January 18th, 2010

I recently had a conversation with a new acquaintance.  We were discussing Boulder and how it had grown since we’d both moved there, then the conversation got around to skiing, and then to ski boots, specifically the new boots she’d bought last month.  She’d just used them for the first time on Sunday, and they’d killed her feet.  She hadn’t even been able to finish the day on the slopes. They’d felt fine to her in the store, but she now realized she wouldn’t be able to ski in them again; they just weren’t designed for “her” feet, not sole-mates. She’d tried to return them, but they’d been worn once, so… She has something she can’t use.

I suggested she might try bartering them.  Her response:  “Yeah, but what would I trade for?   I think I’ll just take them to that used sporting goods place.”  As this was a new acquaintance, I resisted my urge to render advice.  (I usually reserve that until at least  the second encounter.)   Still I wondered, what would she trade for?

The first step, of course, is finding a match for the boots.  There’s probably someone out there right now running a Google shopping search for that exact boot.   Or there’s likely someone in the area who also wears a size eight, who also needs new boots and would be happy to test drive these for a day.  Or there’s another woman whose new size eight boots are killing her and she’s headed out to go buy the same brand of boot that my new acquaintance is thinking about consigning at the used sporting goods store.

When my new friend takes the boots to the consignment store, she and the store clerk are going to have to set the “fair price” a customer would be willing to pay for the boots.  My guess is that will be about half of the retail price new.  Then, when (or if) the boots sell, the store will want their consignment fee, usually 50% of what they got for the boots.  So, my friend is left with about 25%, or $100, of the retail price she originally paid for the boots just a few weeks ago.

But what if she were to trade the boots?   Again, let’s arrive at a fair dollar amount- maybe a 25%-30% reduction in retail.  After all, they’ve been worn- but only once.   That leaves about $300 in value.  So what would she trade for?  The windows washed, upstairs and down?  An afternoon at a spa?  A restaurant gift certificate?  Some new landscaping?   Tax planning advice?   30 hours of babysitting?   A course in dog training?   Having the plumbing around the house tuned up?  $300 cash?

When thinking, “Yeah, but what would I trade for?” ask instead, what you would want or need to spend $300 on.  Whatever it is, you’ll get more in value than the $100 from the consignment store.

Don’t worry.  I’ll tell her next time.  – Bonnie

Tags: barter, consignment store, ski boots, trade, valuation
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