As a skier and a bicyclist, I have always resented how the "lifestyle" industry will bend two pieces of pipe worth $10, call it a ski rack or a bike rack and charge $250 for it. Now that I have a pool, I see the same thing. Everything is outrageously priced. I think the marketing idea is that if people have money for a pool, they have money to burn.
When I first started my business, I noticed this too. Mom and pop office supply stores would charge a fortune for a file cabinet. This was pre-internet, pre-Staples. I would love to see a national discount chain emerge that handles summer sports/winter sports and just adjusts the floor space according to the season, with huge "end of season" blowouts twice a year as they adjust the floor space.
