Buying used groovy boards: what to check, and the seconds
Five things to check on a used board, what registration marks and grips mean for older boards, and where new boards sell for less than used ones.
A groovy board is 1/4 in PVC with a routed groove, so a used one can be as good as new or quietly useless, and the difference is five things you can check in a minute. New boards are $45 each at Groovy Patterns, which is the number to keep in your head while you shop.
What to check on a used board
- The groove. Run a fingertip along the whole line. Chips, melted spots or gouges in the groove wall will throw the stylus and show up in the stitching. Surface scratches on the flat of the board do not matter.
- Flatness. Lay the board on a hard floor. A warped board rocks, and a rocking board lets the stylus climb out of the groove.
- The ends. Boards chain with puzzle-piece connectors and alignment notches. Broken tabs mean the boards will not lock, and the rows will not line up.
- Matching boards. Two boards only interlock if they are the same design at the same pattern height. A "Small" and a regular of the same name are different sizes and will not chain.
- The groove width. Groovy Patterns boards are routed at 1/8 in. Make sure your stylus tip fits the groove on the board you are buying; a different maker's groove may not match.
Registration marks were added to Groovy Patterns designs in 2024, so an older board of the same design may not carry them. It still quilts the same; you line up the rows by eye or with a ruler instead. Silicone grips can be missing on a used board; any non-slip furniture pad does the same job.
New boards at used prices: the seconds
Boards that pick up a scratch, a chip or a blemish on the way through the shop never reach the shelf. They are sold instead as Groovy Board Seconds: new, never used, fully functional, with the cosmetic mark described honestly, in sets of two of each design so they chain. One set is listed at a time, and when it sells there may not be another for a while. If you are shopping used, check that page first; a set of seconds is new boards for less than most used listings.
Price check. A used board above $45 is more than a new one from the maker. A used pair above $90 is more than two new boards, with the grips, the registration marks and the connectors you know will match.
If you already own one board
You need a second of the same design and height to chain them; write to us with the design name and we will match it. Many of the same designs are also sold as paper pantographs at $25 and as digital downloads at $14.99 for computerized systems. Popular first boards: Lotus Leaves, Baptist Fans Large and Stipple My Heart.
Questions quilters ask
Will an old Groovy Patterns board chain with a new one?
Yes, if it is the same design at the same pattern height. The connectors and notches have not changed. The newer board may carry registration marks the older one lacks.
Can a damaged groove be repaired?
A chip in the groove wall cannot be filled in a way that guides a stylus cleanly. Treat a board with groove damage as a wall decoration and replace it.
Are the seconds really new?
Yes. They are boards routed here that picked up a cosmetic mark, a scratch or a chip, before shipping. The groove and the function are intact, and they have never been used.
Do you buy back or trade boards?
No. The seconds page is the place for a bargain on new boards.
Not sure what fits your machine? Read the fit guide or write to us with your machine model. Groovy Patterns is a family shop in Owosso, Michigan; every board is routed here to order.