As a skateboard advocate I have encountered a lot of situations where parents and new skaters were over-sold or undersold while looking for that first board. Each has its own problems.
First, if you are paying $250 or more for a complete setup when you are just getting started, then you are buyinghigher level products than you need. Also, parents who run into this kind of pricing are often a little less encouraging about the activity with their child.
On the other hand, parents who end up getting a cheap board from a department store are setting their child up for a sub-standard experience. these boards are gennerally made from cheaper, weaker materials. The bearins in them have very little spin and don't last long. I have even seen some of these with plastic trucks, griptape so smooth i would change a baby on it and decks with absolutely no concave. When you buy a board at a department store you are buying a toy, not peice of ahtletic equipment.
The best thing you can do is to find a friend or someone you know who actually skateboards and talk to them about brands, stores and things to avoid. Maybe even bring them with you when you chop. Don't assume the person in the skateshop knows what they are talking about. I have seen clerks sell 10 inch trucks for 8 inch boards, and I have been told by a clerk that there is no such product as Bones Super Reds. In the larger shops, they often know their product only and their priority is to move stock.
Now, all of this advice applies to "trick" skateboarding. If your child is looking for transportation, then you are looking at cruisers, penny boards or long boards. For these, your best bet is to buy a complete from a skateshop.
For more resources, check out the "For Parents" tab on our webpage.
Kaishin