hands. And this two was another reasion we skaters lost our grip of the collectors market.

A new market made by the industry and only money at the top get's you in, not skating anymore.

Let it be said, they told us years ago. But what skater even cared to pay attention. No one did and when you don't pay attention anything can happen and fast. Just look up the sales or add up one P.P. series and you will see the driving force of this company today.

And it's not just skateboards they get rich selling. Half of the market or more these days is clothing. Now clothing is made even faster and cheaper than skateboards and can be reproduce in bulk giving these skateboard company's instant high profit as they sell these items for such a high price that is only growing.

So looking the part in apparel and holding fake history skateboards is the new norm for todays skaters and collectors and investors. Non of this is driven for skateboards history to improve this sport. All of this is driven to make the skateboard industry very rich. 

But I have to ask, what does this do for our culture? What does turning the once laughed  at "poser" into the everyday skateboard industry hero? Kid's born today with only industry standards to get ahead in a world of fad will have a cost to this sport and it's history going forward. Not to mention the collectors market.

But who is paying attention?

I did a write up on the Santa Cruz Pokemon board sales a while back. And in that I said this is the end of skateboards history. When today's kid's and skaters only see dollar sign's for a product and no culture with it, we have lost the total control of our market.

The chance to get rich quick was a money maker for S.C. and they know it. But this is only one small problem for the market. Yes, today's kid's won't have respect for skateboards like us old school collectors. But the biggest problem we should have with S.C. is that it's a China owned and made product. And when has China made a statement defending O.G. USA made Santa Cruz skateboards? 

-It hasn't -

They don't care for who made this sport great, us of skaters history. They only care about today's  sales$$$$$ and that is why so many are forgoten in this sport and those of us that started this market. We will never be represented  by USA S.C. ever again!

S.C. gave up it's rich culture for greed and we get left behind. But they do like to also copy there past we old school skaters lived. You just have to willing to except 

MADE IN CHINA on the board.

And as we all know the old pro-s are fine with it all this time. They get a check!

 I say let them rot!!! These company's have no value because they don't sell there history anymore. Thay don't even try. There was a time they wanted more skaters in the game, but now they just want people with money. And this sport going forward is now for those select few worthy or rich enough to move up the ladder. This sport has so much rot in it now you can't even get anywhere. The industry controls the Olympics. They control most of the skateboard shops and there direction of sales. And now they control what skaters have held sacred since we began the collectors market, our skateboards history.

So I say let them rot!!

LET THEM ROT!!

I also did a write up about the Smithsonian and how they have changed our history to fit today's world. And since my work I have seen more and more proof that they are miss managing our history. And in doing so pretending to be the place to get all info into the future as a reliable sorce. They know better than us, so what we lived doesn't matter. 

So you may ask, what does this have to do with the skateboard collectors market?

Well it has a lot to do with it. The skateboard industry works hand in hand proping itself up for sales right. Well those sale last into the future for those worthy to be set in skateboards history at the institution. You see the future is already set in there favor. And working hand in hand insures that who they choose or wich company is remebered into the future is under there control under the disguise of important skateboard history. Now some will say they deserve it, and your right. But seeing how they manipulate our past for only there gains just means we are all forgotten to time. And sooner rather than later your collection just might not fit in with the world to come and how it's history is written. This is just another example of the control of our history we have lost. If people into the future only go to them as the sole sorce of knowledge, nothing we say will matter. Even when we are the ones telling the truth!!!

Let me ask you this, do you think people of power only have good intentions?

What's missing today? A voice of reason or just common sense. Now to hear that voice we have to go back in time when someone would speak up and share a point of view. But in today's skater world that point is only "Follow" no questions and no honesty. You see this has been phased out of existence. No need for that today. Only follow the industry. And never question it if you want to get somewhere today. Is that all skateboarding is now? What would Jake say about that? You will never know because the industry has killed independant thought in todays skaters and collectors. 

Not to mention, culture.

So if you made it this far and still don't see what's going on and still belive skaters own this sport and market. You are the problem and your not alone. You are one of millions ignoring the facts. But remeber you have the empty feeling you get one day when you look back in your time in this sport and it cant be given back to you by the industry. Only you can give it back to yourself, that's if you care or remeber.

I think Jake would like to write bout V.E.S. today if he was still here. And if he still worked at "THRASHER" he would change it up for the better for all skaters. But it seem's like Thrasher is nothing to us and we are nothing to them today....

How I can see it so clear. So many say V.E.S. is just nonsense and our view is just vindictive in nature. But I will argue those statements by many. You see, what you don't know is I've been talking and working with skateboard collectors for years on this problem all over the world.  I saw a need a long time ago for someone to try and fix this problem for collectors. That problem was, find a way to save skateboards history and value. And as I did find a way to help preserve our history and investment's I also started to see why it hasn't happened yet collectively. So I dived into the sorse of the problems even harder. And at the end of the day all I could see is the SK8board industry.

You see solving the product problem after it ages is one thing. But watching product made today made not to last is a bigger problem for the skateboard collectors market. And knowing no one has ever tryed this hard to do what V.E.S. has also means if we don't stand up to the SK8board industry for better, no will have a chance to save there skateboards into the future. Planley said, they are made not to last.

So years of conversations of how to help collectors with old and new boards have led me to belive the sorce of the problem is the maker of the problem.

The other thing most don't get is this.

I started the platform V.E.S. years ago.

I have had V.E.S. as a business for years.

I have been solving problems for vintage skateboards for collectors investors and skaters for over 20+ years.

And in that time the V.E.S. brand has been building and building in the background right under the feet of the skateboard industry. We have a good following and a good public record for years as the only one that  specializes in this field of work and the proof of doing so. We have now even moved to the next phase of V.E.S. turning it into a research and development skateboard shop helping others to refurbish there history. We have also been putting out videos on YouTube for years spreading our knowledge and point of views.

V.E.S. is not just a product.

We are the past presant and future of skateboards history all at once.

And the skateboard industry ignores us because they can't copy us.

Think about that.

And think about this.

What country only copy's and doesn't create?

And the leaders of this sport sold out to that country years ago!!!

We have a problem today that most skaters are just born into thinking what they see today is the norm.

Think about that!!!

Where we go with this sport and market into the future has to go through it's past. It's the only way to get the greed and corruption out. And put it's control back in the hands of the players that love it for the sport and real history...

And for years I have contacted the SK8board industry. Writing them that things could be done better for our market. But nothing. So when people say it doesn't matter, your right. The skateboard industry doesn't care. V.E.S. is the only one proving our great history could be saved and they don't care. They don't care we are trying to save there history the pro-s history and the skaters history at the same time. They just don't care!!!

So why is that?

Did any of you ever think to ask them why they wouldn't care about what we are doing? Or why they won't even call us back to ask? Well it should be easy to see, they just don't care!!! 

They have the collectors market they are making to make them rich now. They have there friends at the Skateboard Hall of Fame getting donated boards from around the world for free. They have the Smithsonian Institute in there back pocket going forward with what ever history they want to last. Why do they have to care about us forgoton skaters?

New skaters are made everyday!!!

Do you still think skaters own this sport?

So many liars and so many belive the lie. You can belive all the hype you want comming from the top. But the truth will come out. But will the truth even matter when your heel's are dug in so far and you spend billions just trying to make a point. Well that's the skateboard industry today. Never willing to admit they could do better. Never letting anyone with good ideas a seat at the table to be heard. We are led in this sport by a bunch of liers. And the skateboard industry is getting it's billions making you belive in ther leadership and product.

But just like a HARRIS early win!!!! We that want better get lost in the dust of history. And only the worthy get remebered or written about in history books done by the Smithsonian or Hall of Fame.

We have better, we just have to want it enough to stop bying worse and beliving the worse is better for us!!!

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In conclusion I would ask you this. If the skateboard industry can make money off its past. If the old pro-s can make money off there past. And if even CHINA can make money off our past. Than why can't the skaters of the past? Well we can if we take back our collectors market with real skateboards history and value. And all we have to do to make that happen is turn what we collector and investors of boards have done for year's into a real hobby. Not a hobby of fad. Not a hobby made for Facebook. And not just a hobby looking at boards on the wall. A real one saving the boards and the value that made the collectors market in the first place. A hobby we skaters own. A hobby the skateboard industry can't copy. A hobby CHINA can't even copy. A hobby saving skateboards history!

Now that's a vision and V.E.S. is that vision that we made possible 

for the world to see.