sheepstealer

I try to buy local but its hard. I live in Boston and the most local shop to me is a super-commercialized wal mart of a shop called East Coast Alpine. They have TONS of great gear but sell it at city prices. This makes sense but its very difficult to get them to come down on price. Even 2012, 2011 models they wouldn't budge on five or ten percent- not that I'm expecting it but you can tell they sell 95% of their gear to middle aged Bostonians who only ride a couple days a year and want to buy their kid the latest and greatest and have the disposable income to do so.

Its gotten to the point that I avoid this place at all costs because when you walk in all the salespeople try to do is sell you on an item. HARD. If you say that you're interested in any little item, even if its a beanie or water bottle - they'll walk you over to their selection and pick out the most expensive one. Its ridiculous.

Sorry a bit off topic. Just my experience with city-based snowboard/ski shops.

Nolefan2011

That first world comment is ridiculous. You better shop at your main street true value store, locally owned grocery store (not a chain), etc etc etc.

I hope you have never stepped foot in a target or lowe's because if you have, your anti-internet comment is ridiculously hypocritical

IdahoFreshies

HA! Bull shit buddy! Just because we can afford to buy the gear for this sport in no way means we should instantly buy it at the highest prices around just because it's local. When i'm buying anything I try to find the lowest prices, because I just can't afford to spend an extra $50 so that I can say I supported local shops. That's 5 trips up to the hill in gas. I have never gotten the opportunity to get bro deals or insider trading from any local shops. Shit they hardly even give me free stickers. Local shops are usually over priced and when I do shop there I almost always buy last years shit because I can find a decent deal on it. The shops remember me about as well as an online store does.

__________________
If you don't like the way I drive, stay off the sidewalk.

03SVTCobra

What an asshole comment!
Just because we can afford to ride doesnt mean we should pay ridiculous prices on gear and support local businesses that have complete douchebags working for them that don't know shit about the products they sell half the time. Half the time you get some little punk ass kid whose parents forced them to get a job and could care less about the customer.
I have no problem supporting a local business that is rider owned and operated. You go in to a shop with hardcore riders owning/running the place and its a completely different experience. That's a local business myself and half the people here would probably support.

snowklinger

Ahh you guys got me. You can all afford thousands of dollars in gear and lift tickets and computers and internet service but saving $20 to pay $10 in shipping to not support the sport is just ignorant.

As far as the comments about the first world, sorry guys but there are no poor kids in this sport, and if you think you are one, you have your head in the sand. I grew up in a 3rd world country and KNOW, even these "poor" european urban riders can afford gopros, time to play, and to fold their boards over a rail. In 3rd world countries kids are trying to just reach adulthood alive and without being sold to the highest bidding pedophile. Even in the US, our poorest do not enjoy ski resorts and gear, and they are way better off than alot of people.

My arguments were succinct and correct the first time around, I wasn't personally attacking you guys. The comments were certainly insensitive, I wasn't worried about your feelings Don't support local business, see if I care, its a way of life - a sort of ethic, so to speak.

My wife works at Target, and I totally shop at chain stores when the situation is warranted. I also go out of my way to support local business when I can, but I guess I'm the silly one.

I'm not anti internet at all, some things, such as electronics, are very prudent to buy online. Snowboarding, like surfing and skateboarding, is a unique business entity and comparing it to Walmart or Kroger is just not fair. I have close friends from CA to the midwest who own shops, and they do it because they want to support a community of people who also love the sport, not to get rich, in fact they have struggled more than anyone else I know. Shop owners provide youth programs, teams, contests, the bridge between manufacturers and amateurs, and they do it all for you guys and your kids, with almost zero benefit to themselves.

Everyone would like to employ top quality people and pay them well to do great work. Unfortunately these shops have their back against the wall, don't judge them on that kid, get to know the people there, I bet that kid shreds and could teach you some shit. Think about the overhead, you expect them to pay shipping, labor for someone to sell it to you (but you are insulted by someone working for $8/hr), shop space rental (which is crazy money compared to a warehouse) and then when they can't compete with online prices you act like they are trying to rip you off?!? Whose the asshole?

If money is the bottom line, and bottom lining everyone on the bottom line is all you care about, well, you'll get what you pay for.

disclaimer: I'm not the least bit wealthy, and live paycheck to paycheck, but the older I get, the more I realize that value does not equal $$. I understand that for some people $$=value ALWAYS and theres no point in arguing.

The experts around here like Argo, BA and Killclimbz have already told you all of this.

I got my last helmet online becuase my head is the size of a fucking beach ball and I couldn't find the lid I wanted in town in my size.

__________________
is it late october yet?

Argo

Given the fact that i live and shop in Vail primarily i would venture to guess that my shops see 10xyou the amount of people your shops do but maintain msrp most of the time. The fact that I take the efford to go there regularly and spend time bsing with them plus bringing them new people as customers is probably why I can get a deal. Even for non snow gear i ask them if they can order it to give them the business. O would rather have a local shop or 3 than have sierra trading post....

03SVTCobra

I think everyone would rather have a local shop but some of us dont have a choice. I drove 4 hours once to buy a new setup because they were an awesome shop, always very helpful, and I always stop there when I'm in the area.

jdang307

That's crazy talk. There are plenty of people who sacrifice other parts of their lives to go boarding because they love it. They hitch rides on the way to the mountain and their lift ticket is their splurge. Riding 5 year old equipment.

And it's not saving $10 it's saving $200 sometimes. I would love a good local shop but in San Diego it's surfin and skatin bruh. There is nobody to shoot the shit with except you guys online.

Support your local shop if you have one, and if you can. Only if it's a good shop though. If they're a bunch of assholes who needs them to stay open.

linvillegorge

I try to buy local when I can, but sometimes the online deals are just too good to pass up. I want to support local businesses, but my first priority is to myself and my family. I'm not going to sacrifice say $100 of my money in order to support local business. Sorry, just not gonna do it. Plus, the only two shops in Evergreen have both pissed me off in the past and I'd probably go piss on the smoldering ashes if they both burned to the ground. I do like the guys down at Arvada Skate and Snow and consider them to be my "local" shop. I've bought several things from them in the past.

It also depends on my need. If I break something or need something ASAP, then I'm much more willing to pay a premium to have that item that day.

__________________
"People say that marijuana smoking is going to get in the way of my career. I say to them that on the contrary, my fighting career is getting in the way of my marijuana smoking." -Nick Diaz

BurtonAvenger

Snowboarding is for the rich we're pricing ourselves out of existence. We've also created a culture of discounts that people expect and feel they're entitled to. Rather sad.

You know why your local shop is a douche to you? Probably because you've never been there and they can tell you're "just browsing" is more of "just trying on to go home and buy on the Internet". Nothing worse than talking to someone for an hour or two figuring they're going to buy the stuff they're trying on, going through a whole boot fit because their feet are fucked up, and having them walk out the door to buy online. If you're going to do it at least be up front so they don't waste their time with you.

Shopping on the Internet in the grand scheme of the local to global economy puts a huge dent in the local economy, I fully understand that not having a local shop you need to facilitate it and that's where Internet shopping comes in. Problem with that is The House, dogfunk, backcountry, etc. etc. are faceless shitholes. Evo, Eastern Boarder, Eternal actually are local shops. So if you are going to buy online at least buy from a shop that is local and does something for the economy.

__________________
Angry Snowboarder Because someone has to call it how they see it!