To buy (on clearance) or not to buy? That is the question.

By Wendy Clinch •  Updated: 04/21/15 •  3 min read

So it’s the end (or approaching the end) of ski season, and the ski you’ve been lusting after all year is finally on sale! In fact, alllllllllllllll the skis out there are on sale. At shop after shop, Ski Divas are doing their happy dance. It’s clearance time, and you can save big bucks on the ski of your dreams.

Provided you know what that is.

But what do you do if you need/want new skis, and you’re not sure exactly what to buy? Or if you kinda sorta maybe know what ski you want — I mean, you’ve read all the great reviews and you’ve been leaning toward a particular ski — but you didn’t get around to trying it out on snow? There it is in the shop and the price is phenomenal — but you just. don’t. know. Should you go ahead and pull the trigger? Should you pay your money, even if you’re not entirely sure? What if you ski it and don’t like it? Then again, what if you don’t buy it and then end up paying full price for something nearly identical next season? Like Ulysses, you can hear the sirens singing. Can you resist? Should you?

This is something that is asked all the time on TheSkiDiva.com. And the answer is…….(drum roll here)….there is no right answer.

For some people, the prospect of missing out on a good deal is just too enticing. They’ll buy even if they haven’t demoed and even if they’re not entirely sure the ski involved is 100% right.  They figure they can sell it on eBay or Craig’s List if it doesn’t work out. And if they take a small loss, that’s okay. The potential savings offset the risk.

But then there are those for whom this is just too chancy. They don’t want to invest in a ski unless they’re 100% sure that it’s  right for them. Which is easy to understand. Why shell out your hard earned cash for something you’re not going happy with? Better to buy when you’re completely certain than to settle for something just because it’s cheap.

So there you have it. The way you go is up to you. Me, I’m always up for a good deal, and if I can’t get exactly what I want, most of the time I’m okay with an alternative — if the price is right.

What about you?

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