Do your kids play sports? If your family is like mine, the cost of all that sports equipment can take a big chunk out of our budgets. With some careful planning however, it is possible to find sports equipment at an affordable price.
Plan ahead. Kids in elementary and junior high school often play in more than just one sport. These different sports are rotated through out the year in eight week cycles, which means that a sports loving kid can participate in up to four different kinds of sports in a single school year.
The end of the school year is the time to ask your kids which sports they are interested in repeating the following year, or even if there is something new they want to try. Knowing in advance which sport they’ll be playing the next school year lets a thrifty shopper pick up the discounted gear during the off season.
Shop the thrift stores. Thrift stores are a great place to pick up used gear and during the off season, a thrifty shopper will find gently used football pads, knee pads, protective gear and specialty sports shoes. Instead of limiting myself to sports items my kids would need for the coming year, I bought all the gear I could find at these thrifts with the idea of bartering or even selling this gear in the future.
Trade with friends. At the end of every sporting season, seek out those parents whose kids are a size or two larger than your own child. Let them know that you’d be interested in buying their used equipment or even trading it. Most parents are very happy to pass the stuff along which saves them the hassle of dealing with it later.
Shopping eBay or Craig’s List. For those who enjoy online auction sites, eBay and Craig’s List are great places to fine used equipment. The trick for finding the best bargains is to shop well ahead of the season.These online sites are also a great place to sell all that used sports equipment you found at the thrift stores.
Used sporting good stores. These niche stores are combination thrift stores, consignment shops, and a sport store all rolled up into one. Prices seem to range between 50-75% of the original value with most stores willing to buy back the sporting equipment at the end of season. Used sporting good stores are are listed under the “sporting goods” section of the Yellow Pages.
Pawn shops. Worth mentioning are pawn shops which occasionally will have used equipment such as skis, snowboards, boots and bindings.
Shopping clearance or inventory sales. Once or twice a year, super sized sports stores have blow out prices to clear out the old stock so it can be replaced with new. Watch the circulars and hit these sales for the chance to buy brand new sports gear at thrift store prices. Items to stock up on are sports shoes, socks, sports duffels, and warm up clothes.
Shopping for sports equipment for your child doesn’t need to be expensive. By planning ahead, shopping carefully and using these tips, you discover that it really is possible to outfit your kids with the sports gear they need without straining your budget.
