hockeyherb

So that's why those three guys on your team went apeshit at the end of your playoff game!

One sponsored by Bauer I'd guess.

Thanks for posting what I was also thinking. I guess stores that don't like people flexing sticks should lock up all of their sticks behind glass - that will stop those pesky customers! What would you expect customers to do when they're about to lay out $150 on an OPS, or any other stick for that matter? When you're going to lay down that kind of dough there are only so many ways you can touch and interact with a stick as you're thinking about the feel of it in your hands, the weight, etc. Flexing doesn't sound all that stupid to me. I bought a new stick a couple weeks ago and flexed all kinds of sticks before I knew which one felt good for me. I'm sure my LHS wasn't too sad when I walked out with a $100 stick and I just came in to get some numbers ironed onto my jersey. Now if a guy was taking practice windups or shooting rolls of tape around the store - ok, that's stupid! B) (Unless you have a demo stick area where they're supposed to shoot things, then that's ok too.) Maybe the LHS workers can tell us how they'd try out a new stick they've never touched before to decide if they'd buy it. Id be annoyed if you bought a stick or not. Flexing the sticks proves nothing. It just makes you look like a retard. And also puts unneccasary stress on ALL THE OTHER sticks that you DIDNT buy. And wow, you bought a $100 stick. Way to go. Thats a way to make a store's day! come on man. annoyed. sticks are made to take hundreds of shots. ive even beem told by an ex nhl player at a hockey camp that you want to feel them out and give it a litlle flex or two to see if it works for you. i can see you getting mad if some one leans and uses there body weight. but a little pop or 2 doesnt do anything wrong to a stick Interesting that you bring this back up about a year later - I realize I've sure learned a lot on this site in the meantime. Such as: - LHS doesn't make that much money off of a $100 stick. It's nice to sell it of course but not going to make anyone jump for joy. - flexing sticks does weaken the OPS more than people know before they're educated. I no longer flex sticks. Maybe that should be one of the slogan's for MSH - The Premier Site for Educating the Uneducated Hockey Buyer.

So are you making a (predicted) judgment call that the One90 < S15 < Fuel 120s? Or do you just like to try out new gear? Just wondering if your opinion is that for you, that's how you'd rank the skates.

Alright, that one just makes me laugh. I can't imagine what kind of a reaction you could have had to that - so many emotions running through your head.

Here's one from the other side of the counter again. I walked into our LHS with my skates in hand to get a sharpening. Two guys behind the counter, one on the phone, the other busy with something. I stood patiently at the counter waiting to be acknowledged. The non-phone guy kind of looks at me but then goes back to what he is doing. He did this a few times - looked up at me, then back down to what he was doing....I continued to stand there. I think finally I annoyed him enough he actually had to open his mouth and ask me if I wanted my skates sharpened. I guess his version of "Welcome to our store. Is there something I can help you with?" is looking up and making brief eye contact. I can understand we're annoying if we don't say anything and just throw the skates at the sharpening people expecting them to read our minds, but what ever happened to a proper greeting when someone arrives at your store? He's the only guy I've had an issue with though - otherwise a great store.

If he's special ordering in stock for a customer (especially if it's expensive and not something he wants to have on his shelf) then he's kind of a fool to not ask for a non-refundable deposit. Nothing says commitment like laying out some cash you'll lose if you don't complete your end of the bargain. You are right though, people that get the service and then give their business elsewhere are dicks.

I'm guessing Dan is a Canadian? Thus the Maple Leaf with the German flag. That's a mean looking penguin!

Oh no, the reason I'm not a goalie is 'cuz I couldn't stand being all the way down the ice away from the action. When I tried playing once as a kid I kept creeping up to the blue line to see things better then when I saw the puck coming I'd realize where I was and have to skate all the way back to the net. So I never got to play goalie again. :lol:

Why do goalies buy an OPS? It's not like they're shooting much. Are they supposed to be more durable than wood? It's the only reason I can think of that longer term it's more cost effective.

I feel sorry for a lot of the people that buy something really important like a skate from online stores. When I recently bought my Bauer 8000, I used the ePuck sizing tool to estimate what size I would need based on my shoe size. It told me I wore a Bauer 9, which is what I would have ordered from the web. When I went to my LHS, the guy measured my foot and I told him I should wear a 9 in a Bauer, so he brought me out a 9 like I asked and the 9.5 which he thought would fit better. I tried them both on; now I own a pair of 9.5 and won't ever think of buying skates online again. I agree with other happy MSHers though - there are people that will buy online for whatever reason, but having spent a little time on these boards I'm way more inclined to give as much business as I can to my LHS because you guys are willing to give up advice when you don't know me from a hole in the ground. Pay it forward, I say!

PM sent. Cool, let us know if he ever tells you. He's resigned to using cuss words now so I guess he's out of things to say. And this is the guy who complains about customers not listening. He tells me to go to HockeyMonkey when I already told him I bought all my gear at my LHS and prefer to shop there. In fact, I've never bought off the web! So to be clear 'hater, every time a customer flexes a stick in your store, do you call them an a-hole and chase them out? That's how you make it sound.

I remember my dad bitching about the cost to outfit me for hockey every year when I was a kid back in the 70s, so not much has changed. Sadly he was one of those guys that loved buying equipment that will last 'for a couple of years'. Not with my skates though thank goodness. It is always going to be at least a middle class sport and be the most expensive just because of the amount of equipment needed. Football might be the only comparable sport but for some reason football always provides the majority of the equipment versus hockey. I honestly wouldn't want my kid wearing nasty stuff worn by 10 other kids in previous seasons anyway.

If you guys have been in business that long then you're obviously doing something right. I totally agree with you on the frustrations of the internet customers - I'm sure there were some spoiled crybaby customers even before the internet! Myself, I'd much rather support the local guy as long as he treats me ok, and they do where I live. They have to stay competitive of course, like within 20-30% of what the typical discount might be online, because I feel that's the premium I'm willing to pay to actually buy from a person and get some real service.

Tell you what- if you have the guts to post the name and location of your store I'll be sure to make it a point to NEVER drop in there and flex your sticks or spend $1k like I did last month at my LHS. And I'm sure lots of other people on this board would do the same. Keep up your sunny disposition 'hater and pretty soon when then bank locks your doors for you you won't have to deal with misinformed, uninformed helpless people with money ever again.