As an aspiring entrepreneur I had always wondered what the best ways to make money were. I tried my fair share of yard work, small skateboard brands, and even thrifting. Most of these brought a smaller yield when it came to actually making money but I did not realize a market that was right in front of me.
I found that buying, fixing, and re selling surfboards was one of the most profitable methods to making money. However, this was also tricky to get the hang of. I had to learn to pick and choose what types of boards to buy. Although I was highly interested in vintage surfboards, people were not looking for uniquely shaped boards. Instead they were looking for something that was easy to ride. Longboards and newer shortboards became my market over the years I had bought and sold lower margin surfboards.
For example, an older and more used 5'10' shortboard would sit in my yard for a month or two not being sold at a 100-200$ price point while a newer longboard would sell quickly at a 400-600$ price range. This would also be where I withstood another difficult challenge; picking which surfboards to repair. As the saying goes "time is money". I wasted a lot of money fixing very forgone boards that I aspired to get back into shape. Often delaminated or broken boards would take weeks sometimes a month to fix. While other boards only required minimal ding repair.
Shown in the photo on the left, you can see a board in the middle having missing pieces of the deck. These are from bubbles in the fiberglass separating the glass from the foam. These are difficult issues to fix because they require a lot of materials and time to sand as well as glass. In fact these two boards I did not end up finishing because I had to focus on school and other profitable projects.
Take this once beautiful Clyde Beatty Jr Longboard for example. It fit within the criteria of a longboard however it was in considerable need of care. When I first purchased this board I did not see as many issues that were glaringly obvious now that I have a little more experience. I will create another blog post explaining the criteria when you are buying a second hand board as there are many things to look out for to avoid a money pit like this.
Although I was able to replace the finbox on this board, by the time I had poured the filler I knew this board would take a considerable amount of time than what it was worth. That is what a business is about though! Luckily this board cost only 30$ and I had learned my lesson with a few other crappy boards. Once I found a criteria of boards that worked for me: Not a large repair needed, Low cost, longboard or newer shortboard I began to start making more money. Also unlike other business or business models, surfboards are always in demand. Especially cheap longboards are required for beginners and intermediates during summer or winter alike. There is no off season to surfing luckily!
I originally found this board on Offerup for 20$. I urged the seller I would come pick it up that day, however I had a date with my then girlfriend at the time. I reached out to my friend and told him I would pay him 50$ to pick it up and drop it off at my house for me. Once I arrived back home I was stoked to see a complete and almost perfect board I could start to get ready to sell. The only issue was there were a few concerning stress cracks.
I dremmeled around the areas and re fiberglassed those spots to make sure they were more structurally sound. Then with the help of my Dad we airbrushed the board. I am very grateful to have the people and resources around me to help whenever I need it. This is also another key aspect of a successful business. Making sure you are good to your friends and employees will ensure they react the same to you when you are in a pinch.
When I was selling this board I was sure to advertise the ding repairs and de-wax the board as well. I clear coated the board after it was painted and then listed it on craigslist and Facebook marketplace. It's always good to cross list your items to maximize your market.
I sold the board locally for around 480$ and sold the wing nut fin on Ebay for another 30$. Selling surfboards is always interesting because you have to constantly pick and choose which product you take in. To any other aspiring entrepreneurs I would urge you to create your own business in something you are interested in. Whether that is music, basketball, or engineering, you will always find that when you mix your business with something you already love you will never run out of spark.
I have been fixing, surfing, and selling surfboards for nearly 5 years and I have never truly lost the spark!
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