Sports equipment can be expensive!!! The best time to buy sports equipment used to be at the end of season, but that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. With travel leagues and sports going year round there isn’t as much incentive for retailers to deeply discount their inventory to make room for the next sports season. There are a few exceptions to this: winter/ summer only sports. It’s always best to buy ANYTHING in the “off season” or end of season, i.e. summer clothes in the fall.
Here are some of the best times to buy certain sports equipment or related items:
January
- Water Skiing paraphernalia
- Cameras (for catching that great shot!)
February
- Ski/Snow Board Clothing
- Cameras (for catching that great shot!)
- Winter coats (BEST time is in February but stocks will start running low.)
April
- Sneakers
- Snow Skis
- Ski/Snow Board Clothing
May
- Gym Memberships
June
- Deodorant : Stock up! If you have kids in sports, you understand. 😉
- Gym Memberships
August
- Swimsuits
September
- Swimsuits
November
- Sneakers
December
- Water Skiing paraphernalia
- Bicycles
- Exercise Equipment
- Golf Clubs
For those items that aren’t on sale very often, check out some of these sites for ways to save!
Buy Online
Buy Second Hand
- Play it Again Sports
- SwapMeSports.com : SwapMeSports is an online community that allows you and your neighbors, family and friends to buy, sell,donate or find sports equipment without listing, selling and shipping fees.
- Craigslist or Facebook Groups
Of course, if you have more than one kid the best way to save money on sports equipment is by passing down items!
Do you have any other suggestions for saving money?
Thanks for sharing. I do agree that buying second hand items are the best ways to save money. I shop at Play it Again Sport and saved a ton. Kids grow out of their clothes quickly, and beside, sport are seasonal.
You are right- if the sport you are interested in only applies to a certain season, it is best to buy the equipment during the off season. Like you said, you can also use this tactic for buying clothes. If you don’t already know, it is the same concept. Buy coats and skis in the summer, and shorts and swimming suits at the end of the fall or early winter!