Interesting and Cool Stuff

This morning a retired law enforcement officer brought this pack into the store on consignment.

Because I did adventure racing for so many years I own a lot of packs in different sizes, and in brands normally named Gregory or Salomon.

But THIS pack is a whole different animal.

It is a great looking, rugged, tough and very serious piece of gear.

Here is a link about this Eberlestock Tactical Gunslinger 2.

Awesome piece of gear available to buy here at OAR for half the price of new:

http://www.eberlestock.com/G2%20Gunslinger%20II.htm

There is a forest of skis starting to grow in a corner of the store right now.

They all have names like Rossignol, Fischer and Atomic.

None of them are the latest and greatest (at least not yet!), but if you are looking for a good, solid set of skis to get you out on the slopes without breaking the bank, come take a look at what we have.

We have boots as well, but are definitely looking for more of both.

If you want to clean out your garage (or downsize your ski and boot collection) bring what you have down to OAR and we'll sell them for you! 

This awesome snowboard is a 63 Flow Mainframe with Salomon bindings.  It's for a taller person and is in great shape.

We've got gloves, hats, socks, base layers, fleece tops in all weights, snowboard pants, lined and unlined nylon pants - all the clothing you need to look good and stay warm out on the slopes.

Not long after OAR opened for business a retired law enforcement officer was talking to my husband (who is also a retired LEO - I'm detecting a pattern here!).

They had their heads together beside the counter while they were looking at these items above. 

A leather holster, a gps bag, belt pouch, Tex Shoemaker holster, baton loop, Bianchi holster and more.

They are all for sale at OAR.

The last picture (bottom right) is a picture of pure black and blue awesomeness!

When I was racing I could never afford a Mountain Hardwear jacket.

I always needed so much STUFF for so many different sports, that I spent most of my time searching through online outlet stores for the best I could afford, which was never Mountain Hardwear.

This jacket fell into my lap early this year and is for sale at the store.

Double storm flaps, pit zips, side slash pockets, chest zipper, arm zipper, inside zippers, lined, waterproof, windproof and with hood.

It's got it all.

We've got a good number of Columbia jackets - soft and hard shell jackets and winter jackets.

But so far only one black and blue awesome!

Thank you to everyone who has stopped by OAR to both consign, buy, browse and visit!

We are very grateful for the warm reception we have received!

Great Gifts

A beautiful picture we have for sale at OAR.  It depicts a snow covered wolf curled in a ball to stay warm, with one open eye peering out to the viewer.

A Flow Mainframe snowboard that came into the store on consignment a few days ago.

It is in GREAT shape (a few normal wear scratches on both the top and the underside of the board).

Bought in 2010 it was not used much and is currently waiting for a new owner.

Sleeping Giant opens soon, so come take a look at it.

We've got a great Bern helmet and snowboard pants for sale as well!

It was quiet at the store the day before Thanksgiving and I decided to get creative.

A couple of pictures of some of the great gear you can buy at OAR.

Example 1:

1.  black and red synthetic bike socks - brand new ($5.99)

2.  Sunglasses ($3.99)

3.  REI water bottle ($2.99)

4.  Blue Canari bike shirt ($18.99)

5.  Canari bike shorts ($14.99)

Lots of great bike gear for a grand total of $46.95 

Example 2:

GoLite day pack ($32.99)

GoLite runners water bottle - brand new ($8.99)

Champions hooded full zip synthetic top ($14.99)

For a total price of $56.97

(Don't forget to add 4% sales tax - the government has to get their share :-)

These are only two of many possible combinations.

Whether you stay outdoors or would rather take your workouts indoors for the winter, we have the gear and clothing to keep you moving!

A small handful of the outdoor books we have at OAR.

They're in excellent condition and would make a great Christmas gift for your outdoor enthusiast.

    

OAR's normal Winter hours are Wednesday thru Saturday 9am-5pm

OAR will be open on Tuesday December 11 from 4pm-7pm.

This special day and time is dedicated to those under 18 years of age, so that our youngest adventurers can shop for the holidays.

OAR has cool and low cost outdoor gear and clothing, special Christmas decorations and other special gifts that friends and family would love to receive (all of the items in this corner are under $10 each - many are under $5 each).

The store will be open on this special day and time strictly for young people (so please no adult shoppers).

If your child is too young to shop alone, parents are welcome to help themselves to coffee and cookies and watch a Christmas movie in the store, while their youngsters shop.

For more information call us at the store (250-0001)

Thank You To All

OAR IS CLOSED THANKSGIVING DAY - THURSDAY NOVEMBER 22

With Thanksgiving just around the corner (and with our store having been open for all of three days now), there are already many things that we at OAR are thankful for:

1.  Thank you to the Cody Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors for taking the time to do a ribbon cutting on our opening day this past Thursday.  These wonderful representatives of businesses in Cody were friendly, encouraging and so supportive of our new store. We really appreciate your warm welcome!

2.  Thank you to everyone who took the time to visit our store during our first week.  We had more people visit us than we could ever have hoped for.  Some people looked, some people bought, some people brought in great used outdoor gear and clothing for consignment. Everyone was friendly and encouraging of our new small business.  Everyone loved the idea that there was now a place in town where they could bring in their used stuff and also shop for used stuff.   We're a little off the beaten path but folks found us, and that is terrific!

3.  After talking with guests at the store, we at OAR had the chance to make referrals to other local businesses.  If our niche consignment store was not the right place for their gear, we referred them to other consignment stores here in Cody.  If  they could not find the right piece of gear or clothing they were searching for at OAR, we happily referred them to other retail outdoor gear stores here in town.  Why would we do that?  Because we want outdoor enthusiasts to find the right piece of gear they are searching for (even if it is not with us).  Because we are a small business in a small town, and from our perspective we want to support all local businesses.  We believe that healthy businesses mean a healthy local economy, and that's a good thing for all of us!

4.  Thank you to Women's Adventure Magazine:
http://www.womensadventuremagazine.com/
This wonderful publication (filled with exciting and inspirational outdoor stories and profiles) provided OAR with a box full of their magazines.  These magazines were a wonderful addition to our Grand Opening celebrations.  We handed them out to everyone who came in that day, and continue to hand them out to Cody outdoor enthusiasts as they find their way to OAR.  Thank you so much to Women's Adventure Magazine!

5.  Thank you to the Cody Enterprise for their coverage of the opening of OAR in the Cody Country Business News Section of the paper on November 14:
http://www.codyenterprise.com/news/local/article_4414976e-2eb2-11e2-907f-0019bb2963f4.html
(We are located in the building right next door to Finishing Touch, in the same complex as Big Horn Equipment).
Also much thanks to the Enterprise for designing a couple of great ads for us that appeared in the last couple of editions of Pulse magazine.
We received a LOT of feedback from folks that the newspaper was the place where they learned about OAR.  Good deal!

Bruce Wollschlager (owner of Big Horn Equipment) and LC in the middle of erecting a huge white tarp.

The tarp serves a few purposes. 

1.  It effectively blocks off the back side of the bay from view. 

2.  It reflects light back towards the store.  

3.  Lastly (but not leastly) it will trap heat through the winter back onto the store side of the building.  Which is a good thing (as a new store operation we're all about controlling overhead costs right now!). 

OAR Open For Business!

OAR opens for business tomorrow, Thursday November 15!

After working for two months to turn half a garage bay into an outdoor gear consignment store we're ready to open the doors.

We still need to install full length mirrors on the walls, we are still waiting for keys for our cash register to arrive in the mail, we still have to clean and inspect a slew of skis that we have picked up in our travels before we can put them out on the floor - but we are done enough to open, and we can't wait to meet other Cody outdoor adventurers!

A look back at where we began in September.

And a look at what the store looks like now.

Dig through your closets and dig through the garage for outdoor equipment and clothing you no longer use.  Instead of letting it take up space, consign it at OAR and share it with other local outdoor enthusiasts!

Stop by the store Thursday through Saturday 9am-6pm.

And don't forget our Grand Opening this coming Saturday November 17.

We'll have draw prizes, cake and cookies, free outdoor magazines, gifts for our youngest adventurers, and great deals on great gear.

Hope to see you soon!

 

Thank you to my husband LC for all of his support and hard work during the past two months.  What we lacked in money we made up for in lots (and lots) of hard work.  I could not have done this without him.

Thank you also to Bruce Wollschlager, owner of Big Horn Equipment .  Bruce owns the suite that we are renting.  He gave us a great deal on rent, sold us building supplies at cost, and has been wonderful to work with.  We could not have opened this store without him and his support, and I am so grateful!  Thank you Bruce!

Six Days To Go!

With only six days left before OAR opens its doors, things have been crazy busy.

We are still trying to find places for everything in the store, which has turned into a big job. 

At one point early in the week LC and I both felt like we were walking in circles - too much stuff, not enough room, where the heck were we going to put everything, needing to finally begin moving some of the tools and building supplies out of the store for good. 

Once we got over the panic (and stopped feeling overwhelmed about everything there was still left to do) we actually got some stuff done!

While copying fliers at the library earlier in the week, I was telling the nice librarians at the desk about the store,and one of them told me that she had seen my ad in the newspaper.  Yes!

Business cards came in, they look great and we have already handed a bunch out.

Banners also came in and they look great but....

After building a stand for two of them (so they could be seen from both directions on Big Horn Avenue) and then rebuilding the stand because we didn't like the way it looked, I realized that the ones by the road are too small.

I should have known better and just got in too much of a rush when ordering them.  The one outside the store entrance and the one we'll post on the wall inside the store are perfect.

I'll likely have to order a couple of bigger ones soon (darn it).

Between walking through town asking folks to post a flier in their store windows, networking and talking to people about who we are and what OAR is, cleaning and organizing the store, sending emails and leaving voice messages for people who did not get back with me, calling all over "hell and half of Georgia" to try and get keys and an instruction manual for a cash register, building too-small signs for the road, more staining and clear coating (yes.....more!) it has been a lllloooonnnngggg week.

But it is getting closer every day to being ready.

                                                                               

OAR opens for business this coming Thursday November 15.

Volunteers from the Cody Chamber of Commerce will be coming to the store for a ribbon cutting on the 15th at 3:30pm. 

Our GRAND OPENING is Saturday November 17.

We are currently accepting good to excellent quality outdoor gear and clothing (both adult and child) on consignment.

If you are looking to clean out your closet or garage, and if you could use some extra cash for the holidays, bring your gear to OAR and we will sell it for you!

If you are shopping for outdoor gear, stop by OAR and check out the great gear that we have (it beats paying high retail prices!).

The 15th Is Coming Fast

On a long work day on Saturday our sweet dog Jamie watched over her people, while unceremoniously being tied to a trailer in back of the shop.

A picture of her lapping up the last of Wendys Chili at lunch time.

Me deep in thought and trying to figure out what to do next.

There's still so much to do and the opening on the 15th is coming up fast!

On Saturday I was a clear-coating fool.

I even clear coated the rock that my neighbor gave to me this summer that she said looked like a potato. 

One of these things will be for sale in the store. 

The rest will be used for decoration on walls and counter.

On Saturday LC built yet one more wall-mounted clothes rack against the wall beside our new door, and also built one more back pack rack.

I did the "monkey jobs".

Quite a few years ago I worked for a city government and I had a female friend who was the Maintenance Director for the city.  When my outdoor pool closed at the end of the summer one year, I only had one pool still open and (since I had down time) asked her if there were any projects that I could help her with.

Partly I asked because she was such a great help to me all summer and I wanted to repay the favor, and partly I asked because I was looking for excuses to work outside in beautiful fall weather.

When I offered to help her she looked at me and said "You don't know how to do anything".

(Gee.....thanks Margie).

I told her to give me jobs that didn't require any technical expertise.  I told her "Give me jobs a monkey could do".

I spent a few weeks painting and pressure washing and tool fetching, and ever since then LC and I have joked about monkey jobs.

At the store he has done the technical jobs and I have done the jobs "a monkey could do"

More and more clothing coming down to the store each day.

We have Patagonia, Columbia, Marmot, Mountain Hard Wear, LL Bean, Cabelas and many other brands.

Still more to bring down, and lots of organizing to do!

We are lucky enough to live only a quarter of a mile from an entrance to BLM land.

There are so many places to hike here in Cody, but this area is one of my favorites because it is a beautiful area and located so close to home.

This picture was taken on a very windy and cold day in late April last year.

I hiked up into the hills with my husband and dog, and we had a great time exploring one hill after another for hours..........

It's Starting To Look Like a Store

I bought this picture while still living in Tennessee and during a time when I had begun to (semi) seriously contemplate opening up an outdoor gear consignment shop.

There have been some unexpected and trying times since I bought this picture.

I dusted and cleaned it off today while working down at the store and LC looked at me and said "We need to keep that".

It's a huge picture - maybe 3 feet by 2 feet and it IS really nice.

But we're going to try and sell it.

While cleaning off this picture I also cleaned off a number of other pictures that I have been hoarding (and leaning up against the wall in the bedroom) for a long time now.

Pictures of cowboys and wolves and horses and elk.  Nice pictures.  Pictures that I would want to buy if I walked into a store and saw them.

During the past few days we have begun (finally!) to find places for everything we currently have.  Which is a big task in a small space! 

  

There will be two long racks of outdoor clothing located along the wall as you walk in the front door, eight wall mounted 7-tier clothes brackets in what we're loosely calling "the picture room", and a big multi-level clothing rack (that I pulled apart and carted all the way from Tennessee) in the main section of the store.

LC built a new wall mounted rack for packs this morning, but we're gonna need another one.

Hmmmm......I haven't told him that yet.

I bought the funky wood tower (that up until now has been sitting in the middle of the room, constantly getting in the way and taking up space) at a recycle place called ReStore in Powell, and still have no idea what to do with it.

I haven't found them yet but somewhere still in boxes are a whole lot of bike locks and some of them will likely be stored on our weirdly-tower.

A climbing gear wall.

OAR is not accepting either ropes or climbing hardware on consignment (unless they are in unused condition still with tags).

I can show you a perfectly fine looking carabiner that I now use as a key chain because it fell 40 feet off a cliff.  Which is why we don't accept used ropes or hardware.  

We want to keep our customers safe and enjoying the outdoors, and you can't always tell just by looking, whether or not climbing gear has been handled carefully.

These pieces are mine.  I haven't climbed in a couple of years, don't plan on climbing anymore and know exactly how they have been treated.

In addition to the biners, figure 8s, ATC's, ascenders and webbing in this picture, there will also be a climbing helmet and two harnesses for sale.

OAR IS accepting additional climbing gear such as harnesses, helmets, climbing shoes, chalk bags etc.

All must be in very good to excellent condition.

   

Packs a hangin'

More to come as we keep putting stuff out!

One small section of outdoor home decor items we'll have for sale at OAR.

We have a door!

The door separates the two sections of what was once only a grimy car bay, and what is now gradually turning into half storage and half outdoor store.

We are hoping that our outdoor consignment store is embraced by the community and that we can quickly expand to an even larger space! 

Starting next Monday November 5, we will begin accepting consignment items Mon-Fri 9am - 12 noon until the store opens. 

Please call if you have questions about your stuff and whether it is what we are looking for.

Please call if those hours don't work for you.  We''ll accept consignments by appointment as well!

To the right of the page is a link providing info on how our consignment policies work.

In that same link is a copy of the OAR Intake Form, if you would like to speed up the process. 

 Simply dowload the form, fill out some of the info (contact information, item descriptions, sizes, colors etc.) and bring it with you when you come to OAR. 

We'll fill out the price information for each item together at the store.

REMINDER:  We Open For Business Thursday November 15.

Winter hours are Wednesday through Saturday 9am-6pm.

Watch for our ads in the next two editions of Pulse magazine!