When is the Best Time to Buy a Snowboard?

No one wants to spend more than they have to. Even people with plenty of money don’t want to pay higher prices unnecessarily.

So when is the best time to buy a snowboard? When they cost the least!

O.k. not entirely.

It depends on the person and some people are willing to spend more for convenience or because they don’t want to have the frustration of buying a new board and not begin able to use it for 6 months.

But for the most part people are looking for a good deal.

Of course, the best time is also when you actually want or require a new snowboard.

Best time of the year

There are a few times of year that are better than others for buying snowboards. Between April and August (if you are in the northern hemisphere) is often when major retailers will have sales to get rid of stock they haven’t sold during the previous season.

A lot of retailers have sales throughout this time with varying sales but sometimes with up to 60% or even 80% savings.

Of course some retailers will be selling last season’s gear during the current season too, but the availability will not always be there. That said, even mid-season you can find the previous season’s gear for a good price.

Availability

The only trouble is that because these stores are looking to empty out their stock it also means that there is normally less available – even less as you move closer to summer and into the new season.

Most of these stores, online or otherwise, will have summer stock like skateboard, mountain bikes, wake boards, camping gear etc that they want more room for in the warehouse and on the shop floor.

For this reason I think that the very best time to get a new snowboard is from March/April to May/June – the sales are still on but there is more to choose from. The closer you get to summer and the new season the less choice you will have.

Other Major Sale Times

Perhaps the best sales you can go for are the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales. These occur just before the season starts so you don’t have to wait too long – but they also have some really good deals. The deals are usually on last season’s gear too but this means that you can get great deals just before the season starts.

Another good time, if you aren’t concerned about riding in November or December (or happy to ride your old gear if you still have it) is to try your luck with boxing day sales.

There are of course other sales that occur but these are usually the best ones.

If Money is No Object?

If you don’t mind what you are paying – or you are happy to pay more if it means you get the latest gear possible and the most choice possible, then pre-season will be the time to buy for you.

Just before the season begins stores should be well stocked with all the latest and greatest. But you are likely to pay full price.

What About Buying Second Hand?

This really depends on who the seller is. If the seller is savvy enough he will know that buyers are more willing to spend at the start of the season and will charge more then.

On the other hand he/she will know – if he can’t wait until the start of the next season to sell – that he/she will have to settle for less if they sell at the end of a season, assuming they are selling to a savvy buyer.

If you are selling second hand, and can wait, then wait until just before the next new season starts or just as it is starting. You will get more back for your board at that time.

Southern Hemisphere

If you are in the southern hemisphere (Australia, New Zealand, South America – I think those are the only southern hemisphere places you can board in?) then you should be able to get some good deals around  October, November.

And boxing day sales would coincide with summer so you should be able to find a really good deal on gear from the season just gone- if someone still has the product you want.

The other option is to buy from an online store in the Northern Hemisphere in the times mentioned above. The only trouble with this is that most online stores can’t ship most brands outside of their own countries.

Flow is one that does – or at least they did when I bought my board. I managed to pick up the Flow Era for $280 (usually $399) in May and have it shipped to New Zealand when I was living there – just in time for the season (well I had to wait a couple of months!)

I also managed to get some half price flow speed entry bindings at the same time. Shipping was actually quite reasonable too.

Unfortunately the brands that you can do this with is limited as most won’t allow retailers to ship internationally.

Summary

• Whilst it can be hard to think ahead to the next season and buy with more than 6 months before you actually get to use your new board, end of the season is one of the cheapest times to buy (March to June preferably). That goes for any snowboard gear.
• Summer is good for cheap prices too, but stock can be more limited
• Even buying second hand you are likely to find more on offer for a cheaper price (and should be able to bargain down) at the end of a season.
• If you are selling then it is best to wait until the start of a new season so you can get the most for your gear.
• If money is not an obstacle and you want the latest gear and the most choice possible then the start of a new season is the best time to buy – that’s when there’ll be the most availability.
• Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Boxing day sales are also a great time to get some deals on last season’s gear just before and during the season. Sometimes sales are extended through January.
• If you are in the Southern Hemisphere try your luck with Northern Hemisphere online stores or buy late/off season too (October to December)

Thanks for reading

Thanks for reading and hopefully you are now more informed of the best times to buy. Have you had any great deals and when have you scored the best deals? Let me know in the comments section below. Any other comments or questions welcome, of course.