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Why does everything cost so much?

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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 467
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.
Oct 10 2011 11:11AM
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AWALLRUS.
Posts: 5762 - Karma: 223
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Oct 10 2011 7:44PM
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 467
hahaha i lol'd
Oct 10 2011 9:17PM
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Parks.
Posts: 5612 - Karma: 1,093
hahahahaha made me lol
Oct 10 2011 9:19PM
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TheAfterBang
Posts: 189 - Karma: 10
Amazing story bro. But Yeah ski does cost a lot just as life
Oct 10 2011 9:20PM
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J.M
Posts: 2854 - Karma: 254

really?

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

Oct 10 2011 9:52PM
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 467
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Oct 10 2011 9:52PM
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SacZiplock
Posts: 2405 - Karma: 513
Haha i lold
Oct 11 2011 11:20PM
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omgItsfriday
Posts: 2 - Karma: 10
i dono but heres some free shit



http://www.megaupload.com/?d=UY4BODNU
Oct 11 2011 11:32PM
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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
Oct 12 2011 12:45AM
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teleak
Posts: 2251 - Karma: 105
dude you can't just get stuff 4 FREEEEE

HELLO!!!
Oct 12 2011 1:13AM
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Toasty.
Posts: 6195 - Karma: 2,281
my sessions pants were 100
Oct 12 2011 2:54AM
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6656 - Karma: 10,862
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).
Oct 12 2011 6:45AM
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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.
Oct 12 2011 7:51AM
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Static
Posts: 8553 - Karma: 4,089
plus they are half broken and soaked in a strangers ball sweat!
Oct 12 2011 7:53AM
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RudyGarmisch
Posts: 25443 - Karma: 13,844
I disagree. Unless you want all manufacturing to go abroad, this stance kills small indies.
Oct 12 2011 1:07PM
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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.
Oct 12 2011 1:18PM
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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.
Oct 12 2011 1:41PM
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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.
Oct 12 2011 1:48PM
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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.... 
Oct 12 2011 2:19PM
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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
Oct 12 2011 3:21PM
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6656 - Karma: 10,862
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.
Oct 12 2011 3:30PM
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RudyGarmisch
Posts: 25443 - Karma: 13,844
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.
Oct 12 2011 4:34PM
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 467
come on... support the industry
Oct 15 2011 6:06PM
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Panda_with_Guns
Posts: 3040 - Karma: 1,620
are you 12 by any chance?
Oct 15 2011 11:39PM
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 467
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!
Oct 16 2011 12:04AM
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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.
Oct 16 2011 2:15AM
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the.cheat
Posts: 2859 - Karma: 171
after getting into photography, skiing seems pretty cheap to me
Oct 16 2011 2:20AM
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Whaley
Posts: 712 - Karma: 24
so true. i really hate it
Oct 16 2011 2:27AM
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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.
Oct 16 2011 2:31AM
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liukangkid
Posts: 3323 - Karma: 82
Inb4 get a job...
Oct 16 2011 2:58AM
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 467
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.
Oct 16 2011 9:47AM
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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.
Oct 16 2011 12:26PM
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.jesus.
Posts: 2288 - Karma: 22
Because capitalism
Oct 16 2011 12:58PM
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 467
I do try to save money, I always wait for sales and cheaper gear.
Oct 16 2011 3:40PM
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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!

Oct 16 2011 3:58PM
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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
Oct 17 2011 5:35PM
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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.
Oct 17 2011 5:38PM
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Algebra
Posts: 5215 - Karma: 1,677
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
Oct 17 2011 8:42PM
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Aaaron.
Posts: 11817 - Karma: 903
pants $75
saga jacket $120
Oct 17 2011 8:46PM
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Rayzor
Posts: 284 - Karma: 226
because steeze comes with a price
Oct 17 2011 8:48PM
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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
Oct 17 2011 8:51PM
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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
Oct 17 2011 8:54PM
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