Can we talk about the price per unit of overseas manufactured surfboards?

[racer1]

You can buy surfboards on Alibaba for sub $200:

This looks like Torq at $125 to $155:
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Custom-design-white-color-surfboards-type_60375018411.html?spm=a2700.7724838.2017115.171.2c616b666Y5Ru2

This looks like 7S / GSI for $150 to $165:
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/TPS0063-Hot-Sale-Color-Painting-Eps_60626933247.html?spm=a2700.7724838.2017115.172.c30f6b66ITKUvx

Catch Surf for a staggering $4 to $7:
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/High-performance-eps-foam-eva-bodyboard_60400321004.html?spm=a2700.7724838.2017115.384.2c616b666Y5Ru2

Alibaba is factory direct to consumer, so pricing for wholesale should be 20% or more lower than these prices.

 

[casa_mugrienta]

I guess ryguy is wrong.

 

[Scott Ando]

The Main reason brands are working with the Thailand Factories is Consistency and Capacity. In this on-going gripe, people fail to acknowledge that all factories have a max capacity on the number of boards they can produce. Most "shapers" don't like to, don't have the shop and staff to replicate thousands of the same exact board every single month. Its called production.

I respect you experience in the industry, but there is no such thing as a $125 board unless its entirely made from foam.

The majority of the contract board builders in SoCal, meaning those that contract out to the "brands" are starving for work. The success of the softy movement and the flood of premium Asian-sourced boards have both put the hurt on them for sure. Meaning there is a ton of capacity available in the USA.
The product from Asia is far from consistent, but its irrelevant as the customer that will buy that product will never notice.
The costing is accurate if a brand or distributor is buying from the factory, if it is YOUR factory then take off about 40%

 

[retodd]

I guess ryguy is wrong.

Plus Juan

 

[laidback]

I'd still like to know what part of the industry Ry is in?
He seems very well informed

 

[Mr J]

...

...
The product from Asia is far from consistent, but its irrelevant as the customer that will buy that product will never notice.
The costing is accurate if a brand or distributor is buying from the factory, if it is YOUR factory then take off about 40%

So does this mean that your Surftech tufflite carbon CI New Flyer that emerges from the Cobra factory Bangkok, costs CI just $125 each? BTW I am very happy with this product, I think the New Flyer is an awesome shape and the surf tech build is light, very durable and gives me a great responsive ride.

 

[CCKeith]

I'd still like to know what part of the industry Ry is in?
He seems very well informed

Its funny how you get these guys popping up here like deforest and ryguy doing everything they can to defend cheap asian surfboard production. Meanwhile they have no idea what in the fuuck they are talking about. To me that means something.

 

[griffinsurfboard]

Deforest is a reflection of Marketing success .

 

[barrysnyder]

I'd still like to know what part of the industry Ry is in?
He seems very well informed

Its funny how you get these guys popping up here like deforest and ryguy doing everything they can to defend cheap asian surfboard production. Meanwhile they have no idea what in the fuuck they are talking about. To me that means something.

Suckers.
One born every minute.

 

[Scott Ando]

...

...
The product from Asia is far from consistent, but its irrelevant as the customer that will buy that product will never notice.
The costing is accurate if a brand or distributor is buying from the factory, if it is YOUR factory then take off about 40%

So does this mean that your Surftech tufflite carbon CI New Flyer that emerges from the Cobra factory Bangkok, costs CI just $125 each? BTW I am very happy with this product, I think the New Flyer is an awesome shape and the surf tech build is light, very durable and gives me a great responsive ride.

We don't buy or see the Ex-works cost on these, but I would guess approx $125 in labor and materials. However Cobra has its own set of challenges that I can't get in to. Let's just say they run a tremendous overhead. It's a giant operation.

In the context of this thread, there are other factories in Thailand, Vietnam and especially China that run with far less overhead.

Moving on to why they are so much at retail - Cobra marks up and sells that board to Surftech who also then pays their own overhead, pays a license fee, pays a rep and then marks it up to sell it to a dealer (or sometimes a distributor who then sells it to a dealer) then the dealer marks it up and sells it to the end user.
Hence why they cost $600 plus after they run through at least 3 layers of markups.

 

[laidback]

So all you core guys can feel good about paying $600/$700 for a board that costs $125 to make
These boards aren't even designed & shaped by someone who surfs & understands surfing

 

[griffinsurfboard]

Cobra runs at the highest standard , capable of making almost anything .


http://www.cobrainter.com/products/

Look around their site .

 

[Muscles]

So all you core guys can feel good about paying $600/$700 for a board that costs $125 to make
These boards aren't even designed & shaped by someone who surfs & understands surfing

That's a bit disingenuous. As someone else already explained, there's still multiple stages of overhead to run through before it makes it to the consumer. At some point a real shaper was involved in the development of the board specs and also has to turn a profit for his knowledge and R&D.

I'm not a fan of factory made boards. I only own one board from a factory (A CI Proton that I bought on CL) and the rest of my boards are made by a small local shaper who I gladly support. But I don't think it is reasonable to claim the boards only cost a $125.

 

[Scott Ando]

I'm not a fan of factory made boards. I only own one board from a factory (A CI Proton that I bought on CL) and the rest of my boards are made by a small local shaper who I gladly support.

Just curious as to the definition of "factory made?"
Does the board have to be built in a non-compliant, non-permitted structure?
Is it square footage?

 

[racer1]

Cobra runs at the highest standard , capable of making almost anything .


http://www.cobrainter.com/products/

Look around their site .

Their banner image is a JS Hyfi.

Haven't they been around since the 90s? I'm sure they're good at making boards by this point.

 

[racer1]

If they can make whatever the fuck this is, then I'm sure they can get the rails right on a 6'3 Average Joe.

 

[Muscles]

I'm not a fan of factory made boards. I only own one board from a factory (A CI Proton that I bought on CL) and the rest of my boards are made by a small local shaper who I gladly support.

Just curious as to the definition of "factory made?"
Does the board have to be built in a non-compliant, non-permitted structure?
Is it square footage?

I meant mass produced boards done in an overseas factory.

There's absolutely zero chance anyone with the last name Merrick shaped my proton. That's ok though. I love the board and it's lasted 10 years.

I just like to support local shapers and small businesses. I'm 220 lbs so I prefer to go custom and have a local shaper build something suited for my size.

 

[silentbutdeadly]

You're still supporting local folks by ordering a Lost or CI. Of course you're not getting Biolos or Merrick prints on it but you're getting people who know what they're doing. I have no issue buying any of these bigger brands as long as their made here.

Some of those "local" guys were ghost shapers for the big brands at some point.

 

[Scott Ando]

I'm not a fan of factory made boards. I only own one board from a factory (A CI Proton that I bought on CL) and the rest of my boards are made by a small local shaper who I gladly support.

Just curious as to the definition of "factory made?"
Does the board have to be built in a non-compliant, non-permitted structure?
Is it square footage?

I meant mass produced boards done in an overseas factory.

There's absolutely zero chance anyone with the last name Merrick shaped my proton. That's ok though. I love the board and it's lasted 10 years.

I just like to support local shapers and small businesses. I'm 220 lbs so I prefer to go custom and have a local shaper build something suited for my size.

Thanks for clarifying.
Your proton would have been built in California.
And very possibly by a shaper that has his own small label and laminated in a glass shop that also glasses for your "local" shaper.
Point is this all ties together, the domestic brands and small locals all rely on the same structure to manufacture.

 

[Scott Ando]

You're still supporting local folks by ordering a Lost or CI. Of course you're not getting Biolos or Merrick prints on it but you're getting people who know what they're doing. I have no issue buying any of these bigger brands as long as their made here.

Some of those "local" guys were ghost shapers for the big brands at some point.

Well written.
Supporting local folks and community as it is these brands that employ a good amount of surfers, get hit with the local permitting and compliance taxes, and many "local" guys are STILL the ghost shapers.