cribs, gliders and baby depot

[new mom in va]

I desperately need help! I don't know if it is pregnancy hormones or what but if feel like I am making life and death decisions regarding this nursery and I am overwhelmed. My baby girl (my first-I'm so excited!) is due in November and I know I have to make a decision about a crib ASAP. After reading Baby Bargains, I felt like an Italian crib (namely Baby Italia) was the way to go and the folks I had spoken with at Baby Depot recommended them as well, but now I'm leary of their poor customer service reviews and reports of damamged goods. I'd appreciate input about Baby Italia, their Milo and Lauren cribs and I'd love to see a pic of their picket fences crib as I am doing a garden theme. Also, I have a Baby Depot within an hour of me but no BabiesRUs. I had planned to register with and buy nursery furniture from BD but am scared after reading the book. Any advice? Finally, I am looking for a terrific glider. I tried out the Shermag at BD for $280 and loved it. I'm sure I will be spending countless hours in it and wanted some experienced input. Thanks so much!!

[Momof3Labs]

Actually, my biggest complaint about Baby Depot is their return policy - 15 days, store credit only. So I avoid making big purchases there unless I can get a great deal or it is a small item.

BRU, on the other hand, gives you 90 days (and you can go beyond that without a receipt).

Do you have a BuyBuyBaby anywhere nearby? I've never been in one, but they sound really nice, too!

[heva]

We got a great deal on our crib at Baby Depot and although it was a pain getting it home ourselves, we were very satisfied. Definitely not the best customer service, but they had a HUGE selection of cribs, swings, highchairs, etc. I'd recommend registering somewhere else, but buying the things that you plan to buy yourself at BD.

BTW, where are you in Virginia? We live in Charlottesville and drove to the Baby Depot outside Richmond. There are a few baby specialty stores around the same area (Midlothian), but we couldn't beat the price on the stuff at Baby Depot.

Good luck hunting. I completely understand your feelings regarding the nursery. I myself can't pick window coverings...

[karin4]

Hi--
You asked for input about the Babi Italia Lauren crib. I've got one, and am happy with it. We bought it three years ago, used it as a crib for one baby for a year and a few months, then as a toddler bed for another year and few months, and it's now back to a crib for our newest. The crib looks and functions as well as when we first assembled it. I choose the Lauren because of the cribs with the characteristics I wanted (convertable to a toddler bed, storage drawer, knee release, mattress support type, price range), I liked its appearance the best. I still love the way it looks, and it still feels sturdy and substantial. I also like how easy it is to raise or lower the mattress height.

What don't I love? Well, the instructions were just terrible... just one or two sheets of poor-quality xerox, they read like obvious translations from the original Italian, the diagrams were poor, and lots of assumptions and judgement calls were required along the way about the order in which to do things, etc. (Really, they made me think of that passage from "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance"-- where the narrator describes how instructions are usually the result of the foreman assigning his least-useful, least-skillful worker to the visiting technical writer to explain how the product should be assembled. Then, with this crib, toss in the need for a translation as well!) Still, I was able to put it together myself in under an hour.

I also had some trouble at one point with the storage drawer continually falling off its tracks. However, since converting it back to a crib from toddler bed, it's been fine, so perhaps I just hadn't fit the drawer in quite right, or perhaps it's only a problem in the toddler bed configuation. Last, I found I didn't love the knee release drop mechanism-- actually, I prefered the old-style foot release on the Simmons crib my first two children used (13 and 10 years ago). The knee release drops easily enough while holding a sleeping baby, but trying to get the side back up without waking said baby is another story. On the plus side, the drop is very quiet, almost soundless, and it's definately superior to those dual finger-trigger release that a lot of the other cribs I looked at had.

On the whole, I do like the crib, and would buy it again. The poor instructions are my biggest complaint, but that's something you only have to deal with for an hour or so, and is certainly just a frustration, rather than safety, issue.

Hope this helps. If you have any questions I haven't addressed, just ask.

Karin

[new mom in va]

Thanks so much for your input. No, we don't have a BuyBuyBaby nearby but I too think they sound nice!

[new mom in va]

So glad to hear that you made out okay with your crib from Baby Depot. What kind did you get and how long did it take?
We live in Lynchburg so the BD in Roanoke is only about an hour from us. The staff I have met there so far seem nice, helpful and knowledgable. After reading the book about gift registries, I am tempted to drive to Richmond or Greensboro to register at BabiesRus (they are the closest locations) but my husband thinks I am crazy! :)

[new mom in va]

Thanks for the warning! It sounds like you did really well though. Have you heard of any other owners of Baby Italia cribs with the same instruction problem?

[heva]

We got the Madison - see a link to my previous description on these boards here http://www.windsorpeak.com/dcforum/DCForumID1/1143.html.

We actually had gone to a baby specialty store right before we went to BD and could have easily spent $200 more on the same kind of crib. BD was not very well staffed, but they had a amazing array of cribs, and they happened to have the one we wanted in stock (a miracle). Unfortunately, they don't deliver, and we only had our Audi wagon with us - so we tied the HUGE box to the roof with nylon rope from K-Mart down the street! Very amusing. If we had to do it again, I'd do the same thing, but bringing a pickup truck would have been less stressful.

Question: why do you want to register in person? We registered for everything online and it was much easier. You could definitely go to the stores and check out the merchandise, but between BRU and BabyCenter, you could probably register for everything you need without having to deal with salespeople, etc. Just a thought. And sometimes the prices are better online. If you do want to go browsing, I'd highly recommend Richmond, because they have several of the big baby superstores in the area. Also, we decided that we would buy the more expensive things that we needed (crib, stroller, and carseat because we get a discount from our insurance company only if WE buy it) and registered for everything else. And the only thing we bought in person was the crib - all other things we purchased online and have been very happy with everything. Especially the lack of hassle. When you live in a place like Lynchburg or Charlottesville, it really makes sense to buy online!

Well, sorry that was so long, but I hope that's helpful. Good luck with your shopping :)

[cmdc]

I got the Shermag glider from BD. Well actually we had to end up ordering it from target.com b/c they were out at BD and I didn't want to order from them due to their return policy but it is the same chair. I love it. I think it is very comfortable and has a nice high back on it which is nice. Easy to put together as well. I think you will like it. I actually got a baby italia crib as well but we have only had it up for about a month and it hasn't been used yet but we love it. Good luck!!

cc