Hi, new here. I just wanted to ask what you guys think this floor goban is made from? It's around 140 USD. Is it worth buying? https://www.olx.ph/item/japanese-goban- ... 94484ec3a2 Thanks!

Hard to certain from only seeing pictures but it looks like katsura to me. Also, contrary to the item description, it looks quite used, not brand new.

This board is in terrible condition:

most important photo

I see lots of mold in the bottom right, more in the upper right and along the bottom. That looks like a large dent or deep gouge in the bottom left.

The Philippines is a humid country. It's very likely this board is in really, really bad shape.

Caveat emptor.

I received a Katsura floor board in bad shape, but no mold or anything. The damage on my board was like some dents on the side and some cup stains on top of the board. I got my board for free. I probably wouldn't have paid anything for it, but since it was free, it was worth it. I let my kids play with it.

Because the wood is so dark, it is very likely Katsura, which darkens over time. You can lighten the wood color if you shave it and redraw the lines.

I'm probably a little late for the auction, but the board is Katsura.

The playing surface (Just in what little I can see in the photos) looks nice and a little oiling could easily restore a lot of it's natural beauty. The sides aren't as good, but oiling would help immensely.

The tape on the bottom is bad since it could discolor the wood or leave sticky residue.

Thanks for the reply guys. Just recently another floor goban was for sale. It's even half the price and in better condition. It's just that the legs are weird. They're not really flower-like like most gobans. I'm thinking of buying it instead. What do you guys think? https://m.olx.ph/item/go-board-igo-boar ... 5fb03936e2

Really hard to say, I think. It is quite a cheap price. If you don't really care what you play on and just want something to use, it certainly seems reasonable. I have never used that site, is it a good site?

It depends on the seller. It's less secure than eBay. Most of the transactions are done face to face or shipped after paying in advance. I wouldn't recommend it unless you're living in the Philippines really.

The board appears to be Agathis, but I can't say for sure. If I were buying it, I'd look hard at the playing surface...it looks a bit shiny which is not generally considered good.

The second concern I'd have is with the legs. Legs can be an indicator of board quality...the fancier they are, the better the board may be (though this isn't always the case). The legs (generally in the shape of a lotus flower) show the woodworking skill of an artisan, and they will spend more time crafting better legs for better boards.

There are two common leg styles (thought I can't think of the names now). Both represent a lotus blossom.