Best time to buy on clearance

[American in Paris]

So the season is coming to an end and I already see lots of stuff on clearance. But when is the optimal moment to pull the trigger?

I imagine shops start restocking at some point over the summer. When do prices bottom out?

[TrueBlue86]

pretty much any time from now 'til september is good

i bought all my stuff all throughout 2012 (mostly on clearance) and prices don't dip that much in the peak of the summer

[bigbadbruins1]

Do you have any local AHL or college teams? around this time of year they start to have equipment sales. they sell off what could be considered "pro stock" items for incredibly cheap. Also, Generally sometime in the summer (july / august) a lot of stores have big sales on hockey gear so they can restock their shelves with the 2014 product.

[leftwinger37]

I would say that prices really bottom out around September, but I would only advise waiting that long if you have uncommon preferences or you're not picky (flexible with blade patterns, flexes, and gear sizing). After June or July, the selection really dwindles, and that's when you see the prices really start to drop, but I usually can't find my size/preferences by that time. I find that I buy clearance items mostly around June.

Personally, I like buying between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve. Most online retailers are offering free shipping and 20-30% off coupons on top of sale prices. Most times, these deals are as good or better than the clearance prices, the gear is currrent, and they have more options in stock.

[jsykes]

Almost all new equipment comes out in the spring. So places will start to put their gear on sale then and anything that continues to be left over will get cheaper throughout the summer. So for best selection, look at spring, for cheapest prices end of summer.

There are sometimes sticks that come out in the fall, so certain models of sticks may go on sale toward August.

That is for the majority of stuff, but it seems lately that the standard isnt always holding true as companies look to different release dates trying to get an edge at capturing the headlines.

[jordanking87]

HockeyMonkey has been running discounts since the end of March. They had a 20% off all clearance items last month and now theyre running a 15% off everything sale. I would agree that buying in early spring/summer you'll find the best deals. But don't wait too long unless you're flexible with sizes like another poster said. Always check around online (totalhockey, discounthockey, icewarehouse, hockeymoney) Sometimes a different store will have the same item for 10-15% less. Most stores offer free shipping, however HockeyMonkey still likes to stick it to ya hard on that end. Their expedited shipping rates are outrageous compared to TotalHockey.

[leftwinger37]

Originally Posted by jordanking87

Most stores offer free shipping, however HockeyMonkey still likes to stick it to ya hard on that end. Their expedited shipping rates are outrageous compared to TotalHockey.

Always have. Frequently I find stuff on HM that no one else carries and I just have to bend over and take it. I usually ask around and see if my buddies need anything so that we can split the shipping.

Total Hockey is nice for us Midwesterners because stuff gets to us quicker. We're finally getting a couple TH here in Michigan!

A friend of mine shared a rumor that another "big hockey retailer" (possibly of the primate variety) may try to buy out Perani's in order to compete with Total Hockey here. Maybe shipping fees will be a thing of the past for me.

[PinkEye]

Depends on your region. HM is 2 hours north of me so ground is next day. IW also ships next day free if in California.