garage sale.

Today was the quarterly REI garage sale. This is the super sale for REI members ($20 to join for life) to go and get sweet stuff for super cheep prices. I personally am not a REI member, but Zan's family is, so I get to join in the fun and see what kinds of sweet things I can score! Let me try to paint a picture for you so you can have some idea what this sale is like. Basically, you have to get there pretty early and stand in line for a couple of hours before the doors even open. Some people get the as early 6:30 to snag a spot at the front of the line, but we usually get there around 8:15 or so and get a pretty decent place in the crowd. It was a little on the chili side today so there were people wrapped in blankets, and there was even one guy standing in a down sleeping bag. I dressed appropriately in a warm fleece, my hooded down jacket, and a hat.. the only thing that was cold were my toes!!!

The doors opened at 10 AM and by then the line had gotten very long, wrapping around the parking lot. They let in about 20 members at a time and we made it inside in the 2nd round of people. The sale does not take place in the main store-- Instead they put all the items in the back store room so it's pretty cramped back there, if you can imagine. The sale is mostly returned items- some used, but a lot new- and they even had some stuff this weekend that was brand new and only used for a photo shoot. Awesome! I snagged 2 brand new jackets- one windstopper Marmot fleece in a pretty red/orange color and also a knee-length black REI brand rain jacket (which is just what I've been pining for!). They have all kinds of different items at the garage sale, ranging from clothes, bikes, skis and ski boots, backpacks, shoes, gloves, car roof racks, tents, sleeping bags, and all kinds of little nicknacks . There are thousands of items and you can get a lot of them at 50%-90% of the original price, which is AMAZING because a lot of the stuff is really very costly at full price.

It was a fun day and I came home with some great stuff!!

Can't even wait to see what the next yard sale brings.