Frequently Asked Questions

How do I prepare my equipment for sale?

Prepare your equipment at home as much as possible before the sale. Ten minutes work at home will save you 30 minutes at sale check in. Preparing your equipment at home will give you a chance to examine your equipment and to decide whether various items are worth selling or should they rather be considered “used up” and discarded.

Before bringing your gear to UAA Alaska Airlines Center (3550 Providence Drive) for check-in, register all gear and print tags online. Click here for detailed instructions for online registration. General gear prep and tag placement instructions below:

SKIS and SNOWBOARDS Dust them off! If the bottoms are badly gouged or the edges are “trashed out” they probably will not sell. Old straight sided alpine skis will not sell so please do not bring them to the ski swap. We sell hundreds of pairs of excellent used skis every year. Tape each pair securely together at the tips and tails with strong tape.

Print 2 tags (one for each ski). Place tags flat on the top of the skis below the tip. Do not tape over bar code.

BOOTS Are they really old or very used and worn out? Are buckles missing? Are the shells cracked? If they are XC boots are they too old to work with current bindings? If any of the above is true, please do not bring the boots to the swap. If the boots are fairly modern and in good shape, bring them! Tie your boots securely together with a strong string that is about two feet long.

Print 2 tags (one for each boot). Put tags on the back of the boot above the heel and tape the whole tag to the boot. Do not tape over the bar code.

POLES Tape ski poles together near the grips and baskets. No bamboo poles. Tape tag around the poles.

SKATES Tie skates securely together with a strong piece of string that is about two feet long.

Print 2 tags (one for each skate). Tape the tags behind the calf part of the skate.

CLOTHING Winter related clothing only please. Clothing should be in good condition looking new or almost new.

Make sure to print on card stock paper or reinforce your paper tags with a piece of carton. All tags should be attached to items with a string. Whenever possible tags should be placed on the inside clothing tag or on the main zipper. If using a pocket zipper, please use the left pocket (this will allow for better organization during the swap). If your item does not have a good spot for string, consider safety pins.

OTHER GEAR We trust your judgment on doing your best to securely place your tags on your items and to secure items together. Again, understand that we do not take responsibility for poorly tagged items.

If the ski swap organizer believes your equipment is no longer safe or not suitable for resale the organizer may ask you not to present the equipment for sale.

What can I sell?

Please bring to the swap only equipment and winter gear that is relatively modern and in good condition. Old beat up equipment does not sell or you will get next to nothing for it, and ultimately the person who buys beat up equipment will not be happy. Be realistic about your old gear…if it is very old or truly worn out perhaps it would be best to discard it. The swap needs good quality equipment to sell. We usually run out of good equipment before we run out of potential buyers. If you have good equipment to sell bring it to the swap! Good equipment that is carefully priced is usually sold quickly! There is a huge market for good used modern skis that are priced to sell.

RULE OF THUMB If equipment is more than ten years old it is probably obsolete and is probably not worth using again.

SKIS About 15 years ago alpine skiers started using exclusively “shaped skis” (except for some powder boards). Please do not bring old style straight sided alpine skis to the ski swap….they simply will not sell. We want shaped skis that are in good condition!

BINDINGS Binding technology has improved a lot during the past decade. Many binding models that are outdated have been outlawed by the binding manufacturers and binding testing agencies because they are not up to current safety standards. Ski shops will not re mount or adjust obsolete bindings. If the bindings look old they probably are old. No old bindings please.

BOOTS Like skis and bindings, boot technology has improved a lot in recent years. Please do not try to sell junky old boots…they simply will not sell no matter how cheaply you price them. Boots with cracked shells, missing buckles, or defective liners should not be presented for sale.

Sometimes shoppers will try on boots at the ski shops only to find the boots that fit their feet are at the ski swap! If your boots are in good shape and priced to sell there is a good chance they will find a happy new owner at the ski shop!

XC BOOTS Please do not bring XC boots that are not compatible with modern XC bindings.

CLOTHING If you have used ski clothing that appears to be nearly new there is a reasonable chance that it will sell. Please do not bring worn out clothing or clothing that is not snow sport related. The ski swap should be a quality winter gear sale, not a flea market.

TULE BOXES AND SKI RACKS We sell these sometimes if they are priced to sell.

GOGGLES Do not bother – unless brand new/unused.

SKATES & HOCKEY GEAR If it looks beat up they do not sell.

ROLLER SKIS We sell a few.

Winter Shoes / Boots

Snow Shoes

High-end Sleds No cheap plastic sleds

Ice Climbing Gear Good condition or like-new equipment

Packs & Equipment Bags

Electronics: Transceivers, Helmet/Sports Cams, Two-Way Radios, etc. Must be in good working and operable condition

Backcountry & Skijoring Gear 

*DISCLAIMER: We reserve the right to refuse equipment and gear at time of check-in based upon quality and condition.

What can I buy?

You can find just about any equipment that has to do with skiing or snowboarding at the ski swap.

Whether you are interested in alpine skiing, snowboarding, cross country skiing, telemark skiing, or back country skiing you will find equipment to fit your needs.

If you are new to the sport we can help you get started.

Most of the equipment that is sold at the swap is in pretty good to excellent condition… the previous owners have already loved the equipment but want to move on to newer gear.

Prices will vary but you can expect to find some very good deals.

It is not uncommon to find starter packages (skis, boots, poles, clothes) sold for under $100.

Good equipment sells for a fraction of the original price.

Come to the sale early, the best deals go first and fast!

Payment can be made via cash, check, or credit card.

 

This is a consignment sale. All sales are final.

When do I bring my equipment to sell?

Check-in / register your gear online PRIOR to swap drop-off. Online registration is free.

Individuals and families bring all equipment they checked in online to the swap facility between 5:00PM and 9:00PM on Friday, October 20, 2023 OR from 8:30AM to 10:30AM on Saturday, October 21, 2023. Plan to arrive early! The check-in facility becomes very busy by 10:30 in the morning!  UAA athletic facility, The Alaska Airlines Center, located at3550 Providence Drive, Anchorage, AK.

If you are unable to check gear in at home, a few stations will be available for check-in. Keep in mind these late check in lines could get long.

How should I price my gear?

Ski swap prices need to be pretty cheap. Think about pricing this way: ski shops will sell equipment at 40-60% off normal retail prices during the early fall and late spring sales. Used equipment must be priced much lower.

With the Flash Consign Online Registry organizers are able to track average sales prices for equipment. These are good guidelines to follow when deciding where to price your equipment.

Average Sales Price for Equipment:

SKIS- Adult Alpine- Average $129, Junior Alpine- $72, Backcountry Skis- $159.11, Telemark Skis- $119.89, Adult Skate- $122, Adult Classic X/C- $86, Junior Skate- $40, Junior Classic X/C- $40

BOOTS Most used Alpine boots Do Not Sell. Price them low. Nordic boots sell. Average sale prices: Adult Alpine/Boots- $73.80, Junior Alpine/Boots- $35.65, Alpine XC/Boots- $38.57, Junior XC/Boots- $23, Snowboard Boots- $36, Telemark Boots- $31.25.

POLES Alpine Poles $12 average, Nordic poles $28.

KIDS GEAR Easy to sell, always in high demand. Price it low. Kids packages at ski shops are relatively inexpensive. We run out of kids gear first. There is a big demand for kids skis, boots, and poles.

SNOW BOARDS Average Snowboard Sale Price is $75.

CLOTHING SELLS! Bring Winter Clothing. Mens Clothing average $41.75, Womens Clothing average $44.38, Childrens Clothing average $22.18. 

MISCELLANEOUS OTHER GEAR Odds and ends will sell if they are not junky. Use caution with small items which are most likely to be lost or stolen. 

If my equipment sells, how do I get my money?

You can pick up your check and any unsold items the day after the Ski Swap, on Sunday, October 22nd from 9 am till 12 pm. Any remaining checks we will mail in the next 30 days, so please make sure to add a valid address when registering. 30% of the sales price will go to the organizers. Any unclaimed or uncashed checks will be voided after 180 days.

How to transfer my items from one sale to another one?
  1. Register for the 2023 AK Ski Swap sale: go to https://myconsignmentmanager.com/akskiswap/
        a. Click the blue ‘Register’ button
        b. Use the same User ID and password as before
        c. Leave your sale tags on!
  2. Go to myconsignmentmanager.com and log in as a Seller using your existing User ID and password from any other MyCM Ski Swap
  3. Click on ‘Manage Inventory’ in the grey bar on top.
  4. Select the name of the ski swap you wish to transfer items from in the ‘Choose a consignment to work on’ drop down
  5. Select the tab ‘Transfer Items’
  6. Select the items you wish to transfer into the new sale.
  7. Select the 2023 AK Ski Swap sale and click on the ‘Transfer Items to Consignment Now’ button
  8. Leave your sale tags on and just bring to gear drop off!!