Rent, or buy used?

[dentedvw]

We are coming to town next thursday for our first Wasatch trip. Hope to be the first of many. The trouble is that my wife's skis are ancient, and actually in pretty rough shape. She would like to get into a newer pair of skis this year, and I thought it was probably now or never.
We are travelling on a tight budget, but I was thinking we might be able to pick up a used set of skis for her while we are there. It's either that, or rent. I figured that the money we would spend on three or four days rental might just cover the cost of a used set. Or, at least it would be close enough to justify the extra cost.
FWIW, we are from michigan, and it does snow here occasionally. We live about an hour from the nearest hill (yes, hill, though it is called a ski area), so we do go off and on. She tried snowboarding last year, but decided it isn't for her. I don't blame her, she was just not as good, and wasn't enjoying it.

Anyone recommend a place to pick up some good used skis while we are in town? It would be the first order of business, after we land and get the rental car.

Where could we go to check out some used gear? Around here, we would go to a couple local pawn shops, and while we did that already, the selection here is pretty poor. Huge selection of xc skis, but we don't usually get enough snow for that anymore. Sad, but true.

Pawn shops? Ski shops? Consignment shops? Used sporting goods stores?

[PowderHound]

How many days will she ski this year? Without knowing that, I'm inclined to say rent some demos. If you rent, you can try a few different skis and find the right pair. You can also get the right ski for the days conditions, which makes for a more fun day. It also sounds like you're not sure exactly what ski she needs. If you buy a pair without trying them, you may end up with something you don't like. Some of the ski shops will even put your rental money towards the purchase price of a new pair of skis. Others will let you put a deposit on the demos and get 'em cheap at the end of the season.

[dentedvw]

Good suggestion. Putting the money towards purchase won't help us out much at this point, because we can't afford the purchase anyway.
But, I estimate she will really only ski about a dozen days this season. Even though that seems pretty light, newer skis are something she has been hoping to get for a long time.
We will probably rent, so she can see what is out there, you are right there. Then she will know what she wants to get.
But, she still might feel like browsing some used skis on our off time... any places you might recommend?

[marchizzle]

You can check out www.GearTrade.com ..used gear marketplace ..you could also check out eBay and CraigsList... GBM

[algaebabe]

I got two great deals on ebay last year--both after Superbowl Sunday.

Volkl skis with bindings--$52 with the shipping (cheap, cheap, cheap). I use them for my rock skis and most people laugh because they are better than alot of people's primary pair.

Brand new Head Lightening IM's still in the shrinkwrap for $100 with the shipping.

With all the info on the web its easy to figure out what type of skier the skis are appropriate for and then make your decision. Wait to bid until the last 15 minutes and then stick to your walk away price.

Enjoy your vacation.

[PowderHound]

I just did a feature in our gear section on buying used skis. Evogear has a great selection of demo boards and they guaruntee your satisfaction and ship for free. And of course eBay is a great place to shop too. Great advice from Algaebabe about waiting until the last 15 minutes to bid and sticking to your max price. Its easy to get carried away when you're bidding on an auction. Nobody ever wants to loose. But set a price and stick to it. I've found Geartrade to be less reliable for selection of boards. Its very hit or miss. But they usually have a great collection of ski boots. Backcountry.com sells they're odds and ends at Geartrade, as do a lot of other shops.

[alta-east]

the ski deals are great on evo.... ordered me up some B4s... I'll post back when I get them in a week or so...

[alta-east]

got my skis, B4s, in about 1 week from Evo.... great condiotn and great service....

[dentedvw]

We borrowed a set of skis from a friend, and she used those for two days, then we found a great store in Park City called Replay. She got a set of Dynastar skis for cheap! Cheap! $70, and she loved them. We skied on monday at the canyons and the snow was great, in our opinion. We actually found ourselves in powder. Now this is something I don't see much of in Michigan. My jaw is sore from so much smiling.
We skied Park City, Snowbird, and The Canyons.
Park City was nice, laid back, but the snow was still a bit thin in places. I got a lot of gouges in my board.
Snowbird is insane. I have never seen anything so steep. But, the snow was still not great yet. First tram in the morning was nice though. 11,000 feet never looked so real. I wanted to get as close to the ground as possible.
The Canyons was right up our alley. Steep, but not too steep. Plenty of room, and barely another skier in sight. And the snow was best here. Lots of untracked powder at the end of the day. Unheard of in my experience. I guess you all get that a lot there though.

So, we will be back.
If you haven't been, check out Replay, on Iron Horse Dr. They have a bit of everything. Bikes, skis, coats, boards, boots, even some stuff for the free-heelers.

So, back in michigan. It's raining.

[algaebabe]

Gee, sounds like you had a great time and scored on the skis.