Replying to Misconceptions of value - read

Why do people have such a strong concept of self-entitlement to ridiculous deals on ski gear? It seems that in the last couple of years there is an increasing number of riders who think they should be able to get nice set ups - sick outerwear/bindings/skis/boots - for almost no money. Every time someone has a nice product to offer everyone low balls.

For example, many on this site have a strange assumption that just because a jacket or pair of pants was made last year then the value of that jacket is halved, even though the company used the exact same materials and nearly identical design the next year. Same with skis. Just because they were mounted and ridden doesn't mean the value should drop drastically. That isn't the way life works.

Let's look at another practical example from outside of skiing. My car cost $13,900 brand new (it is a 2001 Civic HX, a special gas conservation Civic before Hybrids were popular). It now has 65,000 miles and is five years old and would still sell for $8000 if I were to sell it today. It is over 5 years old and hasn't yet lost half its value. Just because skiing is becoming more fashion oriented, why should skiing products lose value so quickly.

It is nice if you get great deals. I try to give people on NS great deals, but it becomes absurd when I try to hook kids up who couldn't get the same gear otherwise, and then they ask me to lower the already low price.

Perhaps I am an old man. However, I can tell you that I never thought I should have anything nice when I was a teenager who didn't pay for every single thing I owned. Even if you are paying for your ski gear, which you should, what you have done to deserve cheap prices or schwank gear? Let's remember that skiing is a deep privilege. I bet less than 2% of people in the U.S. have ever been skiing, much less ski on a regular basis. Let's be thankful for what we have. I am speaking to myself as well - sometimes I get caught up in having really nice stuff because now I have a real job and could never afford more than 5 year old straight skis until now. However, let's put things in perspective. Yay for being well off and having nice things. Couldn't we be a little more grateful to each other for selling things? Phew. I feel a bit better :)