Oh, REI, you beautiful, wonderful place.
For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the REI Garage Sale, it is an annual event in which REI sells returned or display items at an extremely reduced cost.
REI has a ridiculous return policy, in which you can return any item for any reason, within a year of its purchase date. All of these items stock up throughout the year, so REI puts on their Garage Sale to sell them. Some of the items are brand new, some of them have been gently used, and some of them have seen some shit. It’s really a toss up.
The REI locations in Minnesota put on their Garage Sale several times each year, but also put on a tent sale later in the year, as well.
I hit the Bloomington, Maple Grove, and Roseville REI locations for the sale, and I would suggest visiting them in that order. Bloomington is definitely the one to hit first out of all of them, as they had the most items.
The REI sale in Minnesota does things a bit differently than the other locations, so I’ve compiled my top 10 tips to surviving the sale in Minnesota – read more below, and read to the end to see what I scored at this year’s sale!
1. Know what you want ahead of time
This is important to have a successful run at the REI Garage Sale. If you have nothing you want or need from REI and are just going for kicks, then go forth and conquer. However, if you have a few things in mind, make a list of what you want ahead of time.
The REI Garage Sale gets pretty crazy. There are tons of people who all want the same great deals that you want, so having a list ahead of time helps you be more strategic at the sale. You’ll waste less time looking at smaller items, and make sure you’re hitting the areas of the sale that you want to right away.
2. Prioritize
This is even more vital to crushing it at the REI Garage Sale. Once the floodgates open, people begin rushing to different areas of the sale, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed or confused, and hit the first area you see in the sale. However, you want to have the list of items you’ve made that you’re looking for, and prioritize them, so you are immediately hitting the items that are most important to you.
Backpacks, bags, shoes, and tents are the most popular items that people rush to right away, so if those are at the top of your list, make sure you hit those areas right away, as they will pretty quickly be swamped with people, and items will be snatched up.
3. Arrive an hour early
This may be extreme, but if you want to get a good spot in line, you need to be there an hour early. I arrived at the Bloomington REI location one hour and fifteen minutes early, and there were still seven people ahead of me in line.
Many REI locations run their sale differently than Minnesota. Most locations allow groups of people to peruse the sale for fifteen or twenty minutes at a time, and then they move the next group through, in an attempt to keep things a little more fair and less chaotic. Once you go through the sale, you can get back in line to shop further, but you’ll likely have to wait a pretty lengthy amount of time.
However, in Minnesota, they pretty much just open their doors and let the chaos happen.
I did not see any separation of groups, and after two minutes of being in the sale, there were so many people cramped in one area that it was nearly impossible to move around. I knew that my number one priority item was a bag/suitcase, and my second priority item was trekking boots. However, it was slow-going heading to the shoe section from the bags, even though they were just feet apart, because there were so many people.
That’s why it’s so important to know what you want, and prioritize – it may be the only section or item you really get to take a good look at before the crowd pools in.
4. Grab items first, ask questions later
If you see an item you’re looking for, grab it and ask questions later. Because they let everyone in at once, the sale ramps up in energy quickly, but also peters out after about thirty minutes, when people seem to have grabbed their items. In the summer, REI Bloomington has items set out on their patio, just within the store by the rock wall, and on the small space on their second floor, so once people ravage the patio, they move on to the inside of the store. This frees up some space for shopping and thinking, so if you see items that look like what you want, pick them up and examine them later, to make sure they fit you and are what you’re looking for.
5. Know your warranties and return policies
Everything at the REI Garage Sale is sold as-is, with no returns accepted at REI. What you see is what you get. However, there’s a little bit of a loophole here.
Certain brands like Osprey, Patagonia, and North Face all have lifetime manufacturer’s warranties, so make sure you check them out online before you head to the sale. If you know there is a certain brand you’re looking for, read up on their manufacturer’s policies ahead of time.
Because the REI Garage Sale is selling returned items, and some of them may have been used for a year before being returned, some items can be a little rough. However, some manufacturers offer lifetime warranties, so if an item is broken or busted, they will repair it for you at no charge, and if they can’t repair it, they’ll send you a brand new one. Suddenly the broken backpack for $90 has become a brand new $300 backpack with the utilization of a manufacturers warranty.
6. Divide and conquer
If you go to the sale with a friend, and you both have similar priority items, split up and look for each other’s items. That way, you’ll hit more areas of the sale faster, and have a better shot of getting the items you want before the crowds pool in.
7. Make sure you try items on
I grabbed several items from the sale that I thought would be perfect for my Everest trek, but didn’t actually fit me when I tried them on. If you’re shopping for clothing at the sale, just grab what looks like it will fit you, and try it all on later, once you’ve had a chance to fully peruse the sale. Heading to a dressing room after you’ve checked the sale out also gives you a nice location to thoroughly check out all of the items you’ve picked up, and examine them for any kind of damage.
8. Take a second look at the sale
Many people will grab items and later decide they don’t want them, so back to the sale they go! It’s possible that someone could bring an item you want back to the sale, so it’s worth doing a quick, second run through of the sale before you head out.
9. Bargain
REI prices each item based on the reason for its return, and any damages that have been noted. At the sale, each item will be tagged, listing the name of the item, original cost, reason for return, and the Garage Sale cost. If you see damage to an item that wasn’t listed on the tag, don’t be afraid to tell the employee checking you out – they’ll likely give you a further discount on the item.
10. Be nice, and not just Minnesota nice
At the end of the day, it’s just a garage sale. A pretty killer one, but still just a garage sale. It’s not worth being rude to anyone to get your hands on a good deal, so while it’s great to be strategic, make sure you’re still polite and respectful to other garage sale attendees.
So what did I get?
I got some pretty rocking deals, and I’m still in a little bit of disbelief.
Prior to the sale, I made my list of items and prioritized them, and number one at the top of my list was a suitcase or daypack. Ideally, I wanted the Osprey Meridian 22, which I have had my eyes on for quite some time. However, as the bag is pretty popular, the odds of it being at the sale were super low. I’m also pretty particular about colors, and wanted the bag in black – so my odds of finding it were even slimmer, as the bag comes in other colors.
The minute I walked into the sale, I zeroed in on the bags, and to my surprise, sitting on a bench was this black Osprey Meridian 22.
Hallelujah! The tag read $250, and stated that the bag had been returned after use on one trip, as the person didn’t like it. The bag is originally $350, so I was prepared to pay $250, and was in utter shock that the exact item I’d been hoping for was there. I grabbed it and moved on to the rest of the sale.
The reason the Osprey Meridian is so awesome is that it is a convertible piece of luggage that’s perfect for travel, especially the long-term variety. The back of the suitcase unzips, and you can convert it into a backpack, so you can carry it on your back if you need to.
You can still wheel it around like a normal suitcase, but having the option to convert it into a backpack is pretty sweet.
The front of the suitcase also detaches and turns into a daypack.
This is awesome, because if you’re planning on doing smaller hikes or adventures within your travels, you have a nice daypack that easily attaches and detaches from your luggage. I’m super pumped about it!
Later, I checked out the bag for damages. The bottom of the suitcase was pretty scuffed up, and I found it pretty hard to believe the person used it for only one trip, but I was willing to buy the suitcase anyway, because a little scuffing at the bottom of a suitcase never hurt anybody. However, when I unzipped the backpack strap portion of the suitcase, I saw there was a pretty big rip in one of the straps.
I still wasn’t dispelled from purchasing the bag, as Osprey has a lifetime manufacturer’s warranty, and will repair the bag for me at no cost, and if they can’t repair it, they’ll send me a new one. Either way, it’s a win and I’m essentially getting a new bag.
When I went to check out, the employee asked me if there were any damages to the bag, and I showed her the strap. She marked the bag down to $170, because the strap rip wasn’t listed on the Garage Sale tag. That’s such a steal for a $350 suitcase, especially one as amazing as the Meridian, and especially with Osprey’s awesome warranty.
Update: I sent the bag in to Osprey, and they fixed the strap as well as the scuffed up piece at the bottom of the bag. Score!
The next score I got at the sale was equally as ridiculous. I got a Patagonia Better Sweater for $30.
Yes, $30.
The Patagonia Better Sweater originally runs for $139. And I got one for $30.
I’ve had my eye on the Better Sweater for quite some time, and wanted one in either cream or black. I also wanted the full-zip version, as I’m not a huge fan of quarter-zips.
They pretty much had exactly what I was looking for!
The sweater was worn once, and it looks utterly brand new. The person returned it due to “pilling” on the sweater. When I looked at it, the pilling was black, and the sweater is obviously cream. I know people who have owned the Better Sweater for a long time, and theirs have never pilled, so I thought the owner might have worn the sweater under a black winter coat with some kind of fleece lining that rubbed against the sweater, causing the pilling. Either way, I have a little machine that de-pills sweaters, so it wasn’t a big deal to me. It took two minutes to get all of the pilling off, and now I basically have a new Patagonia Better Sweater for $30. Score.
I also found the exact headlamp I had wanted to purchase for my Everest trek and various camping adventures, and it was just over $30.
It was brand new. The person who bought it decided they wanted a different headlamp, so they returned this one.
I also purchased two base layers for my Everest trek – both are from Odlo, which is a wonderful brand that I’m a bit obsessed with. Their base layers are soft and amazing. I had my eye on these two pieces from the moment I started planning and researching my Everest trek and the gear I would need.
They were both brand new, and I got them both for $30. I’m pretty sure these were actually just on clearance, as I found them on the second floor of the REI Garage Sale, and it seemed like they had some clearance racks intermixed with the Garage Sale items. Either way, they’re brand new, and a great deal. The shirt above was originally $90, and the shirt below was originally $70, so I got $160 worth of Odlo base layers for my trek for only $60.
After purchasing my sweet deals at the Bloomington location, I headed to Maple Grove, where I picked up a few more items.
The first was this water bladder, which was brand new. The person returned it because they couldn’t fit it in their pack when they brought it home.
It was only $10. I also really wanted a water bladder that had a cover on it, so I wouldn’t accidentally get the mouthpiece dirty on the trek.
I also found Kaysey a Camelbak water bladder for our trek, which was also only $10.
Next, I found these Gortex gloves, which fit perfectly, are super thick and warm, and also have little pockets on the hands that I’m not exactly sure what I could use for. To Everest they go!
Last but not least, I got a North Face black down vest for $70, which was originally $150.
The down vest was also on my list for Everest, so I stocked up pretty well on gear during the sale.
I also went to the Roseville REI location, and got there by noon, three hours after the sale started. It was pretty picked over, so I didn’t end up buying anything there. However, my deals from the first sale alone were enough to make me happy, so I was totally cool with not getting anything else in Roseville.
Another successful REI run, and one more move toward checking something off my 25 Things list!
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