Clear out your closet, find affordable gear, and help local nonprofits at REI’s used gear swap. This year, it’s bigger than ever.
Almost everything about shopping for gear is fun — trying it on, testing the weight, imagining using it for the first time. Everything, that is, except the price. New outdoor gear often carries sticker shock.
That’s why used gear, repair shops, and consignment stores have grown in popularity. Not only is used gear easier on the budget, but it’s also better for the environment (reducing impact by reusing old materials). So for the second year running, REI will get in on the action, hosting used gear swaps across the country. And with 11 stores hosting swaps, this year’s event will be nearly double last year’s six-store debut.
Table fees from the events — taking place Oct. 27 — will support local nonprofits. Here’s what you need to know.
REI Used Gear Swap
First off, only REI members can shop at the used gear swap. But nonmembers can still take part. Members can bring one nonmember guest each, and anyone can register for a table to sell their gear.
And of course, anyone who hasn’t joined the co-op can become a lifetime member for $20.
REI will charge a $20 table fee to sell gear at the swap. All those proceeds go to a nonprofit partner of each local swap. Check out the event listings below to find the used gear swap nearest you.
All events will happen simultaneously on Oct. 27 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The co-op encourages participants to buy, sell, trade, and haggle to score deals. And REI will collect any gear vendors don’t sell to donate to local nonprofits.
REI will welcome sellers to bring in most outdoor gear, with a few exceptions. Motorized vehicles and safety equipment like helmets and load-bearing climbing equipment will not be permitted, nor will any guns, knives, or “anything that would be considered a weapon.”
But tents, coats, bicycles, stoves, and just about everything else is fair game. So crack open the closet, grab everything you haven’t used in the last year or two, and get ready for a good ol’ fashioned gear swap!
