Not so helpful at another local shop...

[giogolf 9]

You know, I love shopping online, a matter of fact I complete 90% of my purchases online. There is enough research online, and forums for personal help and question that you could find out just about anything you want. However, there are somethings that you just need to go to the store and try on, get fitted, get customized etc.. Plus when possible I like to give the local shops some business even though they sometimes charge more.

So I went into another local hockey shop in central New Jersey to get fitted for some goalie skates, and look at some pads, and other gear. The skate fitting went ok, but they did not have a large selection, just 2 brands of goalie skates and not many sizes. I felt a little pressure to purchase the top of the line product, but I told them that I was coming back to the sport after a 10+ year layoff so I needed to get my feet wet. So the next recommendation was to get the next model lower from top off the line which was still $300 + tax, still to much I told them I need to relearn everything and wanted to get stuff that would serve me well for 2 years then I would most definitely upgrade, as I do appreciate quality products when my skills deserve them. But the sales guys, and another customer started to say just get the good stuff, your done growing, just spend the extra $100 or $200. So I told them I would think about it as I was not ready to drop $400-$300 on skates so quickly, especially after only trying on one brand. Then I asked about goalie equipment, if I can see some of it, since I have been out of the loop so long, and that I did not know what was out there. The sales guy then goes on to tell me that I should go to another store that sells used stuff, where I can try the stuff on and look at it. He danced around the fact that he thought that his gear was to expensive for me, and that he was not willing to show me what he had to offer.

Man I was so pissed, I felt like a teenager who walks into a store and gets the cold shoulder because he was not going to buy anything. Mind you I am a full grown adult, and my appearance did not let on that I was not worthy nor could afford the gear they had in the store. I was looking for help, and once they found out that I was not interested in spending the money for top off the line, I was shrugged off. This really gets under my skin because I do not think there are any other hockey shops close by where I can see, and feel the equipment to find out what I like.

Anyway this turned out to be more of a rant then anything else. Please do not ask me what store I went to, as they are popular in central Jersey, and considered as one of the few who carry good equipment in the area, and provide good service.

I have gotten some pretty amazing advice from some of you on this forum, and feel based on that I can make some good choices buying online used gear. Its just a shame I can not go to a shop and see this stuff first hand.

[Chadd 916]

It's not surprising. Shops get people in all the time that get fitted and then go buy stuff cheaper online. It sounds like you might have done or said some of the "tip-off" things and he decided that he wasn't going to waste his time helping someone who he thought had no intention of buying from him.

[Law Goalie 147]

It can be frustrating - especially when you're trying to buy two full sets of gear at once.

I went through a fairly long fitting phase myself, at one point, and I found the best policy was to say simply and right up front, "I'm just looking today." That takes the pressure off. The shop doesn't feel like they have to wait on you hand and foot, and you get the breathing space to look things over, even with the high-value goalie gear.

I probably ended up going to each of the big goalie stores in Toronto three or four times before I started buying anything, and it was still pretty piecemeal: I got at least one thing from each spot, a couple off eBay, and a few through classifieds. Part of the problem is that one store rarely has everything. For example, only two of the shops carried Bauer goalie gear, and only one of those had Bauer pro-returns -- but they didn't carry Brian's or Brown or any masks other than Itech and Sportmask.

Take your time, but do remember that shipping goalie gear is really expensive (especially pads & pants).

[jimmy 194]

I'm confused, did they have the goalie gear hidden in a secret room or in a glass case where you couldn't look at it or try it on?

The days of stores carrying every brand, every model, every size are over. It just cost too much. You are going to have to visit many stores.

[giogolf 9]

I did mention when I first walked in that I was just getting my feet wet, and wanted to see what new stuff was out (even though everything is new to me after 10+ years out.) The skate fitter was really helpful, and understood that I was getting my first fitting in a really long time, and was not prepared to spend big bucks right away.

I did not mention to them that I was going to buy online or used or what have you. It is funny though, the owner, who would not let me see or browse the goalie equipment kept on giving me other shop names, and told me to go on eBay.

As for the goalie equipment in the store... I could not tell you where it was, you walk in the store, and there is a skate section, then a hallway that I guess wraps around to the left side of the building where all the equipment was. It was kind of weird, the store did not promote browsing at all. The store had 2 windows, only one room had the lights on in front, and they where not closing until 9pm (I was there earlier in the day). The message I was getting from this place was if you where not buying anything or did not look like a regular you cant see any of our stuff.

Oh, well..