Ski Posted December 9, 2005 Report Posted December 9, 2005 WHOA!!!! People lets calm down here... Enjoy the freshies and end the bickering. Ski season is here, let's use it! Â The best companies are filled with people having divergent opinions. So are the best MB's. Rob firmly believes I'm an *sshead...and that's perfectly okay with me and I'll still be ringing a cowbell for his son, Ridge. Quote
Papasteeze Posted December 9, 2005 Report Posted December 9, 2005 I was always a Ford fan... Now I support American General.. Uh.. I do have one of those british things, but that was present for a GF ... Â Hypocrit - no. I don't consider this a general topic about store types. I just love ski shops for everything they have to offer. BTW - if anyone is considering buying '06 gear. send me a message, let me see what price I can get you. I've done some favors for some people on gear that can not be gotten any cheaper online. I can't get Fischer except on line Quote
Ski4Food Posted December 9, 2005 Report Posted December 9, 2005 Â Why not? WalMart is seen as the Evil Empire to some people. It's America's largest employer and in a free-trade society, they've been amazingly successful. If you bash WalMart then go out and shop at a chain grocery store, mall, or watch a movie at a metroplex-type theatre, you're a hypocrit, aren't you? Oh, and is your car American made? If not, then keep in mind all the good folks in Detroit your screwing. Â I must first apologize, I forgot who the audience of this forum was. I'm from upstate NY... All we have is mom and pop stores, and family run shops. If I want to goto the mall, walmart, I have to drive nearly 30 miles! And what's a metroplex anyway? PA is strip-mall city (at least parts of it) Â And I apologize for all those poor people in detroit who are making $32 an hour that I'm screwing, because my Ford was made in Chicago. Â It's also sad that Wal-Mart is America's largest employer paying more people minimum wage than any other employer in the country. In case you haven't done the math... Those who make minimum wage live well below the poverty line. Â Papa's right... Here we go off topic! Quote
Ski Posted December 9, 2005 Report Posted December 9, 2005 PA is strip-mall city (at least parts of it) Â You do know that New York City is part of New York? So saying New York is the message parlor capitol of the world (at least parts of it) would be a brilliant observation? Â I'm still trying to figure out that whole "brand new bunny skiers don't find White Lightning challenging" thing... Quote
Papasteeze Posted December 9, 2005 Report Posted December 9, 2005 Rob firmly believes I'm an *sshead...and that's perfectly okay with me and I'll still be ringing a cowbell for his son, Ridge. Â uptight your way or else tookiehead would be more like it! Wait till you see our cowbell - it is authentic!! Cool story I will have to tell some time. Â Ok back on topic..... Ebay sucks and ski shops are the best of everything for everybody! Quote
Ski Posted December 9, 2005 Report Posted December 9, 2005 It's also sad that Wal-Mart is America's largest employer paying more people minimum wage than any other employer in the country. In case you haven't done the math... Those who make minimum wage live well below the poverty line. Â It's also the largest mid-wage employer as well. Do the math. It's also among the largest employers of independent and contract truckers. And where do you imagine all the products sold at WalMart come from? It's easy to see WalMart as evil, but if you take the time to understand the big picture, there is an enormous economic machine that is involved. It's simplistic to say that because the cashiers make minumum wage, then WalMart sucks. Perhaps if cashiers don't like their wage, they can go work for one of the 10,000 better paying suppliers of WalMart goods. Â Â Â uptight your way or else tookiehead would be more like it! Wait till you see our cowbell - it is authentic!! Cool story I will have to tell some time. Â Ok back on topic..... Ebay sucks and ski shops are the best of everything for everybody! Â Quote
Philpug Posted December 9, 2005 Author Report Posted December 9, 2005 I am speaking of my experience with the Pelican owner when I was a kid. He did indeed get very rich off the sweat of shop kids. And 300% markups are pretty common. $800 skis? C'mon...$129 junior helmets? Try $40 wholesale. Isn't that a300% markup? Â 300% markup is an exeption to tthe rule, not the norm. 800.00 skis will wholesale for 400 but also have a street price of about 550-600.00. Where the problem lies there is at the end of the season, manufacturers are blowing out the stock of those 800/400 skis to clearing houses for 2-300 and the dealer who paid 400 still has 5 pair sitting on his wall and wondering why he isn't getting any factory support. Â As far as the "sweat" of the shop rat. It IS a low paing job, because of the beni's that come with it. Pro forms and discount/free skiing. It is kinda like waitresses making less than min wage because they are getting tips. If you don't want to accept the lowert pay and get the freebies, go work at the mall or Mickie D's. You work in a ski shop because you want to, not because it is the best paying gig in town. As far as Pelican...I can't speak for how he runs his business, but leeing what he sells, I would bet a day at Blue that he makes the money on the pools, hot tubs, pool tables and outdoor furniture and the ski part keeps people employee'd Quote
skidude Posted December 9, 2005 Report Posted December 9, 2005 Not sure where this stuff is useful, but I'll throw it out there anyway. It costs a ski compainy about $150 in parts/labor to make a pair of skis. But then you also have those nice ads in ski mags, shipping charges...all that other stuff and I believe they sell them for aboue $300 a pair... Quote
Ski Posted December 9, 2005 Report Posted December 9, 2005 300% markup is an exeption to tthe rule, not the norm. 800.00 skis will wholesale for 400 but also have a street price of about 550-600.00. Where the problem lies there is at the end of the season, manufacturers are blowing out the stock of those 800/400 skis to clearing houses for 2-300 and the dealer who paid 400 still has 5 pair sitting on his wall and wondering why he isn't getting any factory support.  As far as the "sweat" of the shop rat. It IS a low paing job, because of the beni's that come with it. Pro forms and discount/free skiing. It is kinda like waitresses making less than min wage because they are getting tips. If you don't want to accept the lowert pay and get the freebies, go work at the mall or Mickie D's. You work in a ski shop because you want to, not because it is the best paying gig in town. As far as Pelican...I can't speak for how he runs his business, but leeing what he sells, I would bet a day at Blue that he makes the money on the pools, hot tubs, pool tables and outdoor furniture and the ski part keeps people employee'd  Pelican Ski Shop started in Whitehouse, NJ, and he made his fortune prior to 1980 selling ONLY skis and ski apparel...there were no benefits, no freebies, no discount lift tickets, just minumum wage AFTER you'd shoveled rocks and been treated like a dog all summer working at his house. I don't care or ever think about it other than here, but my friends and I were around in the early days of his success and were all treated like crap. It's one of the reasons I'm more than happy to shop elsewhere, though I have no clue as to who runs/owns the business now.  300% is the exception, not the rule? IDK about that...I see a lot of $4 mill files selling for $15.99. And $15 underwear going for $60. Quote
poconoceancity Posted December 9, 2005 Report Posted December 9, 2005 I've heard that most manufaturers won't let shops sell merchandise online. Isn't that part of the problem? Quote
Ski Posted December 9, 2005 Report Posted December 9, 2005 I'm not sure how they could possibly limit advertising methods to newspapers only...I mean, if you think about it, online presense is just a form of advertising. And how can you tell some shops it's okay, but not others? Could Atomic really dictate what forms of payment a shop may accept, such as online or over the phone credit cards? I've bought skis from this place online:  http://store.emiliosskishop.com/index.html  My first set of Atomic GS:11's for $325, or so.  It's just such an odd situation. My friend---who is a race coach at Montage---now reps for Nordica and sent out catalogues and said he'd get anyone special discounts. It just seems so Mary Kay or Tupperware-like to me; to get a good deal, you have to know someone.  Oh, well...  So if anyone is looking for killer deals on Nordica gear, drop me a PM and I'll pass his number along. Quote
Philpug Posted December 10, 2005 Author Report Posted December 10, 2005 Pelican Ski Shop started in Whitehouse, NJ, and he made his fortune prior to 1980 selling ONLY skis and ski apparel...there were no benefits, no freebies, no discount lift tickets, just minumum wage AFTER you'd shoveled rocks and been treated like a dog all summer working at his house. I don't care or ever think about it other than here, but my friends and I were around in the early days of his success and were all treated like crap. It's one of the reasons I'm more than happy to shop elsewhere, though I have no clue as to who runs/owns the business now. Â 300% is the exception, not the rule? IDK about that...I see a lot of $4 mill files selling for $15.99. And $15 underwear going for $60. A lot has changed in ski retailing since pre 80...let alone pre 2000's. Mill files and (back then) helmets were the execption. I thought you were refering to hardgood/softgood i.e. big ticket items. "end cap" items do have a larger mark-up usually to their low cost. I can't speak for Pelican, but just under my impression of them was that it wasn't a very good place even before you refered to them. They are an exeption to retailers jsut as high margin stuff is. Â I said before and I will re-itterate, retailers are a huge blotch on manufactueres ledger sheet. Again another reason the secondary market is being flooded with gear...they need to move the stuff and shops are just not doing it. Is this a chicken/egg scenerio? I don't think so, shops were going under and closing well before ebay became a clearing house. Quote
Ski Posted December 10, 2005 Report Posted December 10, 2005 I used to live close to Langhorne Ski Shop, which was a big retailer in the area. Out of curiousity, I Googled their web site and came to this: Â http://www.langhorneski.com/ Â It's now December 2005 and the Poconos are open and the best they can do is be "Under Construction"? Â Â And here's a shop close to me, Guenther's Ski Haus, in Honesdale...their site is a bunch of broken pictures and lists their September hours as their main page: Â http://www.guenthersskihaus.com/ Â Tough to feel sorry for businesses that completely ignore the internet. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot... Quote
Philpug Posted December 10, 2005 Author Report Posted December 10, 2005 I used to live close to Langhorne Ski Shop, which was a big retailer in the area. Out of curiousity, I Googled their web site and came to this: Â http://www.langhorneski.com/ Â It's now December 2005 and the Poconos are open and the best they can do is be "Under Construction"? And here's a shop close to me, Guenther's Ski Haus, in Honesdale...their site is a bunch of broken pictures and lists their September hours as their main page: Â I know Dave at Langhorne, he runs a great place there, and has arguably on of teh best shops in the Philly area. I am sure the site is one of the things that he "indends' to get to. But we jusge others on their actions and he judge ourselves on our intentions. Â There are successful B&M's and successful Net sellers...I am curious how many do both successfully. Quote
skifreak Posted December 11, 2005 Report Posted December 11, 2005 So if anyone is looking for killer deals on Nordica gear, drop me a PM and I'll pass his number along. Â Doh, I just bought a pair of Nordicas a few weeks ago. Quote
Ski Posted December 11, 2005 Report Posted December 11, 2005 I know Dave at Langhorne, he runs a great place there, and has arguably on of teh best shops in the Philly area. I am sure the site is one of the things that he "indends' to get to. But we jusge others on their actions and he judge ourselves on our intentions. Â There are successful B&M's and successful Net sellers...I am curious how many do both successfully. Â Speaking of "poor" ski shop owners, wanna take a guess at what Dave's net worth is? That store is a great place and has a really good selection, especially for a 'lowlands' shop. Pricey as hell, but so is everything in that area. People griping at the price of Yankee tickets should try going to Sesame Place. Â For the wholesale price of one set of skis, a shop owner can have a merchant web site...and I can't come up with a single reason not to have one. Â Â Doh, I just bought a pair of Nordicas a few weeks ago. Well, I hear great things about their slalom skis... Quote
Philpug Posted December 11, 2005 Author Report Posted December 11, 2005 Speaking of "poor" ski shop owners, wanna take a guess at what Dave's net worth is? That store is a great place and has a really good selection, especially for a 'lowlands' shop. That validates my point. Even a good shop is barely getting by. Todays market is tough. Quote
Ski Posted December 11, 2005 Report Posted December 11, 2005 That validates my point. Even a good shop is barely getting by. Todays market is tough. Which leaves me wondering why they let the e-commerce option slip away. Â So, Phil, did you have a yea or nay vote on the single chair upgrade at MRG? I heard it caused a couple of divorces and several fist fights up in the Valley... Quote
Philpug Posted December 11, 2005 Author Report Posted December 11, 2005 So, Phil, did you have a yea or nay vote on the single chair upgrade at MRG? I heard it caused a couple of divorces and several fist fights up in the Valley... I think MRG is ready to upgrade to a lowspeed detatchable single chair with power blankets. Â Go..Go...Go... Quote
Ski Posted December 11, 2005 Report Posted December 11, 2005 ...with power blankets. Ha, I hate that chair, but it sure makes for an empty slope. Quote
Philpug Posted December 11, 2005 Author Report Posted December 11, 2005 (edited) Ha, I hate that chair, but it sure makes for an empty slope. I think it has its beauty. Edited December 11, 2005 by Philpug Quote
LineSki Posted December 11, 2005 Report Posted December 11, 2005 wow that would get boring real fast, I have to talk with people on the lift. Quote
Philpug Posted December 11, 2005 Author Report Posted December 11, 2005 wow that would get boring real fast, I have to talk with people on the lift. You would be surprised. Quote
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