The membership has been great! It's lifetime so there's no annual fee and you get dividends on the things you purchase in the form of credits you can spend at the store. For more information check out their website here.
A couple years ago we stumbled upon the garage sale and have been avid attenders since. We got great deals last time on a 6-person tent, sleeping pads, and footwear (hiking boots, five fingers).
We aren't the dedicated crazy people who camped out at the store and had been there since 4 pm the previous day. But we did get there at 7 am this morning and waited in line for 2+ hours by the time we got in.
This year's haul was targeted for Norway and more cold gear and light weight camping equipment. And we made out like bandits!!! We saved over $1324.15. Check out all the gear we grabbed this morning -
-REI taku pants: retail $169, garage sale $79.83 (worn once, savings $89.17)
-Bonfire spectral pants: retail $149.95, garage sale $79.83 (nothing wrong stated or found on our inspection, probably used but with tags on still, savings $70.12)
-REI sahara convertible pants: retail $64.50, garage sale $24.83 (worn, savings $39.67)
-Smarty original cargo pants: retail $205, garage sale $99.93 (nothing wrong stated or found on our inspection, probably used but with tags on still, savings $105.07)
-REI quarter dome t2 tent: retail $279, garage sale $99.83 (person said rain fly was too small, but we checked and its fine. It's also missing stakes, no big deal, savings $179.17)
-REI igneo sleeping bag: retail $329, garage sale $99.83 (used, savings $229.17)
-Big Agnes roxy ann: retail $239.95, garage sale $99.93 (zip broken- I spent <5 min looking at the zipper and its not broken. I zipped it up perfectly. Whoever returned it was dumb. Savings $140.02)
-REI Sahara hat: retail $34.50, garage sale $14.83 (used, washed, savings $19.67;I had picked out the same hat in clearance while waiting in line to shop the sale but put it back to save the extra on the garage sale one!)
-Columbia bugaboo insulated 3-in-1 jacket: retail $175, garage sale $37.83 (and I quote "not new, but not used, no defect", savings $137.17)
-Marmot sidehill component jacket: retail $325, garage sale $37.83 (nothing on tag and we can't find anything wrong, probably used, savings $287.17)
And these weren't garage sale but just clearance items we got- 2 turtle fur neck polartec covers for $8.12 each (retail $22, savings on both $27.75)
Afterwards we grabbed lunch and then headed to Sun and Ski sports for the last few things we needed-gloves, hats, and bike stuff. I had a $300 gift certificate from the MS 150 that was about to expire and needed to be used.
Here's the haul of things we got for only $321.93 (saving ~$400)-
I think we are set now on all our winter gear with a total savings today of $1724.15!!!!
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