REI Garage Sale...best kept secret

[rennigade]

Does anyone shop at REI? We have a store near us...less then 3 miles away. Once every other month they have a garage sale for members. Anytime someone returns an item to the store it goes to the garage sale. Whether its wore one time and looks brand new...it will be resold at a huge discount at the garage sale.

We've been going there for years. We buy all our shoes/boots there. If you're not familiar with REI its 95% high end outdoors stuff.

They had a sale over the weekend. I bought a retail $170 north face insulated snow pants for $48. A $60 pair of ski gloves for $14...and my wife picked up a backpack that retails for $80...it was priced around $20.

My best scores were 2 pairs of salomon hiking boots (different colors), retail $230...sold for $40 each. https://www.rei.com/product/881783/s...ing-boots-mens

Of course there is a catch. Its first come first serve and you have to line up a couple hours before the garage sale opens.

Does anyone else hit up these sales?

[disneysteve]

Of course there is a catch. Its first come first serve and you have to line up a couple hours before the garage sale opens.

Does anyone else hit up these sales?

There is nothing that I want or need that badly that I would line up for hours to get.

Years ago, when I was selling regularly on ebay, I did use to go to the annual tent sale at the Lenox collectibles outlet in PA. They would sell merchandise for pennies on the dollar which I would turn around and resell. That was well worth my time and I made a bundle doing that. But to buy clothing for myself, no way am I doing that.

[rennigade]

But to buy clothing for myself, no way am I doing that.

They do have other stuff. A couple kayaks were being sold. Some girl bought a cannondale bike that retailed for $700ish...she got it for $300. Handle bars were scratched. That was a nice deal if you're into bikes.

My in laws said they would never wait in line but were more than happy to accept merrells we purchased for them (at their request.)

[scfr]

If I were an outdoor enthusiast, I would go. REI sells quality gear, and it sounds like the savings are really significant.

Knowing about the long waits in advance would be helpful, so that plans could be made to turn it in to productive time.

[rennigade]

Knowing about the long waits in advance would be helpful, so that plans could be made to turn it in to productive time.

Most people read to pass the time. I just listen to podcasts. Everyone brings those camping chairs to sit in. People are pretty civil...I only ever had to let 2 people know to head to the back of the line when they cut in front of everyone to stand with their friends. When ive been sitting in cold temperatures for 2 hours and people walk up and stand with their friends for the last 30 minutes...thats not gonna happen on my watch.

[bjl584]

I've never heard of REI.
Where are you located?

[rennigade]

I've never heard of REI.
Where are you located?

Im in maryland. Usually REI's are only around major cities...high populations of people.

[disneysteve]

Im in maryland. Usually REI's are only around major cities...high populations of people.

We have them in NJ.

[Drake3287]

We have similar things in the Bay Area. North Face has a seconds store in Berkeley which is open year round and has a ton of stuff for almost 1/2 off. Just hard to find the right color or size sometimes. Mostly older products going out of stock.

The other HUGE deal we have is Mountain Hardware which is a close competitor of North Face. They have an employee only store in Richmond that sell's everything Mountain Hardware offers and the price is 50% off everything.

Adjacent to the store is a restaurant that gives a day pass/coupon for entrance to the store if you eat there. Best unadvertised deal around.

[phantom]

I've never heard of REI.
Where are you located?

I'm not sure what part of Pittsburgh you're in, but there's an REI in Robbinson, specifically in Settler's Ridge.