It’s almost fall and you know what that means.
Football!… Or hockey. Maybe soccer? Golf?
According to a 2017 poll, there are over 36 million kids that participate in organized sports annually.
Fall sports can mean shelling out a lot of money for gear: football helmets, soccer cleats, hockey sticks, a new putter, etc.
Here are some tips from experts who shared some fabulous tips on how you can get fall sports equipment on the cheap.
1. Buy used gear
New sports gear does not come cheap. And for your growing kid, it’s sometimes hard to imagine investing in gear they may outgrow by next season.
Matthew Weisberg, owner of Play It Again Sports in Lyndhurst, Ohio, runs his business by buying and selling used sports equipment. And business is going great.
“Not only can you typically save 25 to 75 percent by buying used, you can save even more by trading in your old gear,” says Weisberg.
Money-saving expert, writer and TV personality Andrea Woroch suggests also looking at other places such as Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and garage sales.
“Collect items you no longer use and post them for sale to make money toward new goods for your kiddos,” Woroch advises.
2. Shop around
Whether you’re buying new or used equipment, it’s always smart to shop around before buying the first item you come across.
“Most retailers price match so make sure you’re comparing prices using the ShopSavvy app or the Invisible Hand Browser extension for online purchases,” suggests Woroch.
Signing up for sale alerts, as well as taking advantage of price adjustments are also things she offers as an idea.
You’ll get “notifications when something you want to buy drops in price, and [then you can use] Paribus to help get price adjustments for items you bought that [went] on sale within the retailer’s given price adjustment period,” says Woroch.
3. Sign up for email savings
Online marketing is a massively growing industry, as you likely know by the number of emails that come into your inbox every day.
Some of them are spam, but some of them actually can save you money.
Like Play it Again Sports’ Email Savings Club.
“Customers that sign up for the club (free to sign up) typically get first crack at the best deals and coupons to maximize savings,” shares Weisberg.
Many sports stores participate in similar things, including REI. By becoming an REI member, you gain access to great additional savings, as well as their famous members-only garage sales.
4.How to handle equipment during the off-season
If you’re like most parents we know, you could do without the additional clutter caused by trying to stuff your kids’ hockey equipment into their bedroom closet during the offseason.
Well, we’ve got a solution for that: Closetbox.
All you have to do is put your kids’ fall sports gear in a box, give Closetbox a call, and Closetbox will come and pick it up for you.
It’s a valet service for your belongings.
Closetbox will take your belongings to a secure storage unit where it will be placed in your own private vault.
Sounds great, right?
It gets even better.
When Closetbox pick up your stuff, Closetbox will inventory it all and bring back anything you want when you need it.
5.Don’t go too cheap
You are likely to find some fabulous deals when shopping for new or used fall sports equipment for your kids.
However, there is a line you cross where you run the risk of purchasing bad quality things in an attempt to save money, that will only cause your kids problems down the line.
Shoes in particular are a concern of Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon, Barbara Bergin. Sports shoe companies are making ‘sports’ shoes out of cheap fabric that are just not suitable for running.
“Shoes are kind of like mattresses. You spend a lot of important time in them. Buy the best you can afford. Sacrifice brand and bling for quality,” advises Bergin.
Also, “buy the appropriate shoe for the sport. For example; no jogging shoes for football or tennis.”
