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abjectwoe
May, 2025

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Why does everything cost so much?

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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 464
I'm tired of having to pay so much money for everything related to skiing. For example, the average pair of ski pants are $200! To me that's just ridiculous! After materials, labor, and shipping, what percent of the retail price is just pure profit for these companies?

inb4 don't buy anything if you don't like the prices
inb4 gear talk
inb4 cool story bro

P.S. mods please feel free to move this to gear talk if you feel it better suits this thread. I just think that this is more on the entire industry, not just specifically gear.
14 years ago
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AWALLRUS.
Posts: 5762 - Karma: 223
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14 years ago
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 464
hahaha i lol'd
14 years ago
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Parks.
Posts: 5612 - Karma: 1,093
hahahahaha made me lol
14 years ago
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TheAfterBang
Posts: 189 - Karma: 10
Amazing story bro. But Yeah ski does cost a lot just as life
14 years ago
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J.M
Posts: 2854 - Karma: 254

really?

not much swag.....what do they teach you in middle school?

14 years ago
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 464
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14 years ago
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SacZiplock
Posts: 2405 - Karma: 513
Haha i lold
14 years ago
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omgItsfriday
Posts: 2 - Karma: 10
i dono but heres some free shit



http://www.megaupload.com/?d=UY4BODNU
14 years ago
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squibble
Posts: 4569 - Karma: 104
its not expensive if you dont buy new. things are cheap compared to what they'll be in 20 years
14 years ago
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teleak
Posts: 2251 - Karma: 105
dude you can't just get stuff 4 FREEEEE

HELLO!!!
14 years ago
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Toasty.
Posts: 6198 - Karma: 2,341
my sessions pants were 100
14 years ago
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6747 - Karma: 11,771
My turn :)

Here's some quick math for you guys concerning ski boots:

A single-component shell mold & last required to make a pair of shells costs 34,000€ per size.

A single-component cuff mold & last required to make a pair of cuffs costs 30,000€ per size.

Mold costs of Atomic Race Tech = 392,000€. This is ONLY mold costs, no R&D, no graphic design, no materials, no liner production, no marketing, no athletes, etc.

Injection machine for Race Tech = 500,000€


For Bi-component boots (like Hawx or Live Fit) you need to pretty much double all of these figures, including the injection machine since you need 2 of them (one for each component).
14 years ago
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Jibberino
Posts: 2089 - Karma: 1,346
What are you trying to say? That we should feel bad for big companies? Companies are there to make money, that's it, and if they don't they disappear. Hence, Atomic is in it for the money, period.
14 years ago
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Static
Posts: 8590 - Karma: 4,091
plus they are half broken and soaked in a strangers ball sweat!
14 years ago
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RudyGarmisch
Posts: 25444 - Karma: 13,856
I disagree. Unless you want all manufacturing to go abroad, this stance kills small indies.
14 years ago
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nitsua
Posts: 4631 - Karma: 726
The biggest thing that gets me down, is boot prices and pass prices. You can't just go shred any resort like you can with a skatepark, you have to shell out hundreds for season passes and outrageous day pass prices just to ski a new place.
I think a decent pair of ski boots(ones that are comfy, don't hurt and your flex style and foot) should be way way cheaper. Look at snowboarding and wakeboarding. Boots rarely exceed 350 bucks, but for skiing an OK pair that is more than likely to fall apart after a season or 2 starts at around there.
14 years ago
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SkierX
Posts: 16253 - Karma: 538
Small indies are not selling to retailers; they are selling direct to consumer. I am unaware of an indie brand that is selling in retailers as well as through their own distribution.

If you can provide me with an example, I'd be happy to bite my tongue.
14 years ago
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Willard
Posts: 5117 - Karma: 429
Just think of every employee that made that product come together. So many different people all with different jobs to produce one product. They all have an hourly wage and the company still wants to make a good bit of profit because well they earned it.
14 years ago
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afterbang_me
Posts: 385 - Karma: 152
Ski equipment isn't that expensive compared to any other sport. Take care of your outerwear and it will last more than a season.... 
14 years ago
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KendamaCo
Posts: 125 - Karma: 16
Honestly NS is the best spot to get cheap gear. So what if its been used a couple times, you get huge price cuts on some pretty dope stuff. If you are one of those people that just need to have it brand new(even though after two weekends it will be just as used as the pair you could have gotten for $100 cheaper) then buying brands like saga fd and armada are going to put a dent in your wallet
14 years ago
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6747 - Karma: 11,771
I am trying to show why ski boots cost what they do, not at all for you to feel bad for "big companies" like Atomic. Full Tilt is under the same constraints as we are. And I am not in it for the money, period. People should understand why certain things cost what they do. It's not all about greed and trying to steal your money. My salary is peanuts compared to most other jobs in the world. I do what I do because I love skiing, period.

Those figures also partly show why ski boots cannot cost what snowboard boots do. I wish we could make ski boots more cost effective (without being complete pieces of shit) but as long as making ski boots involves injection molding, prices will continue to be around the same level at which they are now.
14 years ago
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RudyGarmisch
Posts: 25444 - Karma: 13,856
Moment, especially a few years back. They transitioned out of it to some degree as they increased their volume.

I think it should be down to the shop. If the contract and terms from the manufacturer doesnt appeal to them, they dont need to sign it.
14 years ago
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 464
come on... support the industry
14 years ago
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Panda_with_Guns
Posts: 3040 - Karma: 1,620
are you 12 by any chance?
14 years ago
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 464
Nope, I'm not, are you bro? It's pretty cool how your signature is "i have no sig", but "i have no sig" is your signature! That's so clever!
14 years ago
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blatt
Posts: 5584 - Karma: 3,097
Get a job or get used to buying used. Outerwear has a lot of labor go into researching and designing the material to make you stay dry but stay breathable. That research labor then transfers into an increase in material price and then an increase in the price of the good itself.
14 years ago
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the.cheat
Posts: 2859 - Karma: 171
after getting into photography, skiing seems pretty cheap to me
14 years ago
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Whaley
Posts: 712 - Karma: 24
so true. i really hate it
14 years ago
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Thrash
Posts: 821 - Karma: 9
No they don't, I own a building that a ski shop was renting from us, he makes hardly enough money to keep the business alive. He is constantly having money issues with companies and paying rent. It's not because he is bad with money either, it's because its a hard business to run. I know him personally and he is nowhere near a $80,000+ car.
14 years ago
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liukangkid
Posts: 3323 - Karma: 82
Inb4 get a job...
14 years ago
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 464
It's funny because on like the fourth or fifth comment on the first page, I stated that I do have a job, and I pay for all my own equipment.
14 years ago
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blatt
Posts: 5584 - Karma: 3,097
Well then the latter statement is still very applicable to saving money on ski gear.
14 years ago
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.jesus.
Posts: 2288 - Karma: 22
Because capitalism
14 years ago
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 464
I do try to save money, I always wait for sales and cheaper gear.
14 years ago
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Caleb.E
Posts: 3556 - Karma: 1,015

as flash said... they have to pay for stuff. im sure in the end the bigger companys still make a good bit of cash but they'v worked for that cash!

14 years ago
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GavinW
Posts: 574 - Karma: 89
ive already spent just over a grand on ski gear! its ridiculous how much everything costs
14 years ago
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Thenowhereman42
Posts: 5682 - Karma: 65
Skis = $200
Boots = $400
Jacket = $50
Pants = $90

Who pays full price for shit? Other than boots which you have to get fitted, I've never payed full price for ski gear. I buy most of my clothes on here off 16 year olds who buy xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxl stuff that ends up not fitting them because they are like 5 feet tall.
14 years ago
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Algebra
Posts: 5215 - Karma: 1,678
Pants: free. Jacket: free. Boots: 275. Skis: 250(.50 off) Gloves:free. Goggles: free. U just have to know how to get your shit for free or win comps u dumb cooter
14 years ago
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Aaaron.
Posts: 11817 - Karma: 906
pants $75
saga jacket $120
14 years ago
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Rayzor
Posts: 284 - Karma: 226
because steeze comes with a price
14 years ago
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Dr.Newschoolers
Posts: 1357 - Karma: 508
If u want good stuff hit up the sales at the end of the year and the summer
14 years ago
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skier_boy26
Posts: 11295 - Karma: 502
What a novel idea. Maybe ski companies should just give their shit away. To hell with the thousands and, in many cases, millions invested. Screw employees and everybody else. Making money is evil.... The point that he was making is that it costs a ton of money to develop these products, especially items like boots. That cost is reflected in the price of the items. If it costs millions to make but you don't get that much back, well, no more boots
14 years ago
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