PSA: Sports Authority

[smartyiak]

I know it's not the hotbed of ski gear, but their loss is your gain.

Just got NIB griffin 13 for $70...most ski assesories at 70% off retail...cold weather gear at 50-60%.

[stuckathuntermtn]

They have pretty for real shops, ironically enough. Wonder about picking up used ski/bike tools. That would be sweeet.

[smartyiak]

The store by us is selling EVERYTHING...shelves,, tools, dressing rooms... the tuning machine has an $8000 price tag.

[schindlerpiste]

Funny thing about Sports Authority is that not all SA's are equal. In NJ, you can probably find Katanas or Cochises for $199, while the same skis will cost $600 in CO.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Probably right. Good pricing/marketing. Here in Missoula they have a full bike and ski shop with a Wintersteiger. Would love some of that stuff.

[Garth Bimble]

Apparently not all stores are closing out...yet. Went to the Durango store today and it was business as usual. They said they were closing but wouldn't know when until next week. Unfortunately all the new ski gear got shipped somewhere else at the end of the season, so no deals there.

[mntlion]

if anyone sees any boot fitting tools PLEASE let me know?

[Garth Bimble]

Wait a minute...Does this mean no more SNIAGRAB???? What the fuck do we do now?

[treadlight]

I know it's not the hotbed of ski gear, but their loss is your gain.

Just got NIB griffin 13 for $70...most ski assesories at 70% off retail...cold weather gear at 50-60%.

Picked up a couple pair of brand new Nordica kid's alpine boots for $9.97/pair the other day. Definitely some deals to be had.

[t-the-east]

No deals online unfortunately. Found 2 year old marker jesters with cosmetic defects for $360

[Jonathan S.]

Whoah, thanks for the heads-up on this!

[...] Wonder about picking up used ski/bike tools. That would be sweeet.

I called up a nearby store: unlike the prior closing of a regional ski chain here when each store's backroom was sold off in its entirety (i.e., good if you wanted to start up a new ski shop from scratch), all the backshop tools (at least in the case of this particular store) are being sold off individually (i.e., good if you're just looking to enhance your personal tinkering).

I plan to stop by there tomorrow morning.
I'll take pics of anything that looks enticing yet is beyond my personal needs/means.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Stopped by today and they said they're not selling them till the liquidators come in.
I know someone who works there. Maybe he'll put some stuff aside if I ask real nice.

[mntlion]

are being sold off individually (i.e., good if you're just looking to enhance your personal tinkering).

I plan to stop by there tomorrow morning.
I'll take pics of anything that looks enticing yet is beyond my personal needs/means.

I'm an independant bike mechanic. Let me know if you find any bigger gems. (or boot fitting)

[stuckathuntermtn]

They have Wintersteigers. Maybe even with a stone.

[Jonathan S.]

The store by us is selling EVERYTHING...shelves,, tools, dressing rooms... the tuning machine has an $8000 price tag.

Turned out to be the same here: truly *EVERYTHING* is for sale!
Some of the benches, merchandise stands, etc., would have been really useful for my basement shop & storage rooms.
Unfortunately though, my lifelong habit of driving sedans doesn't work out well for situations like this...

And here they have also done their homework -- or at least some quick internet searching -- on the major machines, all of which are individually priced, as shown in the pictures below:

[...] Wonder about picking up used ski/bike tools. That would be sweeet.

Sweet indeed.
(Although I did feel guilty going through all the little bins, etc., like I was violating someone's personal workspace. But the employees were all friendly, helpful, and attentive, even keeping the store in very nice order although it was probably 80% empty by now. Kudos for them for going out in style with their heads held high -- other big box retailers would do well to hire them!)
I'd already been warned over the phone that someone had already come in and bought out the more mainstream ski turning supplies.
But I was very happy to find a Salomon stack blower heater for molding boot liners (I have only an older oven, which can be tricky for thinner liners prone to wrinkling when stuffing back into a shell), plus a couple jigs, with still a dozen more remaining:





The big score was that I filled up a plastic bin with random little things for which they charged me only $40 even though the retail value I now realize is even more than 10x that.

I'd like a mannequin or two.

I was tempted to get one for our 6 yr old to play dress-up with or whatever!

But instead I bought her some Frozen-themed items:

if anyone sees any boot fitting tools PLEASE let me know?

I'm an independent bike mechanic. Let me know if you find any bigger gems. (or boot fitting)

I suspect that Sports Authority stores were never known for custom boot work.
(Although the binding mounting setup seemed quite nice in the store I visited, which surprised me since I never even knew that mall offered such services, especially given the local demographics plus a couple specialty ski shops in the vicinity.)
However, they offered to sell me this for $115 (based on half off an estimated $330 retail, which I see now is $349 in the Ski Kare catalog):





Plus I saw a rather pristine bin of all these little boot fitting pads, etc that I already have:





Also an apparently new consumer-level bike work stand mistakenly sold as a fixture:





And a very high-end tennis racket stringer:

[mntlion]

that foredom is a good deal.... (not worth the shipping, but a good local deal)

was hoping for boot presses, and lever punches
thanks

[JayPowHound]

My store here in Mass starts their liquidation sale this coming Friday. Stopped in tonight and asked what's going on with the backroom and inventory stuff, but the shift manager had no clue. Said they haven't been told yet if it's being taken out together or sold in house..

[stuckathuntermtn]

Store Manager couldn't tell me when liquidation starts.
Also, I'm not sure if the someone I know likes me enough to figure out what tools are what and set them aside. Just someone I know from baseball. I suck. He doesn't.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Friday...

Actually, it might be tomorrow
http://fortune.com/2016/05/24/sports...s-liquidation/

[CaliBrit]

SF store doesn't seem to be firing yet.

[billyk]

Thanks for this thread! Stopped by the Austin TX store yesterday and picked up a pair of sth12 for $65 + tax. They also had a bunch of Attack13 and Marker Squire but neither of those came with brakes.

Lady said they had shipped in all the ski stuff from other stores. Not sure exactly what their thinking was, since none of the other general sporting good stores in Austin carry ski gear, but it worked out for me.

[mcski]

SF store doesn't seem to be firing yet.

Did you go down there? I was going to stop by today

[CaliBrit]

Did you go down there? I was going to stop by today

Yeah the one out in stonestown galleria.

They said "probably at the weekend".

[CaliBrit]

Did you go down there? I was going to stop by today

Both sf stores saying sale starts tomorrow. But it doesn't sound like the discounts will be huge right off the bat.

[phatty]

Seattle area stores start Friday.