Red and Yellow Speed Wheels Included

Top eBay Chess Items by Price isn't just about chess. Sometimes it's about beer steins, as in Stein, Mettlach (not Leonid). Other times it's about skateboards, as in the item pictured on the left.

The title said, 'Mullen Chess Freestyle Skateboard 1985, used but in excellent condition!', and the description gave a few details about the skateboard's origin:-

Year: 1985
Company: Powell Peralta
Skater: Rodney Mullen
Artist: Vernon Courtlandt Johnson

If, like me, you're completely ignorant about skateboard culture, those keywords should be enough to place the item in historical context. It received 18 bids from eight bidders and sold for US $1000. The description continued,

Trucks: Tracker, rear is painted black, front is unpainted and silver. Base & riser pads are red. • Wheels: OJII Freestyle, speed wheels 57M/Santa cruz 97A, two are red, two are yellow. • Dimensions: 27 5/8" L x 7 5/8" W x 3 ¾" H

Skateboard is for sale: "As is", wear is minor as skateboard was hardly ridden. There are no previously drilled holes on nose/tail/rails; the only originally drilled holes are for truck mounting. Minor wear to nose and tail, graphic in good condition with minor cracks to decks surfaces.

Completely ignorant or not, you have to admit it's an original design.

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Later (it's not a 'skateboard', it's a 'deck'!): A few months later, the item on the left crossed my eBay radar. The description said, 'Up for sale is an Original Powell Peralta Rodney Mullen "Chess" deck, in good condition for it's age. The deck was originally set up as a complete, it had grip tape on the top that has been removed, the main graphic has scrapes and scratches as can be seen in the photo's. The deck hasn't been drilled for any hardware apart for trucks.' With a completely different color scheme, it sold for US $620 after nine bids.

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Even later: In how many colors was this thing sold? All the colors of the rainbow?

These decks appeared on eBay from the same seller a few days apart. They both sold for US $1500 after one bid, apparently to different bidders. The descriptions of the items were similar, both starting with 'POWELL PERALTA Rodney Mullen Chess. I cannot believe I am selling this one either ... I know I will never find another one. The deck is 100% authentic and NOT a reissue', then differing in the details. Here is the description for the 'deck' on the left:-

The deck is in great condition.
The deck is a silver dip.
The deck is 7 ply with a fat tail dragon, very rare, very old.
The deck has ZERO warp and is straight as an arrow.
The deck shows no signs of being ridden or gripped.
Please see pictures of "carpet surfing" wear, they tell the whole story.
The deck is NOT marked with a "2" or a "C"'.

The 'deck' on the right was '7 ply with gold oval dragon'. The dragon was a 'Powell Peralta' logo on the bottom of the deck.