To buy or not to buy?

That, indeed, is the question.

Last season I vowed I'd buy nothing. Nadda. Zip. No new ski equipment at all.

Yeah, right.

Aside from skis, I bought all new everything: gloves, boots, poles, jackets (2 of these, actually), ski pants, base layers. You get the picture.

It's really shameful. But the deals were just too good. I just couldn't pass them up.

This year I vowed the same. After all, after last season, what else could I possibly need? Except I blew it already. During my visit to the outlets at Freeport, Maine (home of LL Bean), I succumbed. I ended up with a North Face Thunder Jacket (but it was just what I was looking for! And at such a good price!) and a classic ski sweater (perfect for book signings!).

Did I need these things? No. But skiing is my weakness, and need had nothing to do with it.

Anyway, my intention when I started this post was to direct you to a listing of the many ski swaps you can find this time of year; excellent sources for gear that's either used or just left over from last year. Follow this link to a thread over at TheSkiDiva.

And happy shopping. Like me, you may find a deal that's just too good to pass up.

Be sure to visit TheSkiDiva.com, an internet forum especially for women skiers, where women skiers can connect with one another to talk about everything and anything ski-related.