Published March 5, 2013 02:06PM
1) Second Ascent; Seattle, WA
2) Next Adventure; Portland, OR
3) Switchback Gear Exchange; Marquette, MI
4) Mountain Equipment Recyclers Inc.; Colorado Springs, CO
5) Second Gear; Asheville, NC
6) The Gear Revival; Atlanta, GA
7) Wilderness Exchange Unlimited; Denver, CO
8) International Mountain Equipment; North Conway, NH
9) Old Goat Gear Exchange; Ithaca, NY
10) Outdoor Gear Exchange; Burlington, VT
Runners Up:
Second Wind Sports Inc.; Bozeman, MT;
Headwall Recycle Sports; Jackson, WY
Repeat Performance; Bend OR
Seasoned Outdoor Exchange; Boulder, CO
Backcountry Essentials; Bellingham, WA
Find the best bargains:
>> “Good deals on new gear happen at season’s end [see left],” says Second Ascent owner Greg Shaw. “But with used gear, it’s the opposite; you’ll find the best summer gear in May, and skis in September.”
>> “Our inventory changes constantly,” says Deek Heykamp, co-owner of Next Adventure. “Come in often to browse, know what you need, and be creative in your search for trail-worthy functionality.”
>> “Understand how the margins work at your local used gear shop,” suggests Switchback co-owner Doug Campbell. “You may be able to bargain for 20% off of items that they’ve had longer than a month.”
Get a good price for used gear:
>> “High-end equipment holds value; if you invest in a good pack and take care of it, you could make decent money selling it four years later. Pricey apparel, on the other hand, doesn’t have much resale value,” says Shaw.
>> “Bring your gear in clean. Spend 20 minutes with it—emptying the pockets, scrubbing off the mud, getting rid of any funk with a product like MiraZyme [gear-aid .com]—and you’ll increase its resale value,” advises Next Adventure’s Heykamp.
>> “Keep an eye on the weather,” suggests Switchback’s Campbell. “If there’s a warm spell in early March, you may sell your summer gear for a great return. If there’s no snow in December, it might not be the best year to consign a pair of skis.”
*According to a February 2013 online reader survey. Have another to add? Comment below.