Get More Out of Sales

You can find great deals at sales, especially now, but it's also easy to go awry. Here are thoughts on how to get the most out of sales without making expensive mistakes.

Skis

Skiers who have done some homework— who have tested skis and know exactly what they want— can find good deals. Performance differences between leftover skis and the next season's crop are often minor. (2008 details on subscription site)

But, and this is a big but, be wary of buying a ski or specific shape with which you are unfamiliar, no matter how attractively priced. While it's tough to find a bad ski, it's all too easy to find one that is a bad match for you. For example, hard snow, fall line skiers who get talked into 80mm big mountain ski will probably have a fine time on the hill, but could have had much more fun on a 65mm recreational slalom.

And so on.

Reviews of more than 1000 skis made since 1999 are available on our subscription site and our consulting service can help you get it right if you haven't had a chance to demo — details here

Bindings

Most people get new bindings with new skis these days and if the ski in question comes pre-mounted with an included system, the point is moot. Still, some skiers need only new bindings for this or that reason and a sale is definitely the place for savings. Be prepared to pay for mounting, whether done by the store holding the sale or whether you take skis and bindings to a favorite specialist.

Boots

Immediately following the sales is the perfect time to buy boots. Many are still on sale, technicians are not swamped with early crowds and can devote quality fit time to customers.

Finding a given size in a specific model can be difficult if you stick with sale models, but most skiers can find something suitable. In any event, buying boots by brand is risky business. Far better to go to the technician with no pre-conceived notions.

Our suggestion is to plan a day or weekend for boot buying. Make an appointment with a qualified technician—the closer to a lift, the better—and plan on taking as much time as necessary to get fit and, as important, as soon as it snows, take repeated test drives on that nearby lift to be certain everything works.

Don't overlook alignment. The best boot in the world, if heavy on one edge or the other, will only hinder effective skiing. We have much, much more about boot fitting and alignment here and on the subscription site, but these are the basics.

Accessories

Poles, goggles, socks, sun glasses, assorted gizmos and gadgets: Stock up!

Apparel

Black and Navy blue parkas and pants crowd most racks, of course, but discerning shoppers can find amazing bargains on clothing that may have sold for twice as much as recently as last month. Once in a while tables groan beneath the weight of the latest fashions, or what were the latest fashions at the beginning of the season, which failed to catch on as predicted (and bought) but have since become the hot, current, mainstream look. Think sage, orange, gray and earth tones. Some retailers succumb to the relentless urgings of soft goods salesmen and end up sitting on a pile of cutting-edge stuff because the public was not as avant garde as magazine fashion editors.

Result: cool, new-looking stuff on the cheap.

And more

Be certain to check tables manned by area and travel representatives. In many regions, it has become common for resorts and travel companies to offer good discounts at preseason retail sales. It's easy to walk on by, but that may turn out to be expensive in the long run.

Spend the time that might have been consumed by a ghastly boot fitting mistake to scour the premises for all the extras.