Garage Sale at REI

Yesterday Tommy, Tori and I went shopping for Tori's Kenya trip supplies. We had already found all of the necessary toiletries, meds, etc. and ended up at REI cause she wanted a "Life Is Good" cap and a compressible pillow and stuff.

She really wants an oversized, comfy, soft, light jacket for the plane and found exactly what she was looking for in a "garage sale" pile in the back of the store for just under $10. The only thing wrong with it was the zipper was broken. She didn't care cause she never zips it anyway.

There was some pretty strange stuff in that corner! Some of the stuff was used and returned and some was damaged. I can appreciate a bargain as much as the next person but I just didn't expect this type of stuff to be sold in an upscale outdoor equipment store such as REI. I think one running shirt had sweat stains on it. There was even a pair of insoles that were obviously used and filthy. Now that's gross! There was another shirt that we tried to get a pic of the tag cause it was too funny to me. The picture didn't come out but here's about what it said. "Worn 9 months, small hole in right arm pit." First, it's amazing to me that they would take something back after 9 months! Second, it's amazing to me that anyone would want to buy it!! It was a simple, plain green tshirt that had been worn by who knows who and who knows where and it had a hole in it. That's just crazy to me!!

Ok, so we went to pay and the lady said we had to be an REI member in order to get the garage sale prices. To be a member, we'd pay a $20 fee and then we'd get 10% off of future purchases and be able to buy stuff from their garage sale. I honestly wanted to laugh out loud but refrained. We didn't get the jacket cause then it would have cost us $30 instead of $10, we don't shop at REI that often and we would be just end up getting more junk email and snail mail. Not to mention that it would feed the materialistic demons of discontent and we'd end up "needing" a kayak or our own rock climbing equipment for all the big rocks we climb around here. Of course, I guess we would save 10% on it, though.

My question is this. They are garage sale items that are either used or damaged but they're saving that stuff for the members? Like it's special or something! Like it's a membership perk to get someone's used and returned junk! If they have a membership they could get the new stuff for 10% off! I mean think about it. Their members are sold on the new and expensive stuff. They will most likely buy that tshirt new for $40 (with their coveted %10 off!). You would think that REI would just want to sell this used/damaged stuff to anyone to get rid of it. I think this membership only garage sale concept is high up on the list of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard.

So, it made me think. We're having a garage sale soon, no date set yet. We've got some good used stuff and there may even be something in the lot with a small hole in the arm pit. I think I may sell memberships to get to shop at my garage sale. Maybe for only $5 or $10, $20 is a bit much. I'll reserve a special corner for membership holders.

Anyone who wants to send this to REI is welcome to. I think I may even do it myself. Maybe they'll see how ridiculous of a thing it is they are doing. Nothing against the store, we like their stuff, I just have issues with the whole membership perk/garage sale concept.