I joined in 1985, when membership was free for the asking...they offered an REI Visa way back then, and I took them up on it...a couple of years ago it transitioned to a Mastercard...so, I&#x27;ve been carrying an REI endorsed and embossed credit card for 30 years, as well...<p>I buy almost all of my outdoor gear from them and have absolutely no complaints...although I&#x27;m actually more of a &quot;customer&quot;, as the article points out, I feel the vast majority of my interactions with their staff leave me feeling like a &quot;member&quot;...the service is that great...<p>I love the co-op model and always look forward to my yearly dividend...one thing I really appreciate is that the company structure effectively discourages a buy-out, which the article mentions...<p>In the early days ballots were sent out and answered by mail around dividend time, if memory serves me...haven&#x27;t voted since then, but follow co-op news in a few places...<p>Can&#x27;t recommend them  highly enough...