Beginner info for /asp/ies (UPDATED)

/asp/ie recommended skateboard brands for beginners:
This list is mainly for beginners and to avoid 'What gear to get?' questions. Use it as general guideline.
If you don't know shit, start with 8 inch deck and start going smaller/bigger from there as you feel comfortable. Arguably the most important thing to get at start is good trucks as they will affect the feel of skateboarding the most when you don't really know shit yet.

Frequently asked questions
"Should I buy a pre-built board?"
No, they suck (mostly) - read this FAQ to find out what to buy in order to build your own

"Should I buy a penny board/longboard?"
NO

"Should I splash out and buy *insert expensive bearings here*?"
No, it's a waste of money unless you're a downhill longboarder

"What size deck should I get?"
Get an 8.00 to start with, and go up or down from there
Get an 8.25 if you're big

"What size trucks should I get?"
Deck size     Truck size (mm)
7.5-7.75    =   129
7.75-8.25   =   139
8.25-8.75   =   149
8.75-10.00  =   169
This is a good starting point, but later on you might find you prefer bigger or smaller trucks than what is recommended. It's all personal preference.

"Are these Avenue suspension trucks any good? I'm old and my knees are weak"
Don't even think about it.

"Wait, my deck isn't symmetrical? Which is the front and which is the back?"
The nose of your deck will be slightly steeper and larger

"Skateboard parts are really expensive in (country that isn't USA)"
Yes, but it's worth it. Your first board will last you ages.

What you need to build your first skateboard
Deck, trucks, wheels, bearings, bolts, griptape, and a skate tool to put it all together!

DECKS

NB: Not all decks are created equal! Boards manufactured by P.S. Stix, BBS, and other US companies use Canadian/North American maple and tend to last a lot longer than boards manufactured in China! Of course, if you can get a deck produced by a low quality woodshop for a very good price, it will still skate perfectly fine, just don't expect it to last as long.

High tier woodshops:
P.S. Stix
BBS
Pennswood
South Central
Chapman
Watson

Mid tier woodshops:
HLC
Clutch
Prime
Control

Shit tier woodshops (avoid unless on sale):
Dwindle
Dailan Huahong

Popular brands:
Alien Workshop (BBS)
Almost         (Dwindle)
Anti-Hero      (BBS)
Baker          (BBS)
Birdhouse      (BBS)
Blind          (Dwindle)
Blood Wizard   (BBS)
Chocolate      (Dailan Huahong)
Creature       (Dwindle)
Darkstar       (Dwindle)
Deathwish      (BBS)
DGK            (BBS)
Element        Pro models are BBS, other decks are Dailan Huahong
Enjoi          (Dwindle)
Flip           (Dwindle)
Foundation     Pro models are P.S. Stix, other decks are Dailan Huahong
Girl           (Dailan Huahong)
Habitat        (NA: P.S. Stix or BBS || EU: HLC)
Heroin         (BBS)
Krooked        (BBS)
Plan B         (P.S. Stix)
Primitive      (BBS)
Real           (BBS)
Santa Cruz     (Dwindle)
Sk8Mafia       (NA: BBS || EU: HLC)
Toy Machine    Pro models are P.S. Stix or BBS, other decks are Dailan Huahong
Zero           (NA: BBS || EU/Asia: Dwindle)

For wide/cruiser decks:
Welcome (P.S. Stix.)
Most brands also make wide decks and/or cruiser shapes

For information about other brands: http://www.slapmagazine.com/index.php?topic=97940.0

Local brands/skateshop brands are generally good, and shame on you if you aren't supporting those guys!
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHOPS, in caps,  just so you will definitely not miss it.

TRUCKS

Everybody loves to shit on lesser known truck brands while praising Indies and Thunders, but ain't nobody rode a pair of trucks til they broke.
A good resource for learning about differences in trucks is Ben Degros' youtube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP94Q0ypuPdhl-NupoAbcoQ/videos

TL;DW
Highly regarded truck brands:
Independent trucks: last forever
Thunder trucks: super light
Ace trucks: great for people who skate their trucks loose
Venture trucks: stable

Lesser regarded truck brands:
Krux trucks: stable, those who like them LOVE them
Tensor: extremely light, not durable
Theeve: extremely light, titanium, last forever, expensive
Royal: ???

Poorfag option:
Mini-Logo: if your budget is tight, these are fine


Recommended beginner trucks: Independent mids or Thunder highs

What truck size to buy for your deck size:
Deck size     Truck size (mm)
7.5-7.75    =   129
7.75-8.25   =   139
8.25-8.75   =   149
8.75-10.00  =   169

Aftermarket bushings (the rubber washers in the middle of the truck): Often stock truck bushings disintegrate quite quickly. Bones Hardcore bushings will never disintegrate. Buy some of these if your bushings break.

BEARINGS: Bones Reds are the standard, most brands will be fine, don't get memed into buying expensive bearings

WHEELS: Bones STFs, Spitfire Formula 4s recommended sizes 50-54

Bones STFs and Spitfire Formula 4s are currently considered THE skateboard wheels by most people, however as a beginner you might not get much out of them and getting really hard wheels (which STFs and F4s tend to be) might even make skating bit hard for you at the start. You might want to consider getting just bit softer wheels for start depending on where you are going to skate. If you have concrete park and generally good flat, go ahead and buy hard wheels, however if you are starting with rougher asphalt or parks past their primes, wheels in the range of 95-98 duro might provide with bit softer and comfortable beginning for your skateboard journey. However when you get better hard wheels is something you want to at least try at some point and when that happens these 2 are what you probably want.

HARDWARE: Doesn't matter
(some people like to use coloured bolts so they can tell which is the nose and the tail of their deck)

GRIPTAPE: Doesn't matter

SKATE OR DIE