OAR CLOSING ITS DOORS FOR GOOD

A one-of-a-kind jacket that is on consignment at the store.  It is covered with balloon festival patches (front and back) from all over the United States, as well as some interesting bungee jumping patches from New Zealand.

OAR WILL BE CLOSING ITS DOORS FOR GOOD!

OUR LAST DAY WILL BE FRIDAY JULY 26

We have been renting a small house ever since we arrived in Wyoming, and a while back decided that we wanted to buy a home here.

Only here (in Cody) homes are just too expensive for us to afford.

After a lot of searching in other area towns, we realized a couple of things:

1.  Homes were cheaper but were still priced higher than what we wanted to pay (especially considering the condition of some of the homes we took a look at).

2.  Too far from Cody and we would have to relocate the store, because commuting would not be a reasonable option.

With those two things in mind we reluctantly decided to begin a search over in Idaho.

After two trips over there, we found what we were looking for, at the price we could afford.

We received word yesterday afternoon that everything was finalized and approved, and we are signing the papers this coming Monday.

Which brings us back to OAR.

They say that if you can, do what you love.

We LOVED this store.  The gear we found.  The gear that came in.  The people we met and the stories they shared with us.

Emotionally, closing the store was a tough decision for us, because we had just started growing something good here in Cody.

But we have no family or other ties in Cody, and financially there WAS no decision to be made.  That decision pretty much made itself.

We bought a home in Idaho for less than a quarter of what it would have cost us here.  

Owning a business is a numbers game.  And so is making a decision to buy a home..

SOME THINGS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW

*Effective immediately we will no longer be accepting outdoor gear on consignment

*Over the next 24 hours we will be contacting all of our consignors directly so that they know we are closing, what our last day will be, and we will make arrangements to get all of their unsold gear back to them on or before the 26th.

*We will continue to have normal operating hours (Tues-Sat 9am-5pm) until the end of business on the 26th.  We still have a LOT of gear available for sale.

*We will continue to post on our Facebook page until the day we close - posting pictures of great gear and clothing we have at OAR.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS VISITED THE STORE, BROUGHT IN GEAR FOR CONSIGNMENT, BOUGHT GEAR AND CLOTHING, AND SHARED STORIES AND CONVERSATION WITH US OVER THESE PAST EIGHT MONTHS.  IT HAS BEEN A PRIVILEGE TO GET TO KNOW ALL OF YOU

Small Gear At OAR

At OAR we have a large (and increasing) variety of gear related to biking, hiking, camping, hunting, fishing and more.

Sitting at my computer as I write this, I can see day and multi-day packs, fishing poles and reels, fishing nets, bicycle helmets, climbing harnesses, climbing helmets and shoes and gloves, a full face motor cross helmet, gun holsters, tennis rackets, bows, rifle scabbard, dove decoys, boots, more boots, a tent, camp chairs, scope, lanterns, camp cookware, black powder bag, gps holders, headlamps, sleeping bags, bicycle locks, water jugs, water bottles, small coolers, reflective vests, sun glasses, canvas saddle bags, tree climbing ropes, ice skates, youth snowboard helmets and one lonely snowboard, waders, snow shoes, roller blades, life jackets, swim fins, small canoe paddle and one very awesome kayak.

We also have a wide variety of technical clothing (both warm weather and cold weather, because the weather in the mountains can change on a dime). 

Mens and womens summer tops, work out shorts and quick-drying hiking shorts, nylon jackets for cool nights on the strip and insulated jackets for cold nights in the mountains, lined and unlined pants, hats and buffs and ear warmers and gloves, base layers, wool socks and tech socks, button down dress shirts by Salomon and fleece tops by The North Face.  The best selection of used camo clothing in town.

And lots more.  

If it is in good to excellent condition and related to any activity that people like to do when they head into the out-of-doors, OAR will accept on consignment and try to find each piece a new home.

Some quick pictures of some of the small gear we have at OAR:

REMINDER

We update our Facebook page on an almost daily basis.

Like us and check us out regularly to see what's new.

Info on our upcoming HUNTERS GEAR SWAP can be found on our FB page (it is pinned at the top of the page):

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Outdoor-Adventures-Revived-OAR/295312997264285?fref=ts

Growing Pains

Ouch.

That's the sound of the growing pains that we have been going through recently at OAR.

Growing pains are a very good sign.  It means that people are finding us, consigning with us, shopping with us.

Our doors have been open for almost seven months now, and we have the ability to expand back, but it is still too soon.

In only seven months OAR has begun to find its footing, and has moved from predictably losing money each month, to breaking even, to actually making a (small) profit.

We have our community to thank for that, and we are extremely gratified that people have embraced our outdoor gear consignment store.

Until we feel certain of OAR's ability to consistently move in a positive direction financially, our creativity will continue to be challenged.

Where to put stuff?  Where to put stuff?

I headed over to Powell this morning to pick up another clothes rack.  

Where to put it?  Where to put it?

Somehow (even when you think there is NO ROOM LEFT), you find room!

Gear Lists Before Heading Out

There is an outdoor recreation organization located in Nashville, Tennessee that I used to be a member of.

The organization works closely with a huge number of non-profits, and organizes outdoor activities that meet the needs of a wide variety of interests and fitness levels ranging from in-the-park yoga classes to kayaking day trips to backpacking multi-day trips.

Events are oftentimes free, and when there is a fee it is usually nominal.

http://www.teamgreenadventures.com/resources

I posted the link for a couple of reasons:

1.  To highlight an example of an extraordinarily successful partnership effort between organizers, non-profits and the general public that serves to bring people together, increase outdoor adventure opportunities and awareness of the environment.

2.  On the linked page are gear checklists for some popular outdoor activities (car camping, day hiking, multi-day hiking etc.).  These checklists are meant only as a guide, but they are a good place to start when you are considering what to bring (and what to leave behind) during your next outdoor adventure.

Some of the great gear we have in the store right now. 

THANK YOU to everyone who took advantage of our law enforcement and military discount during the month of May!

Next up is our Hunters Gear Swap on Saturday June 29.

Mark your calendars and start digging through your hunting gear (it wouldn't break our hearts if a fishing pole or two showed up on the 29th as well)!

More info on the gear swap in our special events link.

            

Old School

A Shakespeare Triumph 1958 Reel

When I was adventure racing, weight was everything.

You bought the lightest mountain bike you could afford, the lightest canoe and the lightest pack.

Everything was about weight. 

Food?  The most calories for the lightest weight.

Use the heavy race-provided paddle or carry your own break-down paddle?

Shoes?  The lightest shoes that drained the fastest when they got wet (and this was the right side of the country, so feet were ALWAYS getting wet).

Trying to figure out how much (or how little water you could get away with carrying until the next fill up opportunity, 'cause water is heavy).

The smallest trowel that would meet pre-race gear inspection.

100 weight or 200 weight fleece? 

Carry a rain jacket or will the weather hold up until the next Transition Area, where you could restock and change out for the next section of the race?

3 inch folding knife or 2 inch folding knife?

How much food will we need until the next TA? 

We screwed the pooch on that one a couple of times, by carrying too little.

Every decision about what to carry had to take into account the weather, the time of year, the race conditions through each section, whether it was a day or night section of the race, mandatory gear that had to be carried at all times, specific gear required for each section of the race, what you could hold off carrying until the next TA, how fast or slow you wanted to travel. 

Ultimately it all came down to weight.

Heavy gear, heavy packs, heavy bodies all slowed you down.

Now that my racing days are over I don't think of weight in quite the same way.

On a personal level I still pack carefully. 

I still have tons of gear from my racing days.  It's not the latest and greatest gear anymore, but it's still high tech and still lightweight and still serves me well.

And I know my gear. 

I treated it respectfully when training back then (but generally treated it awfully during races) and it all held up.

So me and my gear are like old, familiar friends.

We've been through a lot together.

Over the past few months (and without really trying), our store has managed to accumulate some interesting, way cool, totally old school gear.

Some of it is interesting.  Some of it is unique.  Some of it is heavy.  Some of it is just as functional and efficient as uber, ridiculously high dollar, new gear.

When we first opened OAR we imagined that it would contain only "new skool", high tech, breathable, wicking, synthetic stuff.

But when you open a consignment store you have no idea what will come into the store.

OAR is not the same deal as retail outdoor stores such as Sierra Trading Post (which receives regular and predictable shipments of gear sent to it by its distributors).

We find what we find, and what walks in the door is what we share with the community.

If you look this stuff up on-line (and we have) you'll see buzz words like vintage and antique.

I guess it IS vintage stuff.

But when we look at this stuff we see Made in America, great gear in great shape even though it has been used for many years, the history of outdoor gear development, the military service of previous owners.

We love the newest, latest and greatest gear.

But we also LOVE our old school stuff.

It's awesome, sometimes heavy, and always totally bomb proof gear!

Outdoor Life Complete Book of Fresh Water Fishing / Complete Book of Hunting

A pair of vintage GALIBIER RICHARD PONTVERT hiking mountaineer boots. They were made in France, likely from the 1970's, in great shape for their age, weigh a ton and are virtually indestructible. The sole looks brand new and is screwed to the upper (not glued like the newer, lighter, high tec boots).

Carman Super Gator lined gaiters.

Based on the little we could find on-line, and the background of the man who brought these in, we believe these are 1960's military ski poles.

A Sunshine Of The Night Model 2420 Coleman Lantern

These are an awesome pair of boots!  They look brand new but are actually Adidas Thunderstorm boots from the 80's.  They include attached gaiters.

A Kelty external frame pack and a 60's military cot. 

THREE REMINDERS

1.  Check out our Facebook page.  We post up gear info and pictures almost daily.

2.  Hunter Gear Swap is scheduled for Saturday June 29 (10am-2pm) in the parking lot outside the store.

More info on the gear swap can be found in the Special Events section of this blog.

3.  The 25% discount for former, retired and currently serving military and law enforcement ends May 31.

Hunters Gear Swap - Saturday June 29

When we first opened OAR, we wanted to get some sense as to which promotional efforts that we were using were most effective in reaching our target markets.

  I used to ask people who walked in the door, how they had heard about the store.

Their answers for the first few months ran the gamut - the radio, a flier, an ad or an article in the newspaper, area on-line classifieds, regional on-line classifieds, somebody told me about you - everyone seemed to be hearing about us in a different way and no one method seemed to be more effective than any other.

It told us to just keep doing what we were doing, because the word was starting to get out.

Now (almost six months later) we are still using many of the same marketing strategies, but when I ask people how they heard about us, the answer I am receiving the most is "Somebody told me about this place so I thought I'd check it out".

Word of mouth is beginning to work, and for that we are both extremely excited and extremely gratified.

The flier above is for a Hunters Gear Swap that OAR is pulling together for the end of June.

We set up a poll on the local "guy" on-line classifieds site "Guy's Gear" asking for input on the best date that did not conflict with either other local events or hunting opening days, and Saturday June 29 was what we came up with.

There is no fee to set up.

We are looking for local non-profits interested in setting up a food vending situation.  No fee to set up and it is a great way for a local organization to raise funds. 

Give us a call if interested.

Because music always makes an event more fun, we're also looking for someone to set up some speakers and play some cd's.  No pay offered for someone to do this, but we'll buy you lunch!

Mark your calendar. 

And if you want to buy / sell/ trade / swap start digging through your stuff and pulling it all together.

We still have this Avenir Discovery bike trailer for sale.

Structurally it is sound in every way, but the blue and yellow canvas is very faded from the Wyoming sun.

A great little bike trailer at a very good price.

Other great items we have at the store right now:

Jetrak Roof Rack (48" - 75kg capacity)

Blue and white granite camp cookware.  All in great condition but with no makers marks.

 

North Face Back Magic large volume external frame pack.

This thing is a beast ,but would serve you well if you're heading to the back country for a few days.

It is in perfect condition aside from one thing - the magic marker crossed-out name and phone number of the previous owner on an outside pocket. 

Comes with pack cover to keep your pack dry in rain or snow conditions.

 Shakespeare Triumph 1958 Reel

Orvis fishing vest, camo tactical vest, Columbia cotton multi-pocket fishing vest, and name brand down vests.

It's well worn but this book on knives is an interesting read.

Southfork Fire Department Open House

Info on the upcoming Open House at the Southfork Fire Hall.

OAR has provided donations in the past to both the Beast Feast and Polestar Annual Fundraiser, and we are pleased to also donate to the Southfork Fire Department.

We will be closing the store at 3:30pm next Saturday May 18 so that we can attend the open house, and network with all of the local folks who attend this annual event.

Hope to see you in the Southfork!