BACK TO SCHOOL EBAY BUYS
Class Is in Session or Not but You Can Buy This Stuff.
I started getting hammered with back-to-school ads in mid-July. You probably did as well. If you live in a capitalist system, there’s always a reason to buy things. We even have a skateboarding holiday—something I wouldn’t have imagined when folks would “TONY HAWKS!” at you in the ‘80s and ‘90s, sometimes very aggressively.
This week we’re focusing on some items and objects with a Fall/Academic theme. I hope some of these treasures find their way to your home.
During my 20s a vintage store shopkeep told me that “investing in outerwear was the key to style.” Sure, he was trying to sell me some stupid ass denim coat I had zero intention of buying but I agree. I’ve owned some jackets for over 20 years, including an Inspector Gadget-looking London Fog piece that was probably 20 years old when I bought it.
In poking around the internet, I noticed that a reissue of a Droors jacket would run you $100- dollars, therefore, this older Droors jacket is not only worth the full list price but also, the color blocking and cut makes it feel very current depending on your geographic location and social circle.
You don’t need to be from Philly to own this but it’s nice to know there’s a consistent market for a Droors jacket if you decide you’d like to offload this piece later.
I’m Gonna Put On An Iron Shirt
Unlike the Droors jacket above that leans into outdoor tech, this iPath zip-up draws from vintage trackwear. I’m assuming the designer was inspired by the iconic adidas Beckenbauer track jacket but the designer added a few twists including fictionalized iPath Nation branding and of course, a stash pocket for your weed.
The description mentions the Jamaican flag is a visual reference (and spells Jamaica a few different ways) but other than the colorway which isn’t true to the flag, I’m not really seeing it. You should mostly pay attention to the size (medium) and the visible pilling in the photos if you’re thinking of buying this.
I’d ask for some measurements before making an offer or just go for this one.
Bootleg Droors Or Something Else?
Drawls was a confusing one in the ‘90s because there were so many micro-companies making clothes. As I type this, I’m realizing that’s similar to now without Instagram though. A young me thought “Is Drawls the pants division of Droors?”
But it wasn’t and Drawls never really felt “core” or something. Don’t let that dissuade you if you’re looking for a simple jacket though. For my money, I’d be tempted to inquire more about this Drawls jacket. It has measurements (This thing is HUGE!), appears to be in great condition, and it’s a timeless silhouette.
Also, if you lurk this listing you’ll probably get a discounted offer pinged to your phone and then you can offer even less than that. Technology is pretty cool.
I knew some kid in the ‘90s named Jeff who only skated within the parameters of this burned-out tennis court that had some shitty ramps in it. He always wore a Drawls shirt with a graphic that looked like an illustration from a children’s book from the ‘50s. He didn’t use the ramps but could do every pressure flip. Every single one.
As you may or may not know, Eightball Clothing began as a partnership between Damon Way and Ken Block (RIP) that began in 1989 and ran until 1993 when copyright issues forced a name change. The brand’s popularity and growth led to the formation of Droors and later, DC Shoe Co.
This is an extremely low price for not only a piece of skateboarding history but also, a graphically relevant design in 2023.
Pro tip: Trend forecasters don’t give the “so bad it’s good graffiti” trend to last much longer so act fast. This could be a one-semester wear but a cheap one.
Your Picture On My Wall Reminds Me That It’s Not So Bad
Powell Peralta Original Vintage 80s Skateboard Poster Bones Brigade Double Sided
It’s highly unlikely that many readers of this newsletter would see the value in this poster but I wanted to include it as an interesting time capsule of 1986. It’s old person shit—even older than my key areas of interest.
"Everything For the Modern Skater"
That means a lot of dipped boards, small noses, and a fuckton of plastic.
The Mostly Skateboarding Crew recently discussed sustainability concerns in skateboarding and I’m glad to not only see our plastic consumption seemingly down since the ‘80s but also, avoiding plastics is a nice reason to be anti-rail.
$50.00 for an old piece of paper in great condition is a solid buy.
I’m not going to lie to my readership. I can’t do it. Around 1989 my friend was really into going off a jump ramp with a bicycle inner tube around his board so he could pull himself up and “ollie” way higher. I tried it a bunch. It was fun but it hurt your knees more than standard jump-ramping would because of the impact implications.
My bungee era only lasted a few days but we did get to see this heavy metal kid who kinda skateboarded push like Cardiel (before we knew who Cardiel was) toward the ramp with his board bungeed up and… shoot, I’m bad at estimating feet but he went really fucking far and his mullet was blowing in the wind. It was quite a moment and then he just got on his Hutch bicycle and rode off smoking a cig as if he won skateboarding. Legend.
A few weeks later school started and my friend quit skating because he was sick of people making fun of him. We weren’t even in Goofy Boy territory yet so he really spared himself some abuse. I bet he’s on Facebook.
I’m not saying you need to buy official skate bungee straps at all. The price sucks but the packaging is so great that it’s maybe worth owning for the aesthetic value alone. But hey, this newsletter is free and hopefully looking at this thing is entertaining.
The insert looks like an old World Industries ad… but they aren’t making fun of anything or anyone unless this entire product was a troll in which case they’re clowning you for buying them.
More old paper for close to $50 this week and a dumb Talking Heads reference. Truthfully, I’m the type of person who would buy a book consisting only of scans of these old photocopied gems. Maybe these pages hold an unreleased Marc McKee graphic or you’re just interested in the geometry of old concaves.
It’s amazing that shops would buy products based on black-and-white renderings of what a thing might be. You could also call all the old numbers in the catalogs if you’re bored.
This object has obvious utility and it’s cheap. It’s also smaller than a CD jewel case if you remember those. That means its size could be a nice product benefit if you’re looking for a pocket-sized sketchbook option or something to leave in your bag and discover when you travel.
I like to draw when I’m on an airplane. I bet this book would be great for that and way better than doodling on the puke bag when you forget to pack a journal.
Why Do They Wax Curbs That Are Red?
Unless you’re friends with Spike Jonze (real name Adam Speigel) you won’t be able to verify that this is an authentic Spike Jonze photograph of Ron Chatman. Yes, it appeared as part of a sequence in Transworld Skateboarding Magazine but did Spike really make this photo? It raises a lot of questions about what’s real and what’s not I guess, especially if you have a natural distrust of media.
Spike was born in New York and grew up in Maryland, proving that a lot of things you love in skateboarding didn’t come from California.
His Interests Became Society’s Interests
These prints come up on eBay quite a bit and there are some less expensive options currently active but what this listing offers is the opportunity to own three skulls by Lance Mountain and C.R. Stecyk III.
THREE. We’re talking framed triptych of skulls on your wall plus a fish and the sole of a sneaker.
I have a blue skull print and it may or may not be signed but now that I’m looking at this listing, I’m realizing I was at this launch party. A bunch of epic people were too. I Googled it and here I am.
Well, in the background wearing a Totally Skateboards shirt.
I own this book and for years thought the title was Fuck Your Heroes. In my brain, Glen E. Friedman was saying “Oh you have heroes? Fuck those heroes. They suck. This is the fucking real shit, man. These are the guys!”
I was totally wrong. The title of this book is Fuck You Heroes.
Did you watch Glen E. Friedman on The Nine Club? That guy doesn’t pull any punches. For a lot of people, the images in this book define not only their youth but their entire spirit and thing. Unfortunately, that’s where it ends for some folks. They’re so caught up in the past that they’re missing all the incredible things around them and even worse, they complain that “everything new sucks and it’s all been done before!”
Boring.
Like, yeah, history repeats itself and your childhood memories are awesome and shit but let’s not get too nostalgic UNLESS you want to own a pristine signed copy of this absolute classic compendium of images. And you should want one.
I know this description sounds a bit cheeky and or cynical but the reason Fuck You Heroes is iconic and important is that Glen not only makes great images but he was capturing subcultures in real time—subcultures that became mainstream and drive pretty much anything cool today.
So I recommend buying this original piece of history and also buying My Rules, another photo compilation of Glen’s best work. I’d say that you should buy it directly from his site but his site recommends purchasing it from your favorite bookstore or Amazon. Unpack that as you will but for a little over $200 you could have two great books and that’s pretty great.
Build Things Like They Will Live Forever and Eat Like You’ll Die Tomorrow
You might pass by this book because let’s be real—it looks a bit sterile and uninviting. But as an Italian American, I was intrigued and learned more about the author and photographer who made it.
I found this video and felt dumb because Claudio Majorana is great at a lot of things, including bookmaking.
From the author’s website:
The Recent History of Sicilian Skateboard Tours is a book about the story of skateboarding culture in Sicily. After the first skate tour from USA organised in 2004, Sicily experienced a growing interest from international skateboard companies and became very popular worldwide. But the origins of skateboarding in Sicily date back many years before. Between 2011 and 2013 I've been following the skateboard tours taking place in my island and researching about the origins of skateboarding in Sicily.
OK, I’m hooked. Both sides of my family are from Sicily. They call themselves “Sicilian” and when my parents went to Rome and Venice, the locals told them the way they spoke Italian was bullshit. Slang. “Peasant speak!” even. That’s funny to me because my Mother was a college professor and a stickler for proper grammar. Turns out Claudio is from Catania where most of my family is from also. I gotta tell my Mom.
You can tell a lot of care went into this book and for $35.00 it’s a great opportunity to learn and own something unique—that’s the best part of eBay.
Don’t Tread On Me. OK, Tread On Me.
I’m rarely into the genre of “random one-off shit people made decades ago” but if you got this for a fair price and drew a beanie and marijuana cigarette or regular cig in the skater’s hand it would be pretty cool… and stupid.
I dunno, this rug could be the first step in a kitschy ‘70s skateboarding-themed bar that sells a house IPA called Hoptown & Drink Boys or you could put this in the entrance of your apartment or home or whatever as a litmus test.
This really has nothing to do with skateboarding but it’s beautiful. I mean, sure some past and present NBA players skate, people who ride skateboards like basketball, and probably something else.
It’s just a really nice piece.
I bought the notepad, thanks!