I&#x27;ve been a member since &#x27;83 or &#x27;84.  I&#x27;ve undoubtedly gotten the my original money&#x27;s worth out of my membership dozens of times over.<p>The article raises an interesting point.  While I am quite loyal to REI - often choosing to buy there even though I pay sales tax and might be able to find it cheaper online, I don&#x27;t pay that much attention to elections and other co-op stuff.<p>The primary benefit I see as a co-op member is their unparalleled customer service.  I&#x27;ve lost count of the number of times one of their associates has gone out of their way to ensure that whatever issue I was having was taken care of appropriately.