Stores like Play It Again Sports offer a good starting place to begin shopping for used equipment and apparel. The franchise has grown to more than 700 locations nationwide, with nearly 25 stores in the Chicago area.Boyce Bitz, manager of the Play It Again Sports in Schaumburg, said the franchise offers customers three different options."We offer the choices of trading in used equipment for cash or credit on purchases, or of buying used gear at substantial savings," Bitz said. "There's also a third option some people don't know about: Half of our business includes new merchandise as well. We're the second largest sports retailer in the nation."Pete Johnson, manager of the Play It Again Sports store in Skokie, explained the various options and benefits of selling used equipment."The low option, money-wise, is if we buy something outright and give cash for it," Johnson said. "Customers would get about 35 percent of the retail price. If they use the item in trade, we offer them 40 percent of the retail selling price. But the best option of all is consignment."Customer and retailer take a 50/50 split on consignment items, Johnson said, with the retailer usually suggesting a selling price."We've been in this business a while and pretty much know what things sell for," Johnson said. "Most used goods are sold for approximately half the original retail, but you have to price used things attractively or there's no point in buying them."Jerry's Pro Shops is a chain retailer with eight stores in the Chicago area, including Rolling Meadows, Downers Grove, Glenview, Skokie and Crystal Lake.Schaumburg manager Dan Denight said the stores deal strictly with hockey skates and goalie equipment and offer only trade-ins, not cash deals."We offer anywhere from $20 to as much as $150 for top-of-the-line adult skates," Denight said. "Most of our used equipment is in really good shape since it's been used by kids for just one season. We have gloves, pads, helmets and skates."Independent stores not part of the franchise network offer similar deals and may even work off closer profit margins than their larger counterparts. Sports Exchange Chicago Ltd. on Western Avenue in Chicago is one example.
"I've been in business 10 years, and we work with people here in the neighborhood," said owner John Bodi. "We buy second-hand items and sell most of them for 50 percent off the original retail. At least 75 percent of our goods is used merchandise."Play It Again Sports stores contacted said about 60 percent of their equipment, on average, is used. Bitz said newer stores might have far less used equipment because "their core customer base has not been established.""After a while, people in the area tend to bring items in again and again, but I feel as though we can never get our hands on enough used things," Johnson said. "As far as shopping, I've got people who come in week after week. I'm not sure what they're looking for, but there are people who shop religiously, looking for great bargains. Timing is everything."Bitz said the most common items he buys used include baseball, golf and soccer gear. In winter, hockey and the downhill ski market pick up. And later on, there's more activity with in-line skating, water sports and yard games.Johnson's used market is led by golf and exercise equipment, followed by in-line skating, hockey and baseball."When it comes to trading golf clubs, we're looking strictly for sets, not individual clubs," Bitz said. "When you're ready to upgrade, we're involved in a demo program where golf stores sell us their big-name clubs like Callaways, Pings and Cobras at a huge discount."Johnson and Bitz said there are great buys on new sets of clubs as well: A set of eight irons and three woods, all with graphite shafts and made locally by Northwestern of Skokie, is priced at $200.Johnson said Delta of Chicago offers another eight-iron/three-wood set for $139, and a Rawlings set including bag, head covers, putter and 11 clubs for $179.
Bodi says mountain bikes are a huge market at Sports Exchange, followed by golf clubs, skis, ice skates, and fishing and camping gear.
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