Issue Date: January 26, 2003
Save on skis
So you finally committed to that big ski trip. The problem is, those skis gathering dust in your closet are a little over the hill, and it looks as if you have no choice but to pay exorbitant in-season retail prices for a new pair.
Not so fast, Muffy. I was shopping a while back for Völkl Vertigo G3s, a hot new pair of skis from Germany. I happen to live in Aspen, Colo., where every store priced them at $695. Then I went online and saw them at various sites for $579; in many cases I didn't have to pay the hefty 9% local sales tax, saving me $63 more (although I'd have to pay $20 for shipping).
Ski-town shops are pricey. For a better deal, go online.
|
I call this the "high-rent differential." Stores in many ski towns have to sell skis at higher prices, because their overhead is much higher.
The best way to buy skis online is to search by brand name, then surf through various ski shops. With 40 physical stores nationwide, Christy Sports (Christysports.com) carries most lines of skis, all with detailed descriptions, reviews and knowledgeable phone-order staff. Gordon Wade, director of Christy's e-store, says you can price skis online, then demo them on your next ski trip -- and Christy's will honor the online price at one of its mountain shops. That's something other national outfitters, such as PeterGlenn.com and REI.com, can't do, because they have few mountain stores. But those sites and others (coloradoskishop.com, skichalet.com) usually sell skis below mountain prices, sometimes at a steep discount.
For the very best price, wait for summer. Many ski shops and Web sites will sell this year's skis at half price to clear space for new ones. In September, I got the Völkls for $350, tax-free.
-- David Lipschultz
Go to top
Get photo tips
I take photographs out of obligation to my future self, imagining a time -- no doubt long before my kids check me into a nursing home -- when my memory will start losing focus. Unfortunately, most of my pictures are so bad, I hate to look at them. But I'm developing -- and I didn't have to get a degree or a darkroom. All it took was a little learning I picked up on the Net.
Takegreatpictures.com is a new Web site, hosted by the Photoimaging Information Council, that's dedicated to helping people enjoy photography. Start by looking at what other photographers -- famous and amateur -- have captured on film. Don't miss Rudolph Giuliani's images of New York City, Kenny Rogers' celebrity photos and Henry "Fonzie" Winkler's nature shots. Then read a master class by one of several professionals. You can submit your own photographs for exhibit in the "Everyday People" section.
If (like me) all you own is a point-and-shoot model, get the most out of it by reading the tips you'll find by clicking on "Point and Shoot Cameras" in the Learn box at Photo.net.
If the muse takes you, you might crave more in-depth instruction. The New York Institute of Photography (www.nyip.com) offers distance-learning courses that use printed materials, Internet course work and videos. There are weekend workshops for $49 and complete courses for less than $1,000.
Say "Cheeeese."
-- Christina Wood
|
