When your buddy owns your ski shop...

[bc]

So I want to get some new Fritschi's, but there's no way he'll beat 20% off, free shipping, out of state (no sales tax), etc... He'd be selling for less than cost. I'm gonna have him mount them regardless, since he'd do a better job than I would. Offer to pay him what I can get them for elsewhere? Pay him his price? Negotiate somewhere in between? He already lets me use his shop to keep my skis in good shape, so I'll help push through the stack of tune-ups when I'm there.

And, of course, there're all other boot/binding/skis/gear purchases =(

[FNG]

If you can afford to buy them from your buddy, then do. If not, then don't.

[assgasorgrass]

$85 savings, assuming retail.
$34 savings in tax, assuming 8% at retail.
$119 savings, assuming retail.

So.....mmmmm.....wh.....errre......meet in the middle...........................

[roll - gybe]

nah, buy em where you can. he's in business. he'll understand. same product, you got a good price. he won't care.

[Core Shot]

so the margin on Fritchis is less than 20%??

WTF.
that's a sucky business to be in.

[truth]

If you can afford to buy them from your buddy, then do. If not, then don't.

What he said. Now stfu JONG.

[Powdurr]

He'd be selling for less than cost

$425(retail) -20% -8%(tax) = 312.

Cost is about 255.

[Sensisnow]

I run into the same problem around here. There's a shop that I've always been loyal to and they always give me around 40%-60% off, but when you can buy online and avoid the taxes I can always find a better deal online. I buy everything I can from them even if it costs me a little bit more only because I know that I'm helping out a good business who has always been there to help me out. That's not to say that I haven't bought skis online and then had them mount them or that I've purchased every piece of gear from them, but I make sure that they know that they have me as a loyal customer and 9/10 times I'll buy from them. I don't know what your financial situation is, but I've always been of the mindset that what goes around comes around so unless you're saving $100+ by buying somewhere else you should do whatever you can to help out your buddy's business.

[quienes?]

It's ironic this query is raised at the same time we in Dtown lose the Miser. I've often wrestled with this dilemma. I bought the boats at Miser. Everything else, from skis to extraneous paddle/ bike / bc gear, was acquired online (Mtlion IS the mang) Tough call. Especially tough now that Miser is done.

[Below Zero]

I'm still trying to figure out how your buddy owns your ski shop.

[riderspro]

Why don't you bring your buddy 10 new customers and have him give the binders to you for free plus the mounting plus a sixer.

[waxman]

i'd be embarassed to not buy from my "buddy" in your situation

[MacDaddy]

If he was really your buddy then, perhaps you would not have needed to ask this? NO?

my buddies give me 'the deal' , knowing damn well, word of mouth is the best advertisement!

hhhm

[bc]

What he said. Now stfu JONG.

ouch. 98765

[bc]

$425(retail) -20% -8%(tax) = 312.

Cost is about 255.

Thanks for some very useful advice. Knowing that even if he gives me a discount (which he's offered to do) he'll make something on it makes me feel a lot better.

I'm still trying to figure out how your buddy owns your ski shop.

Don't you have your local shop? That's like saying my orthopaedic surgeon, your girlfriend, etc. Yes, it's mine. It's the one I regularly go to / spend money at / etc.

If he was really your buddy then, perhaps you would not have needed to ask this? NO?

my buddies give me 'the deal' , knowing damn well, word of mouth is the best advertisement!

I know that he would offer me a deal, and I don't want him to feel like he has to offer me a deal. I don't know (or necessarily want to know) his profit margins on products, and I'm well aware that bringing him word-of-mouth business is extremely valuable.

It's ironic this query is raised at the same time we in Dtown lose the Miser. I've often wrestled with this dilemma. I bought the boats at Miser. Everything else, from skis to extraneous paddle/ bike / bc gear, was acquired online (Mtlion IS the mang) Tough call. Especially tough now that Miser is done.

Exactly. This is really the larger question of big chain v. mom and pop. Could go on for hours, but I think we'll all agree we like the little guys, but we like the fact that the big guys can get us a lot more gear for our $$$. Selling a bit of our souls, perhaps, but like most things in life there are tradeoffs to be made. The real difficulty is finding an appropriate balance. We don't want to put our local shops out of business, but what about the occassional purchase that we simply would never make at local prices but we buy for 75% off on Steep and Cheap just in case we might ever possibly use it or at least look at it?

II buy everything I can from them even if it costs me a little bit more only because I know that I'm helping out a good business who has always been there to help me out.

Amen. (emphasis mine). The financial means of the buyer certainly has to enter the equation somewhere, but everything that can be bought from a local shop should be. I guess I just typed my earlier post without thinking about it much, but I appreciate all the thoughtful replies! (especially

Now stfu JONG.

.)

[splat]

As a practice, I always try to concentrate my business to one shop so, as a regular, I become friends with the people there, and get them tuned to the kind of realtionship, not necessarily the service, that we can have. It's give and take. Be a friend.

[mrw]

As a practice, I always try to concentrate my business to one shop so, as a regular, I become friends with the people there, and get them tuned to the kind of realtionship, not necessarily the service, that we can have. It's give and take. Be a friend.

I had done that very thing. Over the years, bought mucho $$$ worth of gear from a local shop. I'm a bit of a gear whore so this really adds up. Throw in outfitting the wife and kiddies and now we're talking mega bucks. Anyway, I buy a pair of skiis off Ebay (skis that this guy didn't stock) and take them in to buy bindings and get them tuned and mounted. This bonehead says he's charging me a $50. labor premium because i didn't buy the skis there! Me and the skis hit the road. It's been 2 years and I haven't been back. I now approach things with a mercenary attitude. Low price gets the sale. On line, off line I don't care and I am saving big bucks by not trying to support the local guy. Retailing has changed.I changed with it.

[Crinkle]

fyi: Pro-form this year was around $275 for currrent Freerides

[bdog]

so the margin on Fritchis is less than 20%??

WTF.
that's a sucky business to be in.

The margin on hardgoods is NOT 20%. Although there are really no long margins in hardgoods one could not stay in business with a 20 margin. Closer to 40% at street retail w/ MSRP being 50% or better. If he is your friend I would think he would hook you up.

[Dr. Crash]

$425(retail) -20% -8%(tax) = 312.

Cost is about 255.

That still sounds high. Wholesale (so your buddy's own cost) may be 255, true cost's gotta be lower.

drC

[splat]

I had done that very thing. Over the years, bought mucho $$$ worth of gear from a local shop. I'm a bit of a gear whore so this really adds up. Throw in outfitting the wife and kiddies and now we're talking mega bucks. Anyway, I buy a pair of skiis off Ebay (skis that this guy didn't stock) and take them in to buy bindings and get them tuned and mounted. This bonehead says he's charging me a $50. labor premium because i didn't buy the skis there! Me and the skis hit the road. It's been 2 years and I haven't been back. I now approach things with a mercenary attitude. Low price gets the sale. On line, off line I don't care and I am saving big bucks by not trying to support the local guy. Retailing has changed.I changed with it.

No faster way for a shop to scare off return business than to be dickheads.
I'd do the same.

[Snow Dog]

If the price is similar then I buy locally. And I really don't expect my friends to take a loss or work for free. If they did that for all their friends they'd be out of business.

On the other hand...
Some little guys do pass through at cost to their friends to get their volumes up. That means bigger discounts from wholesalers. No sale equals no profit but selling at cost means bigger discounts from wholesalers.

[powder11]

if you have a relationship with the shop and they treat you well, spend a couple extra bucks for the good service. having a place to take your gear should it break is priceless. karma deposits work extremely well in ski and bike shops.

[rideit]

buy em' online.

Then take all of the money you saved to buy a keg for your friends 'going out of business' Party. He will appreciate the gesture, I am sure of it.