Used, but not used up.

Byline: MIKE STAHLBERG The Register-Guard

THE SKIS HAD ALREADY "gone downhill" - some of them for many, many seasons.

But that didn't stop hundreds of people from waiting in line for a chance to buy "previously owned" skis, boots, poles, bindings, snowshoes and clothing at the 33rd annual "Ski Swap."

The event underscored the popularity of recycled outdoor gear, drawing 850 shoppers into Wheeler Pavilion during the first 45 minutes.

Another example of the appeal of used equipment comes Tuesday when upwards of 500 buyers and sellers are expected to gather for the University of Oregon Outdoor Program's "Fall Outdoor Equipment Swap."

Two hours of frantic buying, selling and trading begin at 7:30 p.m. in the ballroom of the Erb Memorial Union on campus. The Outdoor Program flea market is open to outdoor gear of all kinds, with snowboards, skis, camping gear and clothing usually among the more common items.

The local swap meets are the most obvious examples of how hot the market for used gear is, but they are really only the tip of the iceberg.

There are plenty of other opportunities to equip yourself for outdoor adventures without paying full retail price - from garage sales to Internet auctions and thrift stores. Eugene is also home to one of the original retail outlets specializing in buying and selling gear that's "used, but not used up," Play it Again Sports.

All of those sources of used equipment have one big attraction for potential buyers - the money you can save.

"We all know how absurdly expensive it is to outfit yourself in outdoor gear," said Dan Geiger, director of the UO Outdoor Program. "It's even absurdly expensive for me, and I get a pro discount."

The Outdoor Program flea market is free of charge - and free of rules except for the one that says "private sellers only."

"We provide the space and get out of the way," Geiger said of the swap meet, which began more than 20 years ago.

"It's a great way to recycle used gear. Plus, it's lighter on the environment and reduces consumerism a little bit."

Buyers are apt to find just about any kind of outdoor clothing or equipment offered for sale, Geiger said, from backpacks to winter coats.

"We usually get a few bicycles for sale, and we almost always have several used kayaks," he said.

The biggest crowds are usually found right after the doors open and sellers dash to stake out a table. But the better bargains are often found later, as the event begins to wind down and sellers begin to drop their asking price.

"That's when a lot of the wheeling and dealing happens," Geiger said. Some people, however, are actually able to sell their stuff while waiting in the lobby for the doors to open.

The Ski Swap, meanwhile, doesn't allow wheeling or dealing on prices. Sellers set their price when they drop off items to be sold on consignment. The ski patrols - which use the swap to raise money for first aid supplies - get a 20 percent commission on any items that sell during the two-day event. Items that don't sell are returned to their owners.

"It's a great way for families to afford skiing," said Jean Lee, one of the volunteers checking in consignment items.

Debbie Randolph of Eugene was echoing that sentiment less than an hour after the doors opened.

"I got fantastic deals, just fantastic," an enthusiastic Randolph said as she and her young nephew, Scott Loader, left the Ski Swap loaded down with about all they could carry.

"I've got three pairs of pants, a coat, fleece bottoms, fleece top, boots, skis, poles and goggles - all for 199 bucks," she said. "So, yeah, I got a good deal."

Sanctum Ski Patrol member Doug Chambers said he noticed several good deals while organizing the alpine ski displays.

"I have a pair of skis just like these KS and they still want $325, but they're in good shape and have good bindings. When I got mine, it was almost $500 just for the skis alone," he said.

In addition to used gear provided by private parties, some new gear is heavily discounted by stores looking to unload last year's models and colors.

Not everything at the Ski Swap sells, of course.

"Some people put a higher price on things and run a higher risk that it won't sell," said Dave Brown, patrol director for Willamette Pass Ski Patrol and a veteran of 25 years of Ski Swaps. "It's like a garage sale - you never know."

Margo Stockyard, for example, went to the Corvallis ski swap a week earlier and bought some backcountry skis. But the three pairs of skis, alpine boots, snowboarding boots and snowboard that she tried to sell there found no takers. So she brought them to the Eugene swap.

And Bob Nickel, who said "we've bought and sold a lot of things here over the past 20 years," was back this year with two sets of boots that failed to sell at last year's Ski Swap.

"I'm more hopeful this year - the price is better," he said. "Last year I tried to sell them for $50 or $75, and this year they're a bargain at $25."

To help give people an idea of what their equipment might be worth, Ski Swap organizers post a complete list of all items sold the previous year. While dozens and dozens of items sold for $1, $10, $20 and $40, there were still many items that sold for more than $300.

Mark Thornton of Eugene, who purchased skis for himself, said he had no qualms about buying used gear.

"The quality is so high now - there's no comparison to what it was even five or 10 years ago," he said.

Ski Swap officials do check ski bindings to make sure they meet safety standards before putting them on display.

With most used equipment, however, it's buyer beware.

"All sales are final" at the Outdoor Program swap meet, Geiger said. "So you've got to zip all the zippers and you've got to look for tears and that kind of thing."

Play It Again Sports manager Chad Carpenter said his store checks out all the used gear it sells.

"We offer a seven-day money-back guarantee and a 30-day return for store credit," he said. "We don't carry junk ... we want our customers to be happy."

Play It Again Sports, at 2598 Willamette St., doesn't carry used football or bicycle helmets. It's impossible to tell if the inner lining of a helmet has been damaged and will no longer provide protection, Carpenter said.

But the store carries just about every other kind of used sporting goods, except fishing and hunting gear.

"We don't do much fishing," Carpenter said. "That's just a really tough category for us because it's a very particular market."

Golf clubs and exercise machines have been the hottest used items lately.

"We've got full sets at 15 bucks if you just want basic clubs," Carpenter said. "Or we sell a lot of pro lines for about half what you'd pay for them brand new - you can save $400 on $800 clubs."

The store is gearing up for winter sports like skiing, snowboarding and ice hockey, so now's a good time for people to sell winter sports gear they no longer use.

Providing a retail outlet specifically for used outdoor equipment was the brainchild of Martha Morris, a Minnesota woman who found herself with a lot of used backpacking gear she no longer needed after completing a trip around the U.S. in 1983.

Unable to sell her gear through newspaper ads, she tried a consignment store. But the store manager told her, "We don't take sports equipment." Morris thought there must be a lot of people in her position, so she opened the first Play It Again Sports in 1984.

After opening several more outlets, she decided the business was best-suited for owner-operated outlets. So Play It Again Sports switched to franchising. Eugene was the site of the fourth franchised outlet, which opened in 1988. Now there are 550 Play It Again Sports outlets nationwide, including five others in Oregon.

Over the years, the store has started carrying more new equipment, which appeals to people who want to trade in their old gear for something new.

The store also buys used equipment outright, Carpenter said, but sellers get a better price if they let Play It Again Sports sell an item on consignment.

CAPTION(S):

Jerry Freeman, an avid 87-year-old skier, has hundreds of pairs of skis to choose from at the Ski Swap at the Lane County Fairgrounds. Nikolas Johnson, 4, tries on a pair of consignment ski boots Friday with help from his mother, Lisa Moeller, at the Ski Swap. MIKE STAHLBERG / The Register-Guard Ski Swap shoppers gather by a large number of snowboards that are available at the annual sale.