Goal - Support education at Newport High School

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1. Newport PTSA Income - The Newport High School Parent Teacher Student Association use the profits to provide Newport High School administrator and teacher grants for unfunded educational needs.

2. Reduced skiing and snowboarding cost - Provide lower priced new and used gear. We feel it is important to lower the costs for families and those just trying the sport for the first time. This provides more opportunity to get into the mountains and away from our hectic lives.

3. Recycle good used customer gear - Provide an opportunity for students (and parents) to sell skis, snowboards and accessories which they have grown out of, either physically or through increased skill, again reducing the cost of the skiing or snowboarding experience.

4. Student Learning opportunity - Provide interested students an opportunity to learn about planning for, setting up and running a small business including acquiring, training and leading staff, advertising, setting up a store front, acquiring, organizing and selling merchandise, taking payment for goods, paying consignees, returning the store to its former state and closing down the business..

5. Having Fun - The swap is a massively big, fast, and a great time. Talking and working with friends, some of whom you may only see at the yearly ski swap or out on the slopes. It is also super fun helping people find great gear at a great price so they can have fabulous time on the mountain slopes.

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2018 Swap Statistics - We set a high goal of $750,000 and came in at $688,000 before tax and $755,000 with tax, 6% above 2017.  Since 1986, we have sold snow sports gear worth over $6,000,000 with net profit to the PTSA of ~$1,097,000.  We had 5,833 customers (not including children) down 1000 from 2017 maybe due to the 2017 one+ hour entry lines.   

 

In 2021, we added a Customer Entry Queue and Signup which made the swap so smooth and easy year with no lines in or out  We have also improved our processes and systems.   We try to open 15-20 minutes early both days.

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2017 Swap (2017 Stats, 2016 Stats, Customer Email) - We set a high goal of $700,000 and came in at $650,000 before tax, 11% above 2016, which was up 47.5% above 2015 which was up 33% from 2013. We had 6,954 customers, 4,066 (not including children) on the 1st day alone. 

 

Thanks - A big Thank You to all of the shops and individuals who supplied the gear, to the customers who bought gear and and to the many volunteers and shop personnel who make the whole thing work. A big big thanks to all involved including the Newport High School staff who allowed us to use their facilities during school hours on Thursday.

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** Swap Photos
** Swap Facebook - Share with friends and family.
** Swap Statistics: 1986 to 2015

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Reasons why customers like the Newport Ski Swap

 

Biggest & Best - Why pay more or settle for lower quality? This sale is huge, with 17,000 Sq. feet, over 10,000 inventory items and over $750,000 in sales. It is well organized with a huge selection of equipment and accessories at incredibly low prices. The swap provides tremendous value for the school, buyers and sellers! The Newport Ski swap rivals the big commercial events in Seattle except that we have More Gear, Lower Prices, Free Entry (after 1st Tracks) and Free Parking. We take major Credit/Debit Cards (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, more), personal checks and of course, cash.  

 

We are in Factoria, south Bellevue WA with easy access from both I-405 (Coal Creek) & I-90 (150th SE).

 

Major savings on NEW gear (30-60%) - Local ski and snowboard stores offer gear at highly discounted gear, often 30-60% discount off regular season prices. How do they do it? Every year, the industry over-manufactures by as much as 30%. This is not junk but rather high quality, new gear that shops have left over or that they buy at a discount from manufacturers for swaps.

 

Major savings on USED gear (50-90%) - This is a great opportunity to help others by selling your good used equipment or buying someone else's. Note: Sporting equipment and clothing value drops about 50% per year for the first three years ($600, $300, $150, $75). Some of this gear has only been used 4-5 times. Many people come year after year to trade-up their gear as their kids grow and their skill improves. There are 1,000s of very nice, high quality, high value, used items for sale at amazingly low prices.

 

Ski Day Convenience - It is much more convenient for new skiers and boarders to have their own equipment than to stand in line each week to rent equipment (30-60 minutes wait prime season). Renting in town also requires time for pickup and drop-off. Buying used is very cost effective since used equipment is deeply discounted and often costs less than renting for the season.

 

One Stop Shopping Convenience - We have new and used equipment for beginner, intermediate, advanced and expert skiers and snowboarders so you can outfit the entire family. We have all the accessories that you will need including jackets, pants, underwear, socks, helmets, goggles, poles, boots, bindings, racks, packs, bling and more.

Snowsports Shops provide fabulous gear at incredible prices as well as providing technical assistance to find the just-right gear for you. Ask for a discount setup/tune coupon from the shops as they can also tune your gear so that it performs well on the slopes making it much easier to learn.
 

Booths - The Seattle Mountaineers will showcase their services such as the ski chalets at Baker and Stevens. Outdoors Northwest, long affiliated with the Ski Swap, with be there with magazines and service offerings. Hope on the Slopes, an American Cancer Society, affiliate will show us their fun fundraising opportunities. I've snowboarded at the Stevens Pass 24 hour Hope on the Slopes event in support of family members battling cancer and earned money for the great cause while having a fabulous and unique time. A number of Newport High Clubs will be at the swap providing food for the shoppers.
 

Snowsports Training - You can also sign up for Bellevue Ski & Snowboard School for Elementary, Middle or High School students. Husky Winter Sports who helps us with advertising at the University of Washington will also be at the swap.
 

Ski Areas - The Summit at Snoqualmie and other mountains will be at the swap providing information, hiring instructors and offering Seasons Passes and snowsports training.

 

Charity - The Swap also has valued association with other charities such as SOS Outreach, a sports-based youth development organization. In past years, we also contributed hundreds of left over soft goods (jackets, pants, fleece, vents, hats, gloves) to Camp Korey who mission is to honor the courage, strength, and determination of children and their families who battle life-threatening and serious illnesses; and to provide them with a safe, friendly, medically sound environment in which to simply have fun and be kids and also to Seattle's Union Gospel Mission to provide some protection from the elements for homeless folk.

 

Volunteer Hours - For working at the swap, students get volunteer hours needed to graduate.  We also feed our volunteers snacks, drinks and breakfast, lunch and dinner.

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Thanks again for your support,

Don Meyer,
PTSA Swap Chair