dberdinka Posted July 28, 2003 Posted July 28, 2003 After 31 years of service in Bellingham "The Base Camp" closed it's doors on Friday. Your choices for outdoor equipment are now REI, REI and REI (well AAI too). Personally I find this a little depressing. It was a good, knowledgable group of folks who worked there. To those interested they're having a going out of business sale starting Wednesday. See all you vultures there! Quote
Figger_Eight Posted July 28, 2003 Posted July 28, 2003 Bummer...that was good little shop. I guess you can make the short trip north to MEC though. Quote
chucK Posted July 28, 2003 Posted July 28, 2003 dberdinka said: [Our] choices for outdoor equipment are now REI, REI and REI ... Ouch!! Quote
Billygoat Posted July 29, 2003 Posted July 29, 2003 First The Great Adventure, then BCO, now this. Sucks ass I bought at least 40% of my gear there. The service was the best. This totally diminishes the community. An era is passing before our eyes. Quote
catbirdseat Posted July 29, 2003 Posted July 29, 2003 That leaves Cascade Crags in Everett and Pro Mountain Sports in Seattle. Give them your business folks! Quote
glassgowkiss Posted July 29, 2003 Posted July 29, 2003 sign of times. bellingham is dying town. a lot of ventures left. the chamber of commerce doesn't give a flying fuck about the area..... washington tax structure is so stupid... plus we are still paying for all dot com bullshit hype, more pain in the near future...ciao- r Quote
Stefan Posted July 29, 2003 Posted July 29, 2003 Is REI acting like the "Walmart" of the outdoor industry? Quote
Mr._Natural Posted July 29, 2003 Posted July 29, 2003 I can't say that I ever liked Basecamp, but it is a shame that we are now a one horse town, besides AAI, which is obviously not a primarily retail business. Quote
Formaldehead Posted July 29, 2003 Posted July 29, 2003 glassgowkiss said: sign of times. bellingham is dying town. a lot of ventures left. the chamber of commerce doesn't give a flying fuck about the area..... washington tax structure is so stupid... plus we are still paying for all dot com bullshit hype, more pain in the near future...ciao- r I think the real cause for the failure of this particular "retail store" is the availability the same products offered over the Internet at low prices. Many times I have gone into the Basecamp, tried something on, and bought it over the Internet. There is really no way to compete effectively against that. Having said that, if a retail gear shop REALLY wants to stay in bussiness in B'Ham, they should do most of their sales over the Internet. Sell to the world with low overhead. Basecamp failed to modify their bussiness model to keep up with the times. Quote
Dru Posted July 29, 2003 Posted July 29, 2003 once again the Telemarkpyrenees Barabees and so on Euro shops prove the superiority of lower Euro pricing caused by greater competitiveness. Quote
Fence_Sitter Posted July 29, 2003 Posted July 29, 2003 Dru said: once again the Telemarkpyrenees Barabees and so on Euro shops prove the superiority of lower Euro pricing caused by greater competitiveness. wallmart correllation... where are the hippie liberals now? this is another troll brought to you by scottco. ind. - thank you and have a nice day... Quote
Attitude Posted July 29, 2003 Posted July 29, 2003 Formaldehead said: Many times I have gone into the Basecamp, tried something on, and bought it over the Internet. This is a tacky thing to do. Do you take up the time of people working in the store? You deserve REI. Quote
bunglehead Posted July 29, 2003 Posted July 29, 2003 I dealt with Tim via e-mail and over the phone, and he fit me into a pair of boots, something that REI here in Eugene or OMC in PDX couldn't do. Too bad. I enjoyed the one purchase I did have with those guys. Sorry to hear that. Quote
Formaldehead Posted July 29, 2003 Posted July 29, 2003 Attitude said: Formaldehead said: Many times I have gone into the Basecamp, tried something on, and bought it over the Internet. This is a tacky thing to do. Do you take up the time of people working in the store? You deserve REI. I do the same at REI, tool. I also get a pittance on any of the crap that I do stoop to actually buy there, which never happened at Basecamp. Additionally, I've seen some pretty dumbass shit at Basecamp. I once had to give a lesson on pitons to one of the staff members. "This is an angle, and this is a knifeblade. THis is a bugaboo." Also, the owner flipped my wife soime serious attitude once when she was trying to buy vegan boots. "You're putting other people's lives at risk by wearing those boots." Quote
chelle Posted July 29, 2003 Posted July 29, 2003 Formaldehead said: Attitude said: Formaldehead said: Many times I have gone into the Basecamp, tried something on, and bought it over the Internet. This is a tacky thing to do. Do you take up the time of people working in the store? You deserve REI. Also, the owner flipped my wife soime serious attitude once when she was trying to buy vegan boots. "You're putting other people's lives at risk by wearing those boots." Forgive me...what are vegan boots? Boots without animal products? Quote
thelawgoddess Posted July 29, 2003 Posted July 29, 2003 ehmmic said: Forgive me...what are vegan boots? Boots without animal products? supposedly. i think garmont makes them? Quote
Alex Posted July 29, 2003 Posted July 29, 2003 Dru said: once again the Telemarkpyrenees Barabees and so on Euro shops prove the superiority of lower Euro pricing caused by greater competitiveness. this coming from the land of MEC, which gets special tax consideration etc etc Quote
thelawgoddess Posted July 29, 2003 Posted July 29, 2003 Dru said: once again the Telemarkpyrenees Barabees and so on Euro shops prove the superiority of lower Euro pricing caused by greater competitiveness. umm ... isn't part of that because we're not paying the tax on them by buying from overseas? Quote
erik Posted July 29, 2003 Posted July 29, 2003 catbirdseat said: That leaves Cascade Crags in Everett and Pro Mountain Sports in Seattle. Give them your business folks! actually cbs there a few other "local" shops as well. backpackers supply in tacoma, marmot in bellevue, feathered friends in seattle, mt constance in bremerton and alpine experience in olympia. and i think there are even more smaller shops as well. support them all. i go for the best price and who has what in stock, and i support the people who support me. Quote
Bill_Simpkins Posted July 30, 2003 Posted July 30, 2003 I am very very bummed about Base Camp closing. I have been going there for years and purchasing gear, even if I know the price is higher. Why? Because I was paying for EXPERT customer service and experience. Each one of those guys or gals in there was pretty hardcore. You had fastpackers, old timers, you name it. They only carried gear that they liked and used themselves. You had their personal stamp of approval on all of it. I'm sorry that Frank, Doug and everyone else lost a place to work. If I would have known it was in such trouble, I would have never set foot in any other store. I just wonder what all these folks are going to do now. Sorry. I'll be there on Wed. to say bye and buy a few things. Quote
layton Posted July 30, 2003 Posted July 30, 2003 It's my fault. They annouced it a week after I started working. Sorry, I can't do anything right Quote
Figger_Eight Posted July 30, 2003 Posted July 30, 2003 thelawgoddess said: ehmmic said: Forgive me...what are vegan boots? Boots without animal products? supposedly. i think garmont makes them? yup Quote
Dru Posted July 30, 2003 Posted July 30, 2003 michael_layton said: It's my fault. They annouced it a week after I started working. Sorry, I can't do anything right do you think they got affirmative action credit for hiring a gimp? Quote
EWolfe Posted July 30, 2003 Posted July 30, 2003 Dru said: michael_layton said: It's my fault. They annouced it a week after I started working. Sorry, I can't do anything right do you think they got affirmative action credit for hiring a gimp? He wasn't gimpin' on The World's Toughest Milkman, and that was almost a month ago... Quote
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