DON’T BUY PATAGONIA STUFF NEW UNLESS YOU REALLY NEED IT

[James holden]

patagucci good on them … all that barely consumed gear needs to go somewhere ;)

http://www.outsideonline.com/blog/patagonia-ebay-sign-the-pledge-then-sell-your-old-stand-up-shorts.html

Tonight, Patagonia and eBay announced a new partnership, the Common Threads Initiative. Together, they asked owners of fleece and Gore-Tex everywhere to pledge to reduce consumption, reuse old gear, recycle, repair what's broken, and reimagine a world where people don't stress the earth with purchases.

Yes, you read correctly. Patagonia is asking us not to buy their stuff, or any stuff, unless we really need it. And then they're asking us to buy used stuff when we can. And they're asking us to sell those still warm puffys and barely frayed packs gathering dust in the back of our closets on eBay, to a troller who will buy an old jacket instead of buying a new one.

To show they really mean it, Patagonia and eBay have partnered on a Patagonia-specific resale site powered by eBay that you can access from Patagonia's website. But there is one catch–you have to pledge to the five "Rs" to use it.

Patagonia wants 50,000 pledgers this year. Sign today, and whether or not you start bidding, you'll be one of the first. But don't just sign so you can get first dibs on nearly new gear which for the next few days is probably mostly from the Patagonia sample racks. Think about what you're agreeing to, and like Patagonia, walk your talk.

-Berne Broudy

[HkNewman]

Patagonia makes most of their gear good enough to reuse and this theme has been on their website for a couple years. Good for them to team up with eBay.

Some of their clothing has been in use for decades, and still going strong – stronger than some of the elderly hikers I've known who have become disabled – will need to pass this link to them. Imagine if all hiking and casual clothing lasted this long (imagine if I had the same waist size as I did in 85, though).

[Ben H.]

Patagonia seems ripe for fake rip-offs on e-bay. How am I supposed to know if what I am bidding on is authentic?

[David Lutz]

I've been a loyal and avid Patagonia customer for almost thirty years.

But I've always been a little cynical about their "Green" efforts. Such as a minuscule % of profits (an easily manipulated number for a private corporation) donated every year to green efforts.

Meanwhile, Yvonn sends me a full-color catalog in the mail every two weeks.

However, this new program sounds like the real deal. Money put where mouth is.

I think it's a great idea.

[Brad Walker]

http://www.patagonia.com/us/patagonia.go?assetid=1960

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/mar/12/opinion/la-oe-morrison-chouinard-031111

1% of sales straight-up to charity sounds pretty good to me, in addition to all their other initiatives. Plus, as far as large(ish) company presidents go, it'd be hard to find a more change and charity-oriented guy than Yvon. He's been working company-backed environmentalism since the 70's at least…

[Dale Wambaugh]

HEAR, HEAR!

I love hunting for used gear. There is no sweeter bargain than finding what you *need* for pennies on the dollar.

Yesterday, I got a Crumpler laptop messenger bag in like new condition for $6. It is a current model that sells for $100 on eBags today. More to the point, I got a Capilene tee for $5, also in perfect condition. I would guess that 90% of my clothing is used. My cellular phone and all my computers are all recycled. The only new electronics I have bought in years is my camera.

I'm fortunate to live in a big city with lots of access to surplus equipment. Craig's List, garage sales, thrift stores and flea markets are a cornucopia of hiking and household wares. There are many major outdoor manufacturers based here too, and it isn't unusual to find samples or outlet sales.

Remember kids, the planet you save may be your own!

X marks the spot!

[Jack H.]

This is amazing. +1 for patagonia!

[Claudia Garren]

Anyone have a good answer to this question?

[James holden]

claudia … this is a pure WAG … but i suspect occasionally patagucci employees will trawl the site to check to see whats authentic … you might want to ask patagucci on their fbook page

im no big patagucci fan, though i do own some of their pieces … but hopefully this will make some people think twice about buying items just for the sake of a bit of fashion change … or just because the new gear is slightly lighter or incrementally "better" or shinier

whether people will listen or not … or just keep on buying the newest shiniest stuff is an open question …

[Jack H.]

I wouldn't worry too much about fake stuff. Take a close look at pictures, perhaps you have a "feel" for whether something is fake. I do.

I've traveled in Asia, in places like Kathmandu where fake outdoor gear is everywhere. Patagonia is rarely faked. Brands like North Face, Marmot and Mammut are commonly faked, but I've only seen a few really terrible patagonia fakes.

Plus, most ebay resellers are businesses with lots of sales, and reputations to protect. They don't want to be selling fake stuff.

When clothing is faked, especially patagonia, it's generally just a waterproof jacket, or a fleece jacket with the logo sewn on. It's rarer that they've actually copied a real item. And even more rare that they've closely copied an actual item. If you buy a specific, named item, and it looks like it should, it's probably real. For instance, if you're buying a "Primo Jacket" (their main ski hardshell), and it looks like it should, it's almost definitely real. A fake hardshell probably isn't a close copy.

My 0.02

[Dale Wambaugh]

+1 that Patagonia is rarely faked. I've seen lots of North Face stuff and a couple terrible Mountain Hardwear counterfeits. There are some web sites that show what to look for with TNF products, like http://www.thenorthfaceguru.com/

[Fred eric]

Seems french are condemmed to polute….
Ebay used Patagonia gear / clothes are not buyable from here.

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