How to buy a scooter or skateboard: offers from sellers
First decide your riding style
A scooter for the city and a scooter for the skatepark are different things. A stunt scooter has a rigid one-piece deck, small wheels with strong cores and a non-folding build, because the bars and fork take the hits on landing. A city scooter is usually foldable, with bigger wheels, and easy to take on public transport.
Skateboards follow the same logic. A classic skateboard with small hard wheels suits the park and the street. A longboard is comfortable for getting around over longer distances. A penny board is compact and flexible, and a surfskate imitates the motion of a wave and has a special front truck.
Size and rider weight
For a scooter, handlebar height matters: the bars should reach about an adult’s waist. Wheel diameter affects speed and smoothness, and for children of 3–5 years, three-wheeled models with a stable platform are the usual choice. Always check the maximum load, especially for a teenager who is growing fast.
For a skateboard, the deck width is chosen to suit foot size and style: a narrower deck is lighter for tricks, a wider one is more stable for a beginner. If you are buying for a child, allow a little for growth, but not too much.
What to put in your request
- what exactly — stunt or city scooter, skateboard, longboard, penny board;
- for whom — age, height or weight, child, teenager or adult;
- riding style — tricks in the park, rides around town, a first board for a beginner;
- specs — wheel diameter and hardness, deck size, bearings, foldable build;
- brand and model, if you have already chosen;
- condition — new or used, and what signs of wear are acceptable;
- budget and delivery city.
Example: “I need a new stunt scooter for a 12-year-old, height 160 cm, 110 mm wheels, aluminium deck. Budget up to R 1,200, courier delivery to Johannesburg.”
How BlaBlaPrice works
You write your request once, the check tells you which details are missing, and sellers of sports goods reply in the chat with a price, photos and delivery terms. They can see where they stand among the other offers and compete for your request, so the price often turns out better. Your phone number is hidden, and you talk only to the seller you choose. More about this.
How to compare offers and avoid mistakes
Compare like with like in style and size: a scooter for R 820 and one for R 2,300 can be made for different kinds of riding. Ask what the deck and the bars are made of, what clamp holds the bars, and whether spare parts come in the set. For a used one, check for play in the bars, the condition of the bearings, cracks in the deck and wheel wear.
A typical mistake is to buy a child an adult scooter to “grow into”, or to take a cheap unbranded scooter for stunts, where the bars soon break. It is better to add protection (a helmet and knee pads) to the request straight away. For other sports, you can look at skis and snowboards, for the ice at ice skates or at roller skates. You can create a request on the home page.
