 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi just looking at some advice on buying skis.
OH and I are sick of rental skis and considering buying our first set of skis. We aren't sure whether to buy skis here or buy them in France (we are buying an apartment in the Alps so will be leaving them over there) and wonder if one is cheaper than the other.
Any advice is appreciated.
Thanks
Janine
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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^^^ me too!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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J9, It depends. Buying in a sale in, say, the Vieux Campeur will be cheaper than buying full price in Snow and Rock. Buying in a sale online in the UK might be cheaper than buying in Intersport. Decathlon have some good offers, as well as cheap skis of their own brand. Go Sport worth looking at, too. Suggest you have a good google around online. Some people on SHs buy from German sites. Probably depends what you want, and how fussy you are!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I recently bought from http://www.glisshop.co.uk/
They're based in France and will ship to your place in France.
Cheap, and great service.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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One other thing to maybe consider is in the event they start falling to bits it's a little easier to get a replacement if bought locally in the UK. I've had 3 pairs fall to bits!
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J9, I just priced up some skis I am interested in (Dynastar Legend Eden). They are not widely available but over £100 more in the UK (Edge & Wax) than in France (au Vieux Campeur). Expensive in both, sadly, so shall probably carry on with what I've got....
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Another consideration... I buy mine in StA because I can demo before buying. Whilst in theory it is only supposed to be for a max of 3 days, if you are a regular they will let that slide. That said, I demoed some Stoeckli VXLs and I was back by lunchtime, telling them to set up a pair. It was love at first sight and it has endured.
I have however demoed skis in the past that i was happy to give back.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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It may or may not be cheaper to buy in the UK, but in a French ski resort you get the chance to spend a day trying out the skis or a range of skis before you buy them.
Last year or the year before I noticed a specialist ski sale being held in what appeared to be marquees in the car park of Decathalon in Grenoble. They may or may not have been cheaper than buying in the resort.
If you really want to save money look around the ski hire shops at the end of the season or during the summer and see what gthey are selling. It is possible to get almost new skis at half price.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Buying in resort won't be cheap. Eko and Gliss have both been mentioned. They're both reputable (I've used both) and sometimes have some amazing bargains.
If you can be in France near a 'bourse aux skis', you can come away with some great deals too.
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It depends on so many things, the particular ski and length you want, whether they are in the sale or not etc etc
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You know it makes sense.
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Always depends what you want, how picky you are and when you want it. The less you compromise and the less you are prepared to wait, the less options you wil have and the more you will probably have to pay. There are exceptions to the general rule (e.g. the Sport Conrad sale of CoreUPT skis earlier this year) but by and large it holds true. You buy in resort/in season you almost always pay the most BUT you get options that don't exist eleswhere (as pointed out above), how much they are worth is up to you.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I noticed a specialist ski sale being held in what appeared to be marquees in the car park of Decathalon in Grenoble.
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that might have been their twice-yearly "Troc" where people sell stuff, and Decathlon broker it, and give you your earnings (all of them, they don't take a cut) in credit notes for the shop. Some good, and a lot more terrible, skis in those sales. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Don't know if this is cheaper
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Mike Pow, it's a lot cheaper but sadly they only have 152, which is too short for me.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Thanks all for the advice and links.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I only ever buy skis in the summer- typically 30-40% less than the price a few months before. I've used Sport Conrad a few times, with no problems so far. It would be a hassle if ever there was anything wrong with the skis though. A mate bought skis from Bartlet recently and they delaminated very soon after. No problem for him to get them replaced, but if he had to send them back to Germany..... So it's a slight gamble.
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