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March, 2024

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Let me know if this idea is nuts or might work... Online ski pawn shop

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kingsskier
Posts: 6212 - Karma: 2,101
I have been throwing this idea around in my head for a while. I know people on here buy a ton of gear then run out of money and need money for passes or mid season trips or even rent. I was thinking about something like an online ski pawn shop. I would buy skis about 15%-20% under what they sell for (here, TGR, ebay etc) and the seller would know going in that I will be flipping them to make a little profit. I know you are thinking, while not just sell it yourself? I would provide instant offers and instant money upon acceptance and maybe have a list of going rates for popular skis and gear so you dont have to bargain or haggle with me. I would take the risk and the money tie up so you all could get money quick for your gear.
I think I would need to pay NS some dealer fee or something for participating as a company on here (I would work out logistics later if people like the idea). It would be a you come to me when you are selling something.

Red names I would love to have input from you. If this violates rules or the principle of the site, I will scrap the idea.
Thoughts, ideas, hate, love?
Jun 26 2013 12:57PM
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2_fadez
Posts: 7780 - Karma: 4,180
Good idea, but in the long run you'd be absolutely killed by shipping costs.
When the shipping costs end up being $30-50 a pair depending on how the person packs it, you get boned in the end. Pawning is a short term thing thats back and forth, so it will add up real quick.
It'd be better for stuff like goggles or smaller gear that isn't hella expensive to mail
Jun 26 2013 1:00PM
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kingsskier
Posts: 6212 - Karma: 2,101
2X Shipping would be considered into the cost.
The 15-20% would be for purchase price. Pawning on a loan would be significantly lower percent if I would do the loan at all. May just be a resale shop idea.
Jun 26 2013 1:02PM
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DockEllis
Posts: 1131 - Karma: 1,745
I met a guy from Crested Butte who owned a business selling used ski gear on ebay. He was selling skis that he bought in CO though, to avoid shipping costs. It seemed to be working well for him, although he came from a very wealthy background so I have no idea if he was being supported at all from his family or w.e.
Jun 26 2013 1:23PM
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JeremyClarkson
Posts: 1599 - Karma: 1,934
This idea will cause young African American males to flock to ski resorts in the thousands. They will steal many skis and rape many young white women before pawning the gear for malt liquor and crack cocaine.
Jun 26 2013 1:41PM
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c4t_l0ver
Posts: 5485 - Karma: 810
I think it's a good idea.
Jun 26 2013 1:44PM
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Big5hifty
Posts: 3243 - Karma: 1,255
I've had a similar thought before, I was never convinced that it would turn out to be worth the time and effort however. I don't know that you'd get the turn around you're looking for. Especially on NS.
Jun 26 2013 1:54PM
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kingsskier
Posts: 6212 - Karma: 2,101
I would likely sell little on NS as not many people are buying here, it would likely be where I bought my goods and sell it elsewhere
Jun 26 2013 1:57PM
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deleted5
Posts: 14507 - Karma: 13,500
15-20% isn't enough, Pawn shops are in the business of scamming people. You need to buy it at 40-50%
Jun 26 2013 2:04PM
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kingsskier
Posts: 6212 - Karma: 2,101
I have proven on many occasions that I can make money doing it. I have done it more than a few times on here (with the buyer knowing that I would be flipping what I bought). People who need money fast will sell gear for a fair price, also buying in bulk helps as well. I'm not really asking if thigh business model will work for me, I'm asking if people would utilize it and if this site would be cool with it happening. Plus buying locally and selling locally will cut down shipping on some items and small gear like jackets and goggles have little shipping cost. It won't be there in buying someone's $1000 setup right away, it will be in the year or two old gear that people have and want cash to buy their new setups.
Jun 26 2013 5:49PM
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7099 - Karma: 17,043
As I see it one of your big issues will be determining a price to pay based on condition. How will you asses the condition before you get the product. If someone needs cash fast they will talk up the condition. Even if you ask for pics it is easy to hide damage or even take pics of differnt skis. You could get screwed over a lot. Say I have some thalls which are beat to shit. 200 bucks sounds good to me and you think for a current season ski you can profit but no one will pay say 300 for a beat to shit ski. So your 200 out I pocket and your not getting anything back from me as you already paid up.
Jun 26 2013 6:03PM
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kingsskier
Posts: 6212 - Karma: 2,101
Anyone can do that on sell/trade forum. I PayPal is a huge tool as well as members here and elsewhere. Getting phone numbers and information helps. I have done many many transactions here (way more than people leave feedback for and from before feedback) and I have only had one person do that to me and I got my money back easily. It's part of the risk of buying online. I'm not saying people won't try it, but I am saying I will work to make sure doesn't happen.
Jun 26 2013 6:07PM
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Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,809
This.

And OP I highly doubt you have enough knowledge of ski gear, given just how much of a huge amount there is, to be able to estimate consistently.

Lots of ski items are in very low demand and very low supply, but still worth a lot, lots are also in high supply low demand, what's your plan there? just buy it for 80% of what it sells for still?

You'd be better off buying commonplace Items, stuff that you know you can shift easily, and have a decent sized list and everyone will be happy.
Jun 26 2013 6:10PM
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7099 - Karma: 17,043
But the difference is if people are doing it to make a quick buck they are more likly to try to screw you over. Doing it to an individual is one thing but when it's someone buying lot of skis with the intention of making a profit it's much more likly you will get scammed.
Jun 26 2013 6:12PM
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kingsskier
Posts: 6212 - Karma: 2,101
How many people on here sell those items that are rare or extremely valuable. People buying that stuff won't be needing quick money. People needing quick money will be selling their park sticks or saga jackets. I know a lot about gear and if I don't, google is my friend. But it's not hard to stay current on gear and I have been keeping up with gear for 10+ years now. You all are misunderstanding the concept here. I know what I can sell things for. I know what things are going for. If I don't, that's on me not you all. People won't be trying to get quick money selling me their DPS skis. People buy DPS skis who have money to do so or who have saved up and will love and cherish them. People who need quick money have anything from afterbangs to billy goats. Marker griffons to pivot 18s. The things I know don't sell, won't be on a buy list and things that are flooded in the market (saga) will be bought very cheap.
Also, buying in summer and end of season and hanging on to gear until winter proves very effective if you are willing to tie up money for 5-6 months
Jun 26 2013 6:18PM
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Dingo69
Posts: 1330 - Karma: -171
Your going to have to offer people more like 15 to 20 percent OF the price you sell them for, not 15 to 20 percent less than what you sell them for, in order to make a profit. Cuz you gotta realize you are going to have a warehouse full of shit that nobody buys ever
Jun 26 2013 6:23PM
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kingsskier
Posts: 6212 - Karma: 2,101
I won't have a million dollars of inventory sitting around.
I'm quite certain there is a member on here who does something like this but I'm not going to post a name since I am not certain. But I think he resells locally in California and I would be able to sell locally in Denver.
Jun 26 2013 6:34PM
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Fun_dip
Posts: 2623 - Karma: 913
It wouldn't work because for you to make money you'd want to buy at least 30% below what you would sell for, keep in my you'd also be wanting to sell quickly meaning you'd take less, which again would lower the price you'd buy for. I personally would never pawn(with the intent of getting it back) anything I own to someone on the internet I do not know. And if someone is willing to sell/pawn(without intent of getting them back) you their skis for such a cheapass price why wouldn't they sell them to another member for more?
Jun 26 2013 6:37PM
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Dustin.
Posts: 13839 - Karma: 7,704
I wouldn't call it a business at all, but yes you could make a little extra money on the side scoping out deals and flipping them. It would not be worth the time or effort to go at it full tilt though considering you'd probably make as much with that time as you could at McDonalds. And your profit margins would need to be enormous.
Jun 26 2013 7:26PM
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Dingo69
Posts: 1330 - Karma: -171
Well how are you going to sell them? You will need a big store
Jun 26 2013 8:17PM
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FreeballinPGH
Posts: 64 - Karma: 23
Bingo. Its the same as all the "I want to make money on ebay" people. Ya of course you can make something, but hourly you'll make less than minimum wage. Lack of consistency will kill you.

Look into 2nd Tracks physical location in SLC if you want to see how its done right. And its still not easy.

Also, has OP actually looked into the cost of being a business through NS?
Jul 2 2013 2:31PM
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00000000
Posts: 11075 - Karma: 82,508
Even though the idea might make sense in theory, I just don't think the numbers would add up in your favor.
Jul 2 2013 2:47PM
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kingsskier
Posts: 6212 - Karma: 2,101
I was moreso asking for opinions on if you all thought people would go for it. I think financially it would work since I have no overhead and won't when I move west (other than house payments since I would run it out of my house). I have bought here and sold on eBay for plenty of money. I think financially it is possible. I'm starting a different business at the moment anyway so this wouldn't happen for at least a year if I got serious about it.
Jul 2 2013 2:58PM
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onLINE
Posts: 1013 - Karma: 423
ski shops are struggling to sell new product and make a profit...good luck buying used stuff and reselling it for a profit. There was one good idea you had and it was an online pawn shop. Take the ski industry out of your idea and you have a better chance at success imo. Who knows maybe you will still have a bit of ski equipment in your shop. Just my 2cents. Some people dont realize how hard the snow sport industry really is.
Jul 2 2013 2:58PM
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kingsskier
Posts: 6212 - Karma: 2,101
The ski industry is down because people are buying used gear.

I am being defensive and I appreciate the replies, it just wasn't the responses to the questions I wanted answered I guess. I wasn't really insulted by everything thinking financially it won't work. Like most small businesses, it likely won't work. But, I have one business becoming a formal business now and plans for another soon. This would just be a solo venture pet project I guess.
Jul 2 2013 3:19PM
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onLINE
Posts: 1013 - Karma: 423

I love the entrepreneurial spirit and wish you nothing but success in your business ventures. That being said you remind me of a younger version of myself who once wanted nothing more but to work in the ski industry in which we are so passionate about.

I worked under reps as their "tech reps" aka the biatch for a few years. Built a ski industry resume. Approached a few brands and signed on as one of their sol Canadian Distributor. Cool title eh! Their only Distributor/Rep in Canada!! After travelling the whole country for a few years trying to sell products much more than just skis I gave up. And lost lots of money doing it. I wasn’t the only one losing money many ski/SB shops have shut down in the past 5 years. If I learned one thing from that experience its veryyy difficult to make money in this industry especially selling gear weather new or used.

I don’t want to sound like a dick here, I have the best intentions (save you time and $$). Your logic and arguments are a little flawed. You mentioned the industry is down because people are buying used gear, so next year there will be no used 2013 skis to sell as everyone bought used 2012 stuff this year? I don’t think so. You need to do a lot more research on the industry. The target market for park skis is likely your parents, if not your parents the parents of most of the 12-17 year olds who make up this website. They buy new skis. Period. Your target market is going to be college/uni kids who spend a lot of time pricing out gear and will likely find new gear with warranty for a similar price to what you want to sell your 2011 stuff for. Heck I’ve seen decent skis sell new for $149 because there 2 years old. Yes they were still new.

Do you know how many times a ski shop can mount a binding on a ski? I’m talking the legal limit which is allowed by a legit insured shop? That would be a concern when buying and selling used skis. If they’ve been mounted twice before they are pretty much done and worth 1$ to make a chair out of or something. Anyone who spends $800 on used pow skis doesn’t want to remount them. You won’t find someone who is a size 26.5 who wants 800$ used pow skis. Especially when he could find new ones for a similar price….I just don’t think there is a lineup of those customers there for you. That’s just one little concern there is many more. Age of bindings is another. There is an age limit to bindings that allows a shop to say no to remounting them. Liability for injury selling pretty much broken gear... Forget about selling boots...ratchet ass used smelly liners and woren bottom pads that barely click into a binding anymore? Not gonna happen for you…there is also a legal limit on the ware on the bottom of boots used by shops when mounting skis. If they are to worn they can deny to work on your set up. Is the budget man gonna buy used scratched up Oakley’s for 50$ or some new anons for 50$?? Whats left? poles…how attractive are those scratched to shit used poles for 19.99 looking?? I bought a set of atomic poles in whistler village this season for 19.99 no profit to be had their man.  

So to answer your question will people start using www.skipawn.com probably not.

If you do indeed have a profitable business going man focus on that. Keep doing the odd deal on NS. Keep the Entrepreneurial spirit going! But don’t invest any money into the ski industry without proper research first.

Jul 2 2013 4:48PM
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lorida
Posts: 2833 - Karma: 46
I know exactly what you're thinking and how you're feeling. You'll make a killing flipping used skis, starting small at first then eventually growing it to a self sustaining point, hire some people, get a warehouse and take it to infinity.

Hate to say it to you man, but I don't think it's viable. A cool idea, but the start up costs alone are far too high. Advertising, website development, setting up all the prices you're willing to pay etc. is a lot of work. Not to mention payment processing, accounting, satisfaction guarantees etc. Presumably you're still relatively young and in school. Stick with that, get some experience, a degree, then go at it.

Skiing is expensive, and most skiers can afford the gear. Only a very small minority consider buying used. Personally, I would never buy a used pair of skis I couldn't inspect physically first.

What happens if you buy a pair of skis to flip to find out that there's hidden damage? What a clusterfuck that'd be, trying to get your money back from the seller, absorbing shipping costs and such along the way.

Ultimately, I can't see it working out. I could sell my skis very quickly at a 20% discount locally, so why should I go through the hassle of shipping them to you?

What would be a fantastic idea is selling new skis online at a discounted price, perhaps prior year models that ski companies and shops have left in their inventories. There are few, if any, online retailers (especially in Canada) that sell skis online. And if they do, the prices are far too high. Again though, the website development and everything else requires at least, AT LEAST a $50k-100k investment to do it properly and profitably.

Keep at it man, and ignore all the negativity. I've lost thousands with little businesses, I'm sure everyone here is just trying to help you avoid the disappointment.
Jul 2 2013 5:03PM
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onLINE
Posts: 1013 - Karma: 423
Not to mention the general image of a pawn shop is shit and the amount of people on bs who have shopped at a pawn shop is prob quite low.

You should change your plan from a pawn style shop to a ski swap! Send us your used beat up skis and we'll discount your new set up. If there not worth anything we'll give you a 10% discount for recycling them and not going to a landfill! Now you have a green business (grants from the gov maybe?) and don't have the pawn shop image to further difficult things. Get that going and used shop to sell your trade in's from. Just an idea.

Cheers and good luck.
Jul 2 2013 5:24PM
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Holte
Posts: 10730 - Karma: 7,744
If you could find a way to accurately evaluate the quality of the skis before buying them, you could probably make a little money. In my experience, even very detailed photos of used skis don't always accurately show their quality. On top of that, I'm sure people will try to scam you since they have no consequence not to - on Ebay if a seller sells shitty skis their ratings will drop, but an anonymous guy on the internet can sell you poor quality skis and then disappear forever.

Sounds pretty risky and the market for it isn't huge, but I'm sure you could make a little money as a side project. Sounds like you've basically been doing that already.
Jul 2 2013 6:23PM
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alexL
Posts: 512 - Karma: 28
Most people I know sell locally, go to swaps, etc. I've only ever bought new, except for the first pair of boots I bought myself, which came from a swap. Unless you're exclusively carrying rare/really specialized gear, I just don't see it being worth the shipping cost & hassle.
Jul 2 2013 11:47PM
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daannnnieel
Posts: 5163 - Karma: 4,293
that's a really cool idea actually, i'm not sure how well it would work but it's cool you're trying to give back to the community.
Jul 3 2013 12:37AM
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kingsskier
Posts: 6212 - Karma: 2,101
I guess I never mentioned that I wouldn't be doing this to make a living. It would be solely to fund my skis and skiing costs. I don't expect to ,are a ton of money doing it.
Jul 3 2013 4:45PM
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Caucasian_Asian
Posts: 2447 - Karma: 1,665
Mntlion on TGR has a similar business.

http://www.fatskideals.com/

He started out buying large volumes of pow skis when heli companies would refresh their inventory.  He would offer them a figure based on their entire fleet, and then re-sell them at his leisure.

He is often sitting on several thousand dollars of inventory at a time.  And sometimes he can be stuck with inventory for over a year or more.  But everything eventually sells.

It all depends on the inventory as to how well it sells.  I watched a pallet full of Kastle MX110s sell in an evening, and they all sold for $500 a pair.  It was a ski in high demand, and people were willing to pay his price.

He just received a shipment of ABS packs.  Over 30 of them.  That's a big chunk of change to put out, but they should all sell by the end of next winter.

 





Jul 3 2013 5:51PM
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