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Advice on Buying Used Touring Gear

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The High Route Editors

This ski has been mounted once, and has yet to be plugged. However, if a remount is in order, there should be plenty of real estate to move the binding mount.

This ski has been mounted once, and has yet to be plugged. However, if a remount is in order, there should be plenty of real estate to move the binding mount.

  ‘Tis Ski Swap Season. Buying used touring gear can make financial sense. If you’re looking for a first set-up or building out the quiver, our Gear Editor Gavin Hess and Matt Zia (Executive Director of the Montana Mountaineering Association, pack builder, and guide) help us comb through the used gear to find the gems…

Responses

  1. Travis

    What about when the binding can accommodate your boot but it puts you of the recommended mount point?

    1. Gavin Hess

      Classic response here is “it depends”…

      Most skiers, on most skis, won’t notice +/-1 or 1.5cm from the recommended mount point. If you are very sensitive to such things, you probably know it. Given 1cm or so of tolerance, not many bindings have more than +/- 20mm of adjustment range- so it seems safe to assume that if your boot fits, you’ll be pretty close to the mount point that the seller was using. Worth checking perhaps, as some people mount skis in crazy spots. Keep in mind that even if you are moving the heel a full 20mm forward or back, that only puts your boot center 1cm from the original line.

      1. Travis

        Thanks, Gavin! I appreciate the through response.

  2. Alex Dierker

    Do you have any suggestions for pricing when trying to sell old gear. Ive had some friends enlist my help in offloading skis and boots and I feel like they typically are over zealous on what they think its worth or could get. When I see “retails for…” in a CL add I kind of cringe.

    1. Travis

      Hi Alex, in my experience I think there’s a few categories of for sale items. They are new with tags, used but in like new condition, used, and well loved. New with tags, I consider 20-30% off stickers (unless you have something very desirable), used but in like new 40-50% off, used 50-60%, well loved you might as well give it away if it still has life in it. There’s a lot of nuance here. If you want to sell faster, bigger discount. Also, being willing to accept offers is helpful as well. And just doing a quick Google search will usually give you a good sense of market value for your item.

      1. Gavin Hess

        Well said, Travis. The bigger discount for quicker sales is an important one – also being willing to lower the price if you dont get any interest after a couple days listed online.

        1. Alex Dierker

          Thanks Travis and Gavin, appreciate the feedback!

  3. Brian Parker

    Editors, where can one get one of those THR stickers featured in this story? Have you considered a corvus pink version? That’d be sickkkkkkkk!

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