Any sale can be a major temptation, especially when it comes to expensive ski and snowboard gear. Buying a new pair of goggles during ski goggles sales can be a great way to save money. Here are a few tips for ways to find sales, save money, and buy the goggles you need.
Ski Goggles Sales Tip 1 - Look for Used or Outdated Gear
Oftentimes, people will upgrade to a new set of goggles and start looking for a way to get rid of the perfectly-good pair they don’t want anymore. Keep an eye out online or in your local paper’s classified section for someone looking to make used ski goggles sales. Whatever you do when buying a pair of used goggles, make sure you see them before paying for them. Look for photos that show the goggles at different angles and in different lighting or, even better, pick them up and turn them to the light if you’re buying in person – a little glare should light up all the scratches. That’s exactly what you don’t want to have happen to you on the slopes. Imagine going downhill (learn more about alpine skiing here), then catching a little sunlight and having your field of vision turn into a blur of random lines – not fun, and very dangerous. Also make sure that the goggles aren’t cracked or otherwise damaged.
Another choice is outdated gear. Sometimes, a company will upgrade to a new model of their top-notch equipment, and last year’s dream gear will be this year’s most expensive dust collector. Retailers will be desperate to get rid of it. The thing is, that pair of cheap ski goggles is still just as incredible as they were the year before, but people will overlook them just because some slight improvements have been made. If you want quality and a bargain, don’t be the shopper who does that.
Wait for Season-End Sales
It’s easy to forget about buying your gear until just before the ski and snowboard season begins. If you plan ahead, though, you can buy it all for a very low price. Try shopping for your skiing gear in the spring right after the slopes close, and you should find excellent ski goggles sales. If those prices aren’t low enough for you, wait until summer, or even early fall – the longer you wait, the lower the prices will be. Of course, the ski shops may all be sold out of what you were looking for by that point, so if you have a particular model in mind then you’ll definitely want to jump on it as soon as the spring sales start.
Don’t get Carried Away
You might find some top-shelf goggles at a fraction of their normal price at a ski goggles sale and feel the urge to just buy them as fast as possible. Don’t do that! You might regret buying that pair of big-brand amber-tinted ski goggles if all you do is ski in bright daylight; likewise, you’ll have thrown away a lot of money if you can’t wear it with your helmet or prescription lenses. Take the time and think everything through carefully. Is it the right tint for the time of day I plan to be skiing in? Does it offer UV protection? Was it damaged in transit? Does it fit? Does it fog up? Do I like the way it looks? Be careful to consult a buyer’s guide and make a checklist of the qualities you want before you start shopping.
Remember, a pair of cheap ski goggles isn’t a bargain if you get something useless, broken, or poorly suited to what you want to do. Keep an eye out for ski goggles sales and make sure you buy the pair that’s right for you.
