# What's up with Arc'teryx???



## deadheadskier (Aug 28, 2008)

I had never heard of their products until getting into the whole steep and cheap thing.  The cost of their clothing is OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive.  I mean I kind of find it hard to believe that their $550 ski jacket is going to THAT much better than something from Columbia for $150ish.

Something like Bogner I get as you are paying for the 'stylist' :roll:  Is Arc'teryx sort of the same deal?


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## tcharron (Aug 28, 2008)

Hence the reason why there is overstock.  :-D

Personally, I perfectly happy with 686 gear.  I actually prefer it..  :-D


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## thetrailboss (Aug 28, 2008)

Way too expensive.  I see very little of it...don't know much about it...


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## severine (Aug 28, 2008)

I believe quite a few of the Ski Divas are huge fans.  But all I know is they tend to size small and theirs is supposed to be high quality stuff.  What that translates to exactly I don't know... I don't spend big bucks like that on ski clothes.  My last ski jacket was around $100 on clearance (North Face) and my softshell was under $40 from SAC.


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## deadheadskier (Aug 28, 2008)

I paid $120 for my Columbia before the start of the 03-04 season.  Still going strong and never felt the need for anything more 'core' than it.

I have splurged this summer on 3 pairs of fancy smartwool socks, an Ice Breaker base layer and Patagonia mid layer, the latter two from SAC for around 60% off.  

....just need new pants and gloves and I'm fully re-stocked on soft goods and probably won't buy any new stuff in that catagory for a couple of years.


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Aug 28, 2008)

They are really nice jackets and look to be just about 100% waterproof and breathable.  The most I ever paid for a ski jacket is my current Oakley which is $240...paying $500+ for a jacket seems a little overboard.  In Jackson Wyoming they have a Cloudveil store and that's what most of the locals use out there.  I'd pick up a Cloudveil shell or fleece if they were on sale..


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## madskier6 (Aug 28, 2008)

GrilledSteezeSandwich said:


> They are really nice jackets and look to be just about 100% waterproof and breathable.  The most I ever paid for a ski jacket is my current Oakley which is $240...paying $500+ for a jacket seems a little overboard.  In Jackson Wyoming they have a Cloudveil store and that's what most of the locals use out there.  I'd pick up a Cloudveil shell or fleece if they were on sale..



I really like the Cloudveil stuff but there is no way in HELL I would pay full price for it.  I have a great Cloudveil soft shell that I ski in most days & I really like it.  I got it on sale at a pre-season tent sale for $100 whereas the list price was something like $300 +.  Ridiculous prices.  

I think it's the same thing with Arc'teryx.  High quality stuff but way overpriced.


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## tjf67 (Aug 28, 2008)

There stuff is very good.  I use some of it.  My marmot jacket cost 400 or so buck back in 2000.  Still going strong other than the broken zipper which is guaranteed forever.  I have to send it in.

Its made in BC.  Its really cool looking as well.  Very popular up here in LP


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## drjeff (Aug 28, 2008)

Basically, Arc'teryx as I'm told, was founded by a couple of ice climbers who wanted some REALLY technical gear to keep them warm and dry in just about any condition that mother nature could throw at them.

They developed a small following at first, and then some of their gear's popularity first spread to the back country crowd and now more mainstream.  From what one of the shop owners at Mount Snow told me, is similair to other high end super technical gear companies(Cloudveil, Marmot, Mountain Hardware), they don't cut ANY corners in the design and construction of their clothing.  It's not for everyone,  but for those that have it, it's apparently great stuff.

I'd bet that the owners real dream would be for their popularity to explode one day, and then they could do what Spyder + The Northface has done over the last 20 years or so, which is start off as a clothing company that makes exclusively really good, technical stuff and then go mainstream and make, ALOT of "okay" stuff and only a small amount of really good technical stuff, but make a bunch of $$ by branching out a selling their "okay" stuff at big box sporting goods stores.


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## drjeff (Aug 28, 2008)

tjf67 said:


> There stuff is very good.  I use some of it.  My marmot jacket cost 400 or so buck back in 2000.  Still going strong other than the broken zipper which is guaranteed forever.  I have to send it in.




Would you ever go back to a "lesser" coat now that you've had a high end one?? I know I wouldn't.  You just don't realize how much of a difference the really good wind/water proof fabrics actually make for your comfort until you've been able to ski/ride in a coat made with them on days like they were designed for.


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## cbcbd (Aug 28, 2008)

As with other gear companies, the more manufacturing in house vs overseas, the better the quality and the higher the price.
They are based off of and manufacture mostly in Vancouver, BC. No shortcuts are taken and you are paying for Canadian manufacturing. 
If you are a technical climber and you are using their stuff then you are probably sponsored, work at a shop and get pro-deals, or can just afford it since climbing (especially ice) ain't cheap anyway.


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## BigJay (Aug 28, 2008)

Let's just use a car metaphore...

A Columbia is like a GM car... It gets you from A to B... does the job... nothing special about it... design is not the force behind columbia... but value is... Same with GM cars

Arc'Teryx is more like an Audi or BMW. Class. High tech. Keeps it's value because the technolgie about it is stronger. Design is also a key element of the jacket but yet conservative enought that you'll keep the jacket for more then a year!

I've had 686 jackets in the past... Great value... but it doesn't compare to a high end jacket... I never tought i would own one... but i found a Burton AK jacket at 50% off two seasons ago... and now i can't think about owning anything else... the jacket keeps you warm... no wind goes through... and is also breathable enough that you'll stay dry on the way down. It's also pretty compact... so carries great in the backcountry when you take it out on the climbs.

An Arc'Teryx jacket is no way different then any other high end jacket out there... price-wise they compare also... A Gore-Tex 3-ply will cost about 500-600$ in most quality brands out there... And even tought i have an Arc'Teryx store across the street from my office, i'll probably never buy anything in there... but they look good no matter what...

my 2 cents...


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## deadheadskier (Aug 28, 2008)

BigJay said:


> Let's just use a car metaphore...
> 
> A Columbia is like a GM car... It gets you from A to B... does the job... nothing special about it... design is not the force behind columbia... but value is... Same with GM cars
> 
> ...



Interesting analogy with the cars

For the record, I went from an Audi A6 to a Hyundai Sonata.  I like the Hyundai better accept for in deep snow driving.  

to each their own I guess with cars and ski gear


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## Hawkshot99 (Aug 28, 2008)

drjeff said:


> Would you ever go back to a "lesser" coat now that you've had a high end one?? I know I wouldn't.  You just don't realize how much of a difference the really good wind/water proof fabrics actually make for your comfort until you've been able to ski/ride in a coat made with them on days like they were designed for.



I dont have the brand you are all talking about here, but I do have several real nice jackets.  Predetor, and Helly Hanson.  They keep me extremely comfortable in all conditions.  Before I had them I just wore whatever was on sale.  Always got a insulated jacket to keep warm.  Now all my jackets are shells, and all I wear under them is a UnderArmour shirt, and usully open up some vents too.  This is on days when it is down near zero.  And talk about waterproof.  Ever sat on a broken lift for over a hour in the rain?  I stayed completly dry.


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## tjf67 (Aug 28, 2008)

drjeff said:


> Would you ever go back to a "lesser" coat now that you've had a high end one?? I know I wouldn't.  You just don't realize how much of a difference the really good wind/water proof fabrics actually make for your comfort until you've been able to ski/ride in a coat made with them on days like they were designed for.



There are only a few hobies I have.  I am not going to skimp on something that I enjoy doing.  I am getting a kick out of how long I can get my marmot to last.  I dont ever want to give it up.  My Marmot ski pants finally broke down.  I replaced them with the acer stuff and am not upset about it.   So I would say yes.  They are better quality, look better and last longer.


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## ZOG (Aug 28, 2008)

drjeff said:


> Basically, Arc'teryx as I'm told, was founded by a couple of ice climbers who wanted some REALLY technical gear to keep them warm and dry in just about any condition that mother nature could throw at them.
> 
> They developed a small following at first, and then some of their gear's popularity first spread to the back country crowd and now more mainstream.  From what one of the shop owners at Mount Snow told me, is similair to other high end super technical gear companies(Cloudveil, Marmot, Mountain Hardware), they don't cut ANY corners in the design and construction of their clothing.  It's not for everyone,  but for those that have it, it's apparently great stuff.
> 
> I'd bet that the owners real dream would be for their popularity to explode one day, and then they could do what Spyder + The Northface has done over the last 20 years or so, which is start off as a clothing company that makes exclusively really good, technical stuff and then go mainstream and make, ALOT of "okay" stuff and only a small amount of really good technical stuff, but make a bunch of $$ by branching out a selling their "okay" stuff at big box sporting goods stores.




They've already sold out.   Part of  Amer Group, parent of  Atomic, Salomon, Wilson, Precor, Mavic and others


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## Beetlenut (Aug 28, 2008)

BigJay said:


> ... but i found a Burton AK jacket at 50% off two seasons ago... and now i can't think about owning anything else... the jacket keeps you warm... no wind goes through... and is also breathable enough that you'll stay dry on the way down. It's also pretty compact... so carries great in the backcountry when you take it out on the climbs....


 
I have a pair of Burton bib-overall snowboarding pants that I ski in, that I bought back in 1994 before a trip out west. They're just like the day I bought them. Extremely well made and engineered!!


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## drjeff (Aug 28, 2008)

ZOG said:


> They've already sold out.   Part of  Amer Group, parent of  Atomic, Salomon, Wilson, Precor, Mavic and others



I'd guess then that the plan is to have them producing multi-million units per year and available in Dick's Sporting Goods and The Sports Authority by 2010 then


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## Grassi21 (Aug 28, 2008)

I've only had my Arc'teryx jacket for one season.  My Spyder jacket (that I still wear on sunny cold days cause it has ample room for layering) did nothing in terms of repelling water.  The Arc'teryx keeps me bone dry, I love the cut of the jacket, and is well crafted.  Well worth the money IMHO.


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## drjeff (Aug 28, 2008)

Grassi21 said:


> I've only had my Arc'teryx jacket for one season.  My Spyder jacket (that I still wear on sunny cold days cause it has ample room for layering) did nothing in terms of repelling water.  The Arc'teryx keeps me bone dry, I love the cut of the jacket, and is well crafted.  Well worth the money IMHO.



That's the thing with Spyder nowadays.  Definately an iconic brand in the ski wear industry,  but most of the stuff they brand nowadays isn't anywhere close to the quality of the stuff that the made back in the mid 80's through early 90's that got them the reputation of being really good stuff.  Nowadays with most Spyder gear, unless its from their world cup line or the highest of their freeride/back country line, the products they produce are generally mid-level performance gear interms of their technical features.  But what still sells them a ton of jackets and pants each year is that you'll see the US Ski Team(less Bode) wearing the web prints in media adds, and the same thing goes in Europe too, where the fact they got to outfit the Austrian Team starting a few years back was a HUGE deal.  Problem is, most of the stuff they sell, for the price it's sold for isn't really that good technically.

Generally I've found that if you find a lesser known brand, in a real ski shop that seems way overpriced compared to a brand that you'll regularly see on people in liftlines on crowded days, that's more than likely to be a very technical coat made without cutting any corners.


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## deadheadskier (Aug 28, 2008)

funny thing is, I bitch about the price of gear being outrageous, but professionally, I sell stuff that the average joe consumer would drop dead from the prices :lol:  

then again, even with what amounts to a 50% discount over what consumers would pay, most of my product I can't afford except for special occasions, so I bitch about it too :lol:


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## riverc0il (Aug 28, 2008)

drjeff said:


> That's the thing with Spyder nowadays.  Definately an iconic brand in the ski wear industry,  but most of the stuff they brand nowadays isn't anywhere close to the quality of the stuff that the made back in the mid 80's through early 90's that got them the reputation of being really good stuff.


Completely agree. Last year I wrote an opinion on my web site about the decrease in Spyder quality of products. My last jacket and glove bought from Spyder turned me completely away from the brand. I had stitching ripping out in less than two months use amongst other issues. 

As far as Arcteryx, they are astronomically over priced. Even when the stuff is on sale it is above my threshold for buying high quality goods (and I generally will go for quality even if it means paying a little but more despite my low cost approach to things). The car analogy doesn't really hold weight when comparing Arcteryx to an Audi. Audi's are certainly expensive but Joe middle class can still afford an Audi if he really wanted to. I would put Arcteryx into the Lamborghini class with the car analogy and put other higher quality vendors such as Marmot etc. in the Audi category. Spyder and Marker in the full size sedan category with department store no names rounding out the economy devision. For a non-alpinist skier, there is no way Arcteryx is worth the extra cost unless you have a lot of extra money to burn. I am an earn your turns type and I am fine with the quality of most mid-level gear (though I do splurge on Patagonia when it is on sale for base layers).


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## Hawkshot99 (Aug 28, 2008)

The shop I work at is going to start carrying North Face jackets this year.  They are one of the companies that has many levels of gear.  This is the main reason we have not carried them or similar companies.  Customer comes in and sees we carry a North Face jacket that costs $XXX.They look at it and remember how they saw North Face at Dicks or some other box store, for a whole lot less.  The difference is that they are completly different quality, but not something that you can really tell just by looking if you are just a regular consumer.  But they buy it and think how over priced the ski shop is.


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Aug 29, 2008)

Hawkshot99 said:


> The shop I work at is going to start carrying North Face jackets this year.  They are one of the companies that has many levels of gear.  This is the main reason we have not carried them or similar companies.  Customer comes in and sees we carry a North Face jacket that costs $XXX.They look at it and remember how they saw North Face at Dicks or some other box store, for a whole lot less.  The difference is that they are completly different quality, but not something that you can really tell just by looking if you are just a regular consumer.  But they buy it and think how over priced the ski shop is.



Dicks is great..I forgot about them but they have really good prices on NorthFace..and I bought some ski socks there for $5 less per pair than Nestors across the street..


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## Trekchick (Aug 29, 2008)

severine said:


> I believe quite a few of the Ski Divas are huge fans.  But all I know is they tend to size small and theirs is supposed to be high quality stuff.  What that translates to exactly I don't know... I don't spend big bucks like that on ski clothes.  My last ski jacket was around $100 on clearance (North Face) and my softshell was under $40 from SAC.


I'm not fond of Arc'teryx.  The few things I've tried have been ill fitting.  I love my Killtec Jacket, and Isis pants


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## deadheadskier (Aug 29, 2008)

Just picked up some Columbia titanium pants for $73.40 :grin:   We'll see how they work out and whether or not I should've dropped $300-$400 on Arc'teryx


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Aug 29, 2008)

deadheadskier said:


> Just picked up some Columbia titanium pants for $73.40 :grin:   We'll see how they work out and whether or not I should've dropped $300-$400 on Arc'teryx



I'm on my second pair of Ride Snowboard pants and they're fine unless it's pouring rain...cargo pockets are key for snowpants in case I'm not wearing a jacket or fanny pack..to keep my wallet, keys, steeze and cheeze.

My pants were $70 down from $120


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## Shroud (Aug 29, 2008)

I own more than a few pieces of Arc'teryx gear and have *never* regretted the money I spent on any of it. I can't say that about many companies and it isn't hyperbole. The gear is expensive and no one denies that. There is simply something special about the design and look of Arc'teryx gear that combined with the performance characteristics of the gear they make equates to money well spent at the end of the day.

Having said that, I've also never regretted the money I've spent on gear made by Marmot or Mountain Hardwear though. I've also owned (or still own) plenty of great pieces of gear by The North Face, Columbia and tons of other companies right down the line.

The simplest analogy other than the car one is to look at how some people judge a $20 bottle of wine vs a $100 bottle of wine. Some people will never understand why someone else would pay $100 for one bottle when they could buy 5 bottles of a $20 wine instead. They'll both get you drunk though.

Arc'teryx is no longer 100% Canadian manufacture however. Plenty of Arc'teryx manufacturing has been moved to China in recent years.


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## deadheadskier (Aug 29, 2008)

Shroud.....as someone who developed wine lists for numerous restaurants, I somewhat disagree with that analogy.  Once you get up over say $16-$20 a bottle wholesale, the returns diminish rapidly in terms of quality and in many cases are indistinguishable.  Wine makers and merchants will charge $100+++, heck $500++++ for a bottle of wine NOT because the quality is THAT much better than a $40 bottle, but because people are dumb enough to pay it and often times shell out that kind of cash for personal 'prestige'.   Take a look Vodka, Smirnoff wins more taste contests than any other brand out there, yet it costs less than half of what you'd pay for a bottle of Grey Goose and the production costs are nearly identical.

I'm certainly not discrediting the quality of Arc'teryx, I'm sure it's great stuff, but the cost to produce it I don't think is inline with their prices compared to more value oriented brands.  They charge what they do because people will pay it.  Such is the way of the free market capitalist society....not a bad thing, it just is what it is.


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## BigJay (Aug 29, 2008)

deadheadskier said:


> I'm certainly not discrediting the quality of Arc'teryx, I'm sure it's great stuff, but the cost to produce it I don't think is inline with their prices compared to more value oriented brands.  They charge what they do because people will pay it.  Such is the way of the free market capitalist society....not a bad thing, it just is what it is.



Well... You're a bit off there... Volume of sales come into play...

Switch sport and look into bike... No one will out-value Giant as far as components go in the all the spectre of the market... It's pretty simple, Giant owns many manufacture in China and Taiwan that produces bikes for Specialized, Trek and many others... So for sure, their cost is lower then those of it's competitors... but then factor in risks and technologies involved...

So as a general rule, if you take 3 bikes from the same pricepoint, Giant will be a bit cheaper and will have a slightly better derailler... slightly better tires and such... while being a few hundred less...

ArcTeryx will never have the same volume as TNF or Columbia... and then again, you're not looking at the same market... TNF and Columbia aim at the masses while ArcTeryx aims at niche market and specialized retailing... You won't see them at the local do-it-all shop at the shopping mart... They want core shop or outdoor store... Pretty normal if you want your "brand value" to stay high up there... If you sell out by going to branch-stores then you'll loose most of the first people who helped you sell your first jackets and got the brand started...


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## deadheadskier (Aug 29, 2008)

BigJay said:


> ... Pretty normal if you want your "brand value" to stay high up there... If you sell out by going to branch-stores then you'll loose most of the first people who helped you sell your first jackets and got the brand started...



like I said in different terms, you're paying for 'prestige' in a sense.  Depending on where a product is sold will affect it's prestige.  That's the way the human psych works.  If Acr'teryx puts their product in Dicks, it's still just as good of quality as the one on a shelf in a small retailer, but isn't perceived to be as good.  Kind of silly if you think about it.  However, the model does allow for the little guys to exist next to the big guys, which is a good thing.  Of course most little guys eventually get greedy and want to become a big guy.  From the sounds of Arc'teryx is doing just that.  Maybe I'll get to check them out someday when they become cheaper and are on the shelves of Dicks :lol:


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## Hawkshot99 (Aug 29, 2008)

deadheadskier said:


> If Acr'teryx puts their product in Dicks, it's still just as good of quality as the one on a shelf in a small retailer, but isn't perceived to be as good.



No the stuff you see at Dicks is not the same you see at a specialty shop.  It has the same name, but that is it.  The companies create different levels of gear, and sell the cheaper lower quality at the box stores.

I dont look at the clothing at my local dicks, but have looked at the snowboards.  My local Dicks carries Burton boards as well as some other brands.  Not one of the Burton brand boards they carry are in the Burton dealer catalogs I get.

Same with the Giro Helmets they sell.


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## Mildcat (Aug 29, 2008)

deadheadskier said:


> Just picked up some Columbia titanium pants for $73.40 :grin:   We'll see how they work out and whether or not I should've dropped $300-$400 on Arc'teryx



I picked up a pair of those at TJ Maxx's sale last year, I think I paid $30 or $35 for them. After a couple of uses I noticed tears on one of the legs and couldn't figure out how they got there. They still worked well and were well worth the $ I spent on them but it kind of turned me off of Columbia. Between the pants and a Columbia jacket I have I don't think I'll buy that brand again.


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## deadheadskier (Aug 29, 2008)

Hawkshot99 said:


> No the stuff you see at Dicks is not the same you see at a specialty shop.  It has the same name, but that is it.  The companies create different levels of gear, and sell the cheaper lower quality at the box stores.
> 
> I dont look at the clothing at my local dicks, but have looked at the snowboards.  My local Dicks carries Burton boards as well as some other brands.  Not one of the Burton brand boards they carry are in the Burton dealer catalogs I get.
> 
> Same with the Giro Helmets they sell.



I'm speaking more in theory than in literal terms.  You take two Jacket A's, put one in Dick's and one in a specialty shop and the one in Dick's will be perceived as lesser quality even if it's not.  I was addressing 'brand value'


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## deadheadskier (Aug 29, 2008)

Mildcat said:


> I picked up a pair of those at TJ Maxx's sale last year, I think I paid $30 or $35 for them. After a couple of uses I noticed tears on one of the legs and couldn't figure out how they got there. They still worked well and were well worth the $ I spent on them but it kind of turned me off of Columbia. Between the pants and a Columbia jacket I have I don't think I'll buy that brand again.



hopefully I have better luck.  My Columbia Jacket is going on it's fifth season, I paid $120 for it and I've never once wished I had a more waterproof or warmer (provided I layered properly) jacket.  

were the tears on the inside of the legs?  I've had that problem with numerous pants, but it's from the edges of my skis.


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## Hawkshot99 (Aug 29, 2008)

deadheadskier said:


> I'm speaking more in theory than in literal terms.  You take two Jacket A's, put one in Dick's and one in a specialty shop and the one in Dick's will be perceived as lesser quality even if it's not.  I was addressing 'brand value'



If it was just theory i would agree with you, but there is a reason that the theory exists.


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## Mildcat (Aug 30, 2008)

deadheadskier said:


> hopefully I have better luck.  My Columbia Jacket is going on it's fifth season, I paid $120 for it and I've never once wished I had a more waterproof or warmer (provided I layered properly) jacket.
> 
> were the tears on the inside of the legs?  I've had that problem with numerous pants, but it's from the edges of my skis.



The tears were on the inside of the legs and they probably were from the edge of the skis but I didn't have a huge wipeout and it seemed to happen too easily. I had the jacket four years and liked it but when I bought a better one I realized what I was missing. I still use the shell for spring skiing but I want to get a soft shell for that eventually.

That being said I skied over 50 days with those pants and hope to get a lot more with them this winter.Those pants don't owe me a dime.


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## Hawkshot99 (Aug 30, 2008)

Mildcat said:


> The tears were on the inside of the legs and they probably were from the edge of the skis but I didn't have a huge wipeout and it seemed to happen too easily.



Are they for skiers or boarders?  Ski pants will have a extra layer of a stronger material on the inner leg to protect the pants from the other foots ski edge.  Board pants do not have these.


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## Mildcat (Aug 30, 2008)

Hawkshot99 said:


> Are they for skiers or boarders?  Ski pants will have a extra layer of a stronger material on the inner leg to protect the pants from the other foots ski edge.  Board pants do not have these.



You know I never thought of that. :dunce: They are snowboard pants.


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## Shroud (Aug 30, 2008)

deadheadskier said:


> Shroud.....as someone who developed wine lists for numerous restaurants, I somewhat disagree with that analogy.  Once you get up over say $16-$20 a bottle wholesale, the returns diminish rapidly in terms of quality and in many cases are indistinguishable.  Wine makers and merchants will charge $100+++, heck $500++++ for a bottle of wine NOT because the quality is THAT much better than a $40 bottle, but because people are dumb enough to pay it and often times shell out that kind of cash for personal 'prestige'.   Take a look Vodka, Smirnoff wins more taste contests than any other brand out there, yet it costs less than half of what you'd pay for a bottle of Grey Goose and the production costs are nearly identical.
> 
> I'm certainly not discrediting the quality of Arc'teryx, I'm sure it's great stuff, but the cost to produce it I don't think is inline with their prices compared to more value oriented brands.  They charge what they do because people will pay it.  Such is the way of the free market capitalist society....not a bad thing, it just is what it is.


Well as someone who develops wine lists for restaurants, I would think you'd be willing to at least agree that certain expensive wines do taste *ALOT* better than the majority of  inexpensive wines out there. Some people will never be able to wrap their heads around why anyone would ever spend $100 on a bottle of wine and the same thing certainly occurs when people see that some hardshells made by Arc'teryx and Mountain Hardwear retail for $500+. It's so far outside their comfort zone when it comes to the price of a jacket that anything you say about how great the jacket is will never break down the wall they have to that shopping in that price range.

This is definitely the time of year to be on the lookout for deals though whether it be via SAC, REI annual sales, Backcountry, Sierra or wherever.


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## lloyd braun (Sep 3, 2008)

I bought an Eider jacket last year. 

Expensive, on the lines of Arc'terex but, similar quility. 

The performance of my Eider blows away the performance of my retired Moonstone jacket. Spending the money is worth it if you use the equipment often.


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## RootDKJ (Sep 3, 2008)

I bought some Predatorwear pants and a Jacket at their (old) clearance shop in Burlington.  The following year, they went out of business.  Good thing is I love the functionality of the gear and it seems to wear really well.


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## wa-loaf (Sep 3, 2008)

Just ordered a Cloudveil RPK jacket from Campmor. Just about 50% off.


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## Phillycore (Sep 3, 2008)

I bought my North Face Apex Bionic softshell(s) through Peter Glenn Ski and Sport and they sell the same identical ones at Dicks, and The Sports Authority.  Not everything at TSA and Dicks are lower quality than the core ski shops.  A lot of it is, but they do sell some of the same gear as the core shops do.  The core shops don't want you to know that though and they'll tell you otherwise.   FWIW... Most of the good local ski shops can normally come close in price to places like Dicks and TSA anyway, and building a good rep. with them is always a good thing.   When you need them they'll remember you.  Just my .02


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