Best Longboard Shops

Introduction

One of the greatest trends of 2011 is longboarding. Longboarding is some sort of variation on the regular skateboarding. However, there are a few differences. First of all the deck of a longboard is a bit larger. Moreover, the longboard is easier to learn and master than the skateboard. Therefore, the longboard is especially loved by adults. Lastly, the longboard can also be used for other disciplines like downhill racing or just for transport in the city. It has to be noted that longboards are quite expensive. The purpose of this article, therefore, is to point out the cheapest and best providers of longboard gear.

Price Causes

First of all, let's explain why longboards are so expensive. First of all, the demand for longboards is really huge. However, there is a lack of specialized longboard stores, especially outside the United States. Second, longboards are typically made of more expensive material, such as bamboo. Finally, some part of the price is just pure marketing. Some longboard manufacturers promote their model with aggressive advertising to make the general public perceive it as the best or hippest longboard. The longboard will sell no matter how high the price.

Web shops

It is recommended to consult a web shop for a good new longboard. These longboard shops are often way cheaper than the normal brick and mortar stores. If you are looking for a particular model, I highly recommend thelongboardstore.com. They have a huge supply, and if you cannot find your favorite longboard here, you will probably find it nowhere! Another good web shop is daddiesboardshop.com. They are very passionate about this sport, and I think this is the best place for advice. For both newbies and experts daddiesboardshop.com is an excellent place to shop. They will consult you with the purchase of your first longboard, but will also help you tweak your gear to gain a better performance. The last web shop I like to discuss is theskateboardexpress.com. This is a very no-nonsense shop that directly ships their boards from the factory to your home. In this way you do not have to pay for things like shelf space, marketing or other non-board related things.

Second Hand 
Good old eBay is still one of the best places to look for second-hand longboard. Especially the German and Spanish versions of eBay have a great supply of high quality longboards. The British website Extreme Sports Trader is a sort of Craigslist for extreme sports. You can also find some great deals here. Lastly, you could also check out specialized longboard forums. Experienced users are often selling longboards here, because they want an even better or hipper longboard. These longboards are often in great condition. However, you have to be careful on these types of forums, because you do not know who you can trust. Therefore, it is recommended to only buy from people with authority, such as admins, moderators, or people with a big post history.