The demand and supply of skateboards have gone up tremendously as it is becoming one of the most popular freestyle sports. As demand has increased, people are also beginning to wonder how much does a skateboard cost.
A skateboard may cost you between $70 and $500, depending on your skateboard’s type, quality, and manufacturer.
In this article, we’ll try to highlight the prices of complete skateboards and the cost of custom-made skateboards. So, let’s get started!
How Much Does A Skateboard Cost?
Someone who’s planning to buy his first skateboard might get a bit confused looking at the types and the prices. So let’s sort things out from a buyer’s point of view.
The first rule is, don’t rush into it. Take your time and do some research. Understanding the type of skateboard is more important than buying one. Because you wouldn’t like to regret it after you’ve purchased the board, so acknowledge your preferred style, your interests, and the location of your skating.
Golden rule number two is, don’t compromise on quality. Skateboards are something that takes a lot of forces and friction on them and drags your whole body over different surfaces. Remember that the slightest compromise in quality will force you to replace your board soon. Buying a used skateboard can be a good option if you are willing to spend less.
Factory-made skateboard prices start at $80, and the upper limit is set at almost $45,000! Custom-made skateboards cost around $75 to $200, depending on the products used.
Related: How Much Does A Hoverboard Cost
What Are The Price Determining Factors?
As I mentioned earlier, there are a lot of factors playing a role in determining the price of a skateboard. If you want to buy a complete board, that may save you some effort as well as some cash. Here is a list of things that will help you to calculate your budget:
- The type of skateboard you want to buy
- Whether it’s a custom-made skateboard or a complete factory-made skateboard.
- Custom-made skateboard prices depend on the price of the deck, wheel, bearings, trucks, and the cost of production.
- Factory-made skateboard prices depend on the manufacturer, brand, quality, durability, and availability.
The Price Depends On Your Preference
There are several types of skateboards available for various purposes and age groups. Each type has its own characteristics. The standard and affordable varieties are mentioned below with their prices:
- Beginner Skateboards: Price ranges from $40-$70
- Classic Skateboards: Price ranges from $60-$400
- Street Skateboards: Price ranges from $70 to $200
- Blank Skateboards: Price ranges from $50 to $110.
- Professional Skateboards: Price ranges from $100 to $250
- Longboard Skateboards: Price ranges from $60 to $500
- Kids Skateboards: Price ranges from $20 to $45
The Price Of A Complete Board
We’ve already seen how the prices differ from one type to the other. But there are other important factors to keep in mind.
Brands
The popular skateboard brands have a higher price tag than the local ones. This might be because they produce quality skateboards that are much more reliable and have better designs. But one shouldn’t rely on the brand name entirely without evaluating the quality of the product.
Quality
This should be your first priority regardless of type and brand. Quality skateboards will definitely cost you more. To ensure the best quality, make sure your skateboard possesses these important features:
- Solid Skateboard trucks
- Bigger wheels for more speed, smaller wheels for more stability.
- Colored or graphic grip.
- Quality bearings.
The Cheaper Ones VS The Costlier Ones
Here’s to breaking a myth. There are skateboards that cost more than a thousand dollars, and some cost only a hundred dollars. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that the cheaper ones can not be trusted. Keep your eyes open and find the best deal for you that is both affordable and reliable.
Buying Platform
Smart people always make the right decision by choosing the right place to invest their money in. Nowadays, online sellers are offering skateboards with a decent number of discounts, and you can check your skateboard before receiving it and return it easily.
So my suggestion would be to buy your board from a reliable online seller. If you are buying offline, buy from the shop most of your neighbors purchased from.
Making Your Own Custom Board
To make your own custom board, you will need to buy decks, trucks, wheels, grip tape, and bearings. The cost estimation is given below-
How Much Do Skateboard Decks Cost?
A deck can often be found for much less than $30 during a sale, but the typical cost of a deck is around $50. Not every deck is created equal, so choose a deck from a reputable wood shop or manufacturer.
You will also find Blank decks, which are less expensive than graphic decks. Purchasing in bulk quantity saves money. However, you risk getting decks that have been compressed and warped. What that means is that you will get decks that are dozens pressed into one deck, which is not ideal.
$45 should be fine as the initial budget, though some decks can cost up to $200. Some decks cost about a hundred dollars, but they are made of unique materials and structures to endure longer. Due to the superior construction, certain decks are more expensive.
How Much For The Skateboard Trucks?
Trucks come in a wide range of prices. You can purchase a truck for $20 that isn’t remarkably durable but will suffice for a short amount of time. Some trucks cost roughly $75, which is a significant difference.
A good set of trucks will be roughly $40 and will last for a long time. It’s suggested that you don’t buy anything cheap right off the market.
It takes hard work, time, and dedication to get the hang of new trucks, so it’s always better to invest a bit more in them. In the long term, the cost will be worthwhile because you won’t have to invest again and again.
The majority of the time, costly trucks outperform their less expensive counterparts. They also react faster, which makes a big difference when performing a trick. For beginners, the difference is not much. But as you sharpen your skateboarding skills, you will notice a difference that beginners may not notice.
Price Of Skateboard Wheels
Skateboard wheels range in price from $20 to $40. However, inexpensive wheels will wear out faster than costly wheels, which are close to impossible to be slightly defective.
The price difference depends on the construction materials. The inexpensive wheels mostly use lower-cost polymers, and this produces wheels that are either average or wear out after a few uses.
The expensive ones use high-end brand materials, which ensures the wheels can last for a longer time. Swapping wheels when they start to crank can also help you to keep them for longer.
Cost Of Grip Tape
The price for grip tape can start at as low as $5. You won’t find much variation between grip tapes, some are grittier than others. You can also choose the ones that come with prints, which adds to the price. A roll is generally an incredible deal if you need to change grip tape frequently.
Cost Of Bearings
The good news about skateboard bearings is that they don’t cost much. You can get them for as cheap as $15, but you can also buy your bearings for $100 or even more. But the bearing with more cost is usually used for high-speed purposes.
The Actual Production Cost Of A Skateboard Bought From The Store
The cost of making a complete skateboard is determined by the quality of the product used and the location where it is made. Approximately $30 to $35 is spent on the entire manufacturing process.
So you will get a fresh skateboard from the manufacturer, but you’ll spend $75-150 on it because you are at retail price. If the cost is divided and shown how it is increased in the process of these manufacturing and exporting cycles, you will get a complete idea.
For example, decks are inexpensive to make, costing between $8 and $10, and then supplied to skateboard manufacturers on a project basis. Distributors buy them from skateboard manufacturers, and you ultimately pay the fixed retail price.
Although wheels are inexpensive to build, the best brands invest significant time in research and development to create the greatest wheels available. The same is true for trucks: superior quality costs more money, yet they cost roughly $10 to produce.
Final Verdict
So, how much does a skateboard cost? Here’s the answer: the sport will cost you. But who says you can’t play it smart? Investing in a skateboard will not require a lot of money but proper knowledge of what you’re trying to buy here. So, pick the type of skateboard you prefer, make a decent budget, and go for a factory-made skateboard. Or, if you want more reliability, pick your own pieces of equipment and put them together to make your own skateboard.
Hi, I’m Daniel Kemp. I’m a sportsman who is always ready to go at any moment. I love sports because it makes me a complete person. I’m into ball games, lacrosse, tug of war, and so many others. I see sport as a paramount aspect of life that excludes no one so that everyone can be part of the sporting society.