How to Get Cheap Sports Equipment

Sports: it's a nice word. It conjures up images of little boys with green knees and dirt colored bottoms sliding into second and pony tailed girls jumping up in the gym to sink a basket. It's so American and so down home and comfortable; just when did it get so unaffordable? Sports equipment has gotten so sophisticated that playing sports is now a high end pastime for the kids. You don't want to tell them they can't play so you have to learn to be a little sports equipment savvy to make it affordable enough for the kids to play and have fun.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Shop for seconds. There are a lot of things you can get second hand for sports that will save you a bundle. Find out what piece of equipment your little one needs. Go to the store and check out the name brands and all the prices. Now go online and check out sites like eBay, Amazon.com, and playitagainsports.com to look for the same merchandise--gently used. You can often find like-new merchandise because lots of kids sign up for things and end up hating them. Since mom and dad don't want that investment to sit in the closet, they put it up for sale. The only way that this will be a good idea, though, is if you know ahead of time exactly what you need and what it costs. Otherwise it could cost you time and money by paying the wrong price and buying the wrong item.

2. Check out the personal ads in your local newspaper and shopper if you have one in your area. There are a lot of online communities that offer free classifieds and sometimes it's a great bargain to pay a few dollars shipping to save a fortune on the cost. Try craigslist.com or oinlineyardsale.com. There are a great many more of these around as well.

3. Try the local thrift stores. These are a great source of most anything. They often have uniforms that other kids have outgrown, things like hockey pads, running shoes and more. Although you probably won't find everything, if you frequent these, you'll be surprised at how many sports items run through them on a regular basis. Look at the end of the school year, the end of summer and after Christmas for the most promising times to find these items.

4. Ask the other moms and dads on the team and ask the coaches about kids who may be just a little bigger than your own. Organize a swap meet for items at your house and invite all of the kids' parents who have anything their child can no longer use. You will be surprised how many moms and dads will be ecstatic at the thought of swapping or reselling their kids' outgrown or unused sports items. If everyone is doing this, or most everyone, your child won't have to feel strange wearing someone else's stuff. You could actually have some ads up in the neighborhood or even in the newspaper and get a whole bunch of people--many of whom your child may not even know if the thought just totally embarrasses them. Forgive them--they aren't old enough to be broke yet.

Tips & Warnings

• Talk to the other parents at the games. You'll make friends and get great people to swap things with, too.
• Don't buy equipment or gear that doesn't fit the child. Kids running, jumping and getting hit in sports are put in more danger with equipment and--especially--shoes and safety equipment that doesn't fit properly.

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