REI Garage Sale

[fiveonomo]

Hey all, I managed to snag some gift cards and some cash for Christmas and my Birthday. Gonna head to my first REI Garage Sale on Saturday morning. Any advice for a Garage Sale newbie?

My plan is to be there around 0500 but it could be earlier if need be. I have to work Friday ( 24 hour shift) but I got a guy coming in for me at 2200 and my plan was to crash at work until about 0430 and then head for the sale. Any thoughts are welcome, even the negative. I have never been so I need to experience it and make my own decision on what I think but just thought I would ask. Thanks in advance.

[Freedom Walker]

Never been to one either, but like any sale make a list and pick-up quickly anything you can use before someone else can. You can put it down if you decide you don't want to buy. Closest REI to me is near Nashville, 90 miles away.

[fiveonomo]

Thanks Freedom!

[SOBO_Pace]

Get in and just grab as much returned gear as you can. Then look at the flaws in the item and put back what you don't want. It's a ass thing to do but that's the thing to do. Also wait around for a little bit because others are doing the same as you and you can find other deals.
What REI is having the sale?

[RedBeerd]

Yeah, don't go. People turn into obnoxious animals at these things. People stuff their bags full to go examine it in a corner and then ditch what they don't want. The whole thing is absurd. But if you do go my advice is become a raging lunatic and disregard other people. Be a selfish ******* and you MIGHT make out okay.

[Freedom Walker]

Hey all, I managed to snag some gift cards and some cash for Christmas and my Birthday. Gonna head to my first REI Garage Sale on Saturday morning. Any advice for a Garage Sale newbie?

My plan is to be there around 0500 but it could be earlier if need be. I have to work Friday ( 24 hour shift) but I got a guy coming in for me at 2200 and my plan was to crash at work until about 0430 and then head for the sale. Any thoughts are welcome, even the negative. I have never been so I need to experience it and make my own decision on what I think but just thought I would ask. Thanks in advance.

After a second thought, if you are a member of REI, be patient and wait for the online sales. On Black Friday they had several items 50% off. I was interested in a Down Jacket reg 200. for 99. I hesitated and it was back to reg price a few days later. Sometimes They have 20% off reg items and outlet items as well. Currently they are offering a $100. gift card for getting the REI Vista. I did that earlier this year and applied it to my new boots. If you do go, come back and let us know if it was worth it. I live to far away to try and attend. Remember, REI offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

[Grey Ghost]

Anything you buy at the Garage Sale at REI has no guarantee. I was planning on going but I do not know if it would be worth it. Good luck if you go.

[rjjones]

Get there early and be prepared to throw some elbows.Went once,i couldnt beleive how rude people were.No wonder i hike in the woods by myself.

[fiveonomo]

The REI in Richmond, VA is having the sale. Sounds like an irritating waste of time. However, I will be leaving work at 4 am, that will put me there at 5 am to see what it is all about. I will give a full report tomorrow night.

[TNhiker]

If you do go, come back and let us know if it was worth it. I live to far away to try and attend

likewise...............except this week, while visiting the folks---i'm in an area that i could potentially be at 4 different REI's within a short drive of each other.....

but not at house im at right now............it would take me 2 hours to get into beltway region, and behold 4 REIs are at my beck and call.........

however, i'm not an early riser, and at the utmost earliest (and seeing as i'm writing this at 130 in the morning the odds go down) i would be at one would be noon.......

luckily........i have most everything i need already (bought new boots.....bought new tent last month.......etc etc etc) ........so it would be more of a curiousity adventure than a necessity adventure....

i do have plans on stopping at the REI that is about 15 minutes from my dads house as i want to compare their selection of boots.....

i was just in the college park REI the other day buying a new set of boots but i figure while nearby, i should check out the selection at the columbia store.....

as with REI's 100% guarantee, if im not happy after i've put these new ones through a practical on trail test----i can get something else.....

it will be interesting to see what is left of the used gear sale in the early afternoon.....

i do know at the columbia store---someone should be getting a killer deal on a big agnes fly creek UL 1..........as i just returned a new and unused one of those there last month......

[fiveonomo]

At some point by someone I was told that you could not camp here or hang out except for a couple of hours before the sale. I got here at just a few minutes after 0500 and the tents are wrapped around the building, parking lot is full. Guess I missed the bus on this one. It's cold and raining, I don't need anything, not sure if I'm staying.

[fiveonomo]

image.jpg I guess I will go get in line......maybe.

[yellowsirocco]

At some point by someone I was told that you could not camp here or hang out except for a couple of hours before the sale. I got here at just a few minutes after 0500 and the tents are wrapped around the building, parking lot is full. Guess I missed the bus on this one. It's cold and raining, I don't need anything, not sure if I'm staying.

There will be other garage sales. It is not worth it to stand in the rain.

[fiveonomo]

I agree, however. I took off from work and left in the middle of the night. I gotta stay and see what it is like, I took leave and made the drive.

[fiveonomo]

Man there is a ton of people here and they are rolling in steady. This will be more of a recon mission for future sales.

[G-FOURce]

Man there is a ton of people here and they are rolling in steady. This will be more of a recon mission for future sales.

its absolute chaos. i should have told you... stick around a bit as people almost always grab far more than they need/want and end up putting stuff back down.

[Northern Lights]

Those are some serious outdoors folks to camp out and maybe get something they want. But I'd probably do it too if we had an REI

[RyanK817]

Yeah I have never had a good experience at REI used gear sales. It's worse than Black Friday because people are just as rude and aggressive, but there is no order or structure to the layout of the merchandise, seems like it's different at every sale. I see tug-of-war going on with items every time, and like others have mentioned, the only way to figure out what items are there and what kind of condition they're in is to just grab an armful of stuff and go hide somewhere in the store and go through it, which ruins it for everyone else. You really need to be able to look through all the tables to see what kind of gear is there, but in reality anything worth buying is claimed in the first 3 minutes. Boots & shoes are the one thing that they have plenty of and you have a good chance of snagging a good deal on throughout the first few hours. I got a pair of goretex Merrell Moabs last year in brand new condition for $50. I don't plan on going to another one any time soon though. Sad to see the spirit of outdoorsmanship go up in smoke when you can save a few bucks.

[fiveonomo]

Hello all, I have returned from my first REI Garage Sale and it was a success. I got there around 0500 and stayed until noon. I am happy to report that I saw none of the bad stuff that we were discussing in this thread. Not sure if I just was never in the right place or it just didn't happen. All I saw was very kind and courteous people helping each other out.


My thoughts are that if you are going to one of these you need a plan. If you want a tent go directly to the tents, if you want a pack go directly to packs, etc.. I ended up in the shoes first and racked up. Merrill moabs for $7.41 like new and three other pairs as well. Vibram toe shoes for $10, like new...the retailed for $110. I got a BA Big House 4 for some car family camping, $125. Since I had Christmas and Birthday money I bought a bunch of other stuff new, I had a great day.


Total cost for the used (like new) stuff was $175.11, pretty cool. I definitely will be going back it was well worth it.


image.jpg

[Northern Lights]

Hello all, I have returned from my first REI Garage Sale and it was a success. I got there around 0500 and stayed until noon. I am happy to report that I saw none of the bad stuff that we were discussing in this thread. Not sure if I just was never in the right place or it just didn't happen. All I saw was very kind and courteous people helping each other out.


My thoughts are that if you are going to one of these you need a plan. If you want a tent go directly to the tents, if you want a pack go directly to packs, etc.. I ended up in the shoes first and racked up. Merrill moabs for $7.41 like new and three other pairs as well. Vibram toe shoes for $10, like new...the retailed for $110. I got a BA Big House 4 for some car family camping, $125. Since I had Christmas and Birthday money I bought a bunch of other stuff new, I had a great day.


Total cost for the used (like new) stuff was $175.11, pretty cool. I definitely will be going back it was well worth it.


image.jpg

Cool Beans, glad you found some good deals