Gear Up, Get Outside: Eugene Gear Traders Brings Consignment Outdoor Gear to Downtown
Owner Bevin Helm opened her consignment outdoor shop in downtown Eugene banking on something she had already seen firsthand: this community tends to show up for its own.
Like REI, But Used
Eugene Gear Traders is a consignment outdoor store carrying a wide range of outdoor brands, alongside vintage pieces that draw collectors looking for something special. Helm describes it simply: it's like REI, but used. Whether you need technical layers for a rainy trail run or a classic ski jacket you can't find new anymore, the shop's inventory shifts with what the community brings in.
A Shop Built Around the Sports She Loves
Helm's own outdoor life shapes what she stocks and how she talks about it. Her three main pursuits are surfing, skiing, and mountain biking, and she notes that Oregon is a genuinely good place for all three. Mountain biking in particular gets her animated: she describes the feeling of weighting and unweighting a bike through a corner, finding flow, and going as fast as you can without wrecking.
“I wasn't as afraid to start a small business, knowing that people in Eugene would kind of have my back.”
Bevin Helm, owner, Eugene Gear Traders
Why Eugene
Helm chose to open a small business here because of the people. She describes Eugene as having one of the most community-oriented and supportive populations she has personally experienced, and says that sense of mutual support made the risk of starting something new feel manageable. Knowing that people in Eugene would have her back made the difference.