 Poster: A snowHead
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Skis were say £400 to £500 for something special, now manufacturers in a Europe wide recession are trying it on with £600 plus ranges (Volkl £1100) and some from small manufacturers who from past tries have not made consistent products. Understandable for a full race ski with a high rate binding but this is the price of just a ski. So message to ski manufacturers you will not sell a lot as in the 90s recession; so reduce the prices or you will have a lot of returns and big reductions in the sales.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I wonder how much of it is economies of scale. They are expecting to sell fewer skis, so make fewer skis, so they cost more, per ski, to make. Also, as there's more and more smaller companies springing up at the top end of the market, they are losing out on the scale even more.
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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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not sure if it is trying it on or just a sign of the times (not the recession, more the cost of materials, transport, labour etc) much of the problem will end up being passed on the the retailer as usual, not much sale or return goes on in the ski industry (well at least not with the companies i deal with) so the retailer either puts them in the sale if they don't sell or get left with some funky bits of kit.....
when i started working in the ski industry in the mid 80's there was a UK market of around 80k pairs now it is around 20k pairs per year, blame it on what you like, increasing prices, air line baggage costs, servicing costs or just less people going skiing
on the boot front prices have risen a little but not anywhere in the same league, in the early 90's a top end boot was around £400, this year a top end boot is around £400-£450 depending on brand
asking around a few people i know, top end skis are not the problem, the two types of things that are doing well are boots and skis at the upper end of the ranges, and the two types of stores that are coin ok are the internet/or bricks n mortar pile it high sell it cheap merchants or the service providers selling more upper end product, the middle ground is what is being squeezed as in many industries and in life in general... the middle masses are the ones being squeezed in terms of income and expenditure
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CEM, +1 from me
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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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Looking at old pricelists for race kit I don't see all that much of an increase, some brands are unchanged in 5 years.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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CEM, The iconic Dynastar Omesoft early/mid 80's I remember being half a month's salary at £179, plus Look ZR bindings at £119. Salomon 9000 2S Equipes were £350 plus bindings mid 90's, not to mention skiboots being similar prices to skis. I reckon in real terms of ski cost against income skis are relatively cheaper. Plus the internet has given people access to discounts that never even existed before. Then there's Ebay, ............... there's real deals to be had there.
CEM, has it spot on. Salomon SX92 Equipes were £189 when first out late 80's early 90's. Relatively speaking boots are not that expensive. More importantly the quality of production, materials used, finished articles are way much better than 25/30 years ago when Carbon Fibre and Kevlar were first being used in manufactur of skis.
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Skis seem to be full price for about four months a year, outside of high season they are often 30-50% discounted. The hand made stuff justifies a premium but a lot of skis are cheaply mass produced.
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I'm looking at eBay over here and there are loads of 'new' 2011/12 season skis for far less than ½ price. I think the market is very skewed at the moment and I think there may be a chance of seeing some of the big boys in a bit of a retrenchment. I think CEM and Spyderjon have the best business choices in developing a small, high quality niche market. I would hate to be a ski retailer . . . the BS level needed for sales must be up there at the real estate level 
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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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Masque, so much more enjoyable to be in a niche business, both as an operator and as a client.
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Masque, +1...................... Ebay has some great skis and decent %age off. Scott Venture 2012/13 £250 is one of them. Salomon LX 800's incl Z10 bindings, £200.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Masque, Plus now loads of "Storm" skis on offer at £100 - ish.
Ebay is a dumping ground for off-loading excess stock, and sometimes it really is a steal. The Storm Superforce Ti, nice ski. 
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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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Masque... I didn't think you could get any gear at a decent price in N.America... I know for certain that the thought of getting any touring stuff is just stupid!... much better to order it from Germany!
It is very much the way to advertise and sell this years skis at stupid prices and then have them sub half-price just before the next season for us locals to buy...
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skimastaaah, Yep, chatting to Andy Storm stopped producing at the end of last season hence all the stuff on ebay, still great fun skis though!
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You know it makes sense.
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Cynic, we are not in a recession at the moment. We are at the beginning of the next boom, we just haven't quite recognised it yet. In a couple of years time we will look back at end 2011 being the turning point.
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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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emwmarine, You must be in the labour party, food banks are booming.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Cynic wrote: |
| emwmarine, You must be in the labour party, food banks are booming. |
Can you get skis on JSA??????????
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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skimastaaah, You know what they say you have to be rich to ski and poor to teach
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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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| Cynic wrote: |
| ................ So message to ski manufacturers you will not sell a lot as in the 90s recession; so reduce the prices or you will have a lot of returns and big reductions in the sales. |
QED............ it's not just the rich who buy skis! 
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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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I got a pair of 11/12 skis with bindings for 300 quid and they're deemed upper-range of skis. I think it might just be a case of shopping around, and as usual, getting last years skis instead?
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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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skimastaaah,
I think you are confusing the iconic Omeglass II which iirc was replaced by the even more iconic Course in 1984 which would have been mounted with Look 99RS, with the not very iconic Course mk3 which would have been mounted with ZR (or similar in that series)
The rocking rig for ZRs of course, was to put them on mk1 Rossi 7S, as any fule knos.
[/pedantry]
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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under a new name, I had the Dynasty Airflow in 190cms mounted with Look 89's. You are right about the ZR's.......... they went on my 200cms Course SL's............... the ones with the fluourescent pink bases.
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| Quote: |
| Why Have Skis Gone up to Ludicrous Prices? |
Simply because they can Alpine skiing was always more of a fancy sport for people with money... even here in middle Europe. Probably some 30 years ago it wasn't exactly so in Slovenia, since everyone and their dogs were skiing, and most likely it's still not so in Austria, but everywhere else it is. Just consider other prices (40+eur for day ticket...) and you soon realize skiing is not for people on social support.
Materials, labor etc. has nothing to do with it. Believe it or not (no, I'm not telling source of this info and company name), but pair or WC race skis (not mass production skis, but real race stock skis, which are even a bit more expensive) cost certain company 70eur/pair. That's material, labor cost etc.. So price tag of 1000+eur for such pair has nothing to do with material cost etc.
Based on this, only explanation is, because they can, and they still sell enough, that they don't need to lower their prices.
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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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primoz, +1
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Masque, there is a good reason that B5 Metrons are $75!
More of a tongue in cheek comment in regards to the Sprt Conrad thread over yonder.....
I'm searching for a second hand touring set-up for the misses... about 160cm ish ideally... no joy at the mo.
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