Have you been putting off getting that new pair of skis? Do you need an upgrade in the ice skate department? Are you looking to expand your winter clothing collection?
Well, it might be hard to accept, but the cold weather is just around the corner, and you don’t want to be scrambling in order to take part in that last-minute ski trip. So why not etch out some time this Saturday and head down to the Capital Ski and Outing Club’s annual ski and skate sale? It’s happening at what was most recently Spirit Halloween at Steeplegate Mall from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and they will have just about anything you’re looking for – and then some.
The sale has been going on for more than three decades, and the best-selling items each year tend to be alpine skis (the ones you use to go down mountains) and boots. But you’ll also be able to find cross-country skis (and the boots and poles to go with them) and snowboards. The only requirement that comes with selling skis and snowboards is that the bindings still be in good shape, but there will be a list to make sure you don’t buy something that is obsolete.
“If the bindings are too old, the manufacturer won’t stand behind them,” said Fred Symmes, a member of the club’s board of directors.
There will be ice skates, sleds, hockey equipment and snowshoes for those who aren’t into the whole skiing thing, and lots of clothing to help keep you warm when the temperatures are hovering around the legal drinking age.
“Pretty much any kind of winter sports stuff,” Symmes said.
Now that you know what you’ll find at Saturday’s sale, here’s how it works.
Some of the items are brought in by dealers and will be mostly new, but most of it is dropped off by people who either don’t have a use for it or have upgraded their own equipment and hope that someone out there would like to take it off their hands – without going the whole Craigslist route.
“There’s a couple thousand skis and boots,” Symmes said. “They’re all together in the racks and organized by size.”
And that means if you have something hanging around your garage that is in good condition that you would like to sell, bring it down, set a price and see if it sells. Those who wish to sell items can drop them off – clean, of course – on Thursday from 4:30 to 8 p.m. or Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you don’t know how much to sell an item for, someone will be happy to help you decide a price. It depends on how motivated you are to sell it.
“I usually ask them if they want it back,” Symmes said. “Some people want it out of their lives, while others want a certain amount, so it’s a huge range for pricing.”
If yours sells, you will receive 80 percent of the price tag with the other 20 percent going to the Capital Ski and Outing Club. If nobody decides to buy it, you will need to pick it up Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., which is also the time when you can pick up your check.
The money brought in by the sale will help the club’s efforts to maintain publicly used trails at Memorial Field, White Farm and Carter Hill Orchard, including purchasing equipment, as well as supporting the cross-country ski teams at Concord High and Rundlett Middle School, and other endeavors.
The club is still in need of more volunteers, and if you’re interested, there’s a little perk that comes with helping out – taking part in the volunteer sale the night before.
“We need help setting up Thursday and Friday,” Symmes said.
For more info or to volunteer, call 738-3879.
