Good luck picking out a new hound! One good place to look for a crate is on Craigslist. If none are advertised as available in the Triangle, you could post the dimensions, etc. on the type you would like to buy. It may not work, but it could also save you some money. I think the possessiveness regarding a crate may relate more to invading a dog's space while they are in one, not to the smells already on it.
Oh yes, I also wanted to say that Sahara likes to sniff constantly when we are on walks. Once we were at the park, and she was walking with her nose down on the ground to catch all the smells. A lady asked me if she was a dog. I said she was a greyhound, and the woman said she'd never seen a greyhound that looked like that before. I think maybe the woman thought that Sahara couldn't lift her head up straight. Maybe Sahara's just one of the goofy greyhounds that thinks she's a beagle!