Where's all this pro stock stuff coming from?

[santiclaws 0]

A question probably for the hockey store guys. Is the "pro stock" equipment just a new marketing angle? It seems like a few years ago you never saw anything "pro stock," now everywhere you look there is "pro stock." Are these products actually meant for the pros and the excess re-routed to the retail market? Or is much/most/all of it intended all along to be sold at retail and just marketed as "exactly what the pros use"?

[Thockey17 1]

Are these products actually meant for the pros and the excess re-routed to the retail market?

For the most part, yes. The equipment is sold to retailers for cheap since it is excess stock.

[BK 0]

Yes, all of the prostock gear was at one point meant for the pros. Either it was a sample or it was bought by the team and the player didn't end up using it. Teams have to purchase gear, they don't get it for free. At the end of the season, a lot of teams will sell of their excess gear to make up losses. None of it is really MEANT for retail, but ends up there anyways.

[santiclaws 0]

Thanks, guys. My faith in humanity is temporarily restored.

[Justin 1933 134]

I know all of our pro stock gear is actual gear for Pro's..

[Chadd 916]

Yes, all of the prostock gear was at one point meant for the pros. Either it was a sample or it was bought by the team and the player didn't end up using it. Teams have to purchase gear, they don't get it for free. At the end of the season, a lot of teams will sell of their excess gear to make up losses. None of it is really MEANT for retail, but ends up there anyways.

Not all of it was destined for pro players.

TPS puts pro stock on the R8 shafts and we've already seen various SMU gloves called pro stock. Some shops make a living off of calling SMU products pro stock and THG shops had a line of Nike stuff a few years ago that was called pro stock but obviously wasn't.

Some of it is real, some of it isn't.

That said, this time of year you will see a lot of stuff flooding the market thanks to season ending sales and teams dumping stuff from guys that won't be back next year.

[TBLfan 25]

Like Chadd said TPS puts "Pro Stock" on just about anything deemed pro level.

Some of it is from the pros, some are custom order stuff that was returned and some are just SMUs.

[santiclaws 0]

Who's this SMU guy??

[cougarscaptain87 12]

SMU = Special Make Up

[pantherfan 0]

Special Make Up me thinks.

EDIT: Rrrrr I hate it when that happens!

[santiclaws 0]

I hate to be this dense, but Special Make Up means...? KISS color scheme? Stuff made especially for that retailer/group of retailers?

[cougarscaptain87 12]

its kinda like a hybrid product. takes components from a top of the line product, and some from the other models in the line, and makes it into a SMU product. where you get a taste of the best of the best at a lower price then the top of the line product is.

[BK 0]

its kinda like a hybrid product. takes components from a top of the line product, and some from the other models in the line, and makes it into a SMU product. where you get a taste of the best of the best at a lower price then the top of the line product is.

That and they are generally used for a certain store. For instance, PIAS has a model of tacks called "Black Tacks". Essentially they are just slightly nicer versions of the bottom of the line.

[Chadd 916]

I hate to be this dense, but Special Make Up means...? KISS color scheme? Stuff made especially for that retailer/group of retailers?

It could be anything from a different color scheme to product almost entirely spec'd by the retailer.