I can connect with this post. SAVERS has been a favorite of mine for many years until their prices suddenly jumped, which encouraged me to widen my search. I've found some of the other "charitable" organizations such as St. Vincent de Paul have some pretty good stuff at much more reasonable prices.

Also, when I lived in Tucson, the local Summit Hut outdoor store would hold (and still do) a twice-annual "Gear Swap" event where they would set up perhaps a dozen tables and anyone could show up and sell their used camping/backpacking/hiking equipment. With no overhead, I've scored some screamin' deals from fellow outdoorsmen who just wanted to unload and upgrade (to my and others' benefit). Just one example: I bought a Mountainsmith Ghost, in near perfect condition, for $40. Still have it and still love it.

I'd like to see more outdoor gear stores (such as REI) think out of the box and offer these types of resale/recycle opportunities.