Consignment shop

[Cfowler]

I just got a barely used Graco open-top swing for $30 yesterday at a local high-end baby consignment shop. It is still being sold at BRUS for $80. I have been watching this store for a while and have now figured out that they sell their nice stuff pretty early. What are some other things that would be safe to get second-hand. I know what is not safe, but I'm looking for suggestions of things that are really not used much. They have awesome clothes, but as we are waiting to find out the gender at birth this September, I will have to wait on that. They did have a few Peg high chairs, but they were a little gunked up and I was worried that I wasn't ever going to get them cleaned up.

Thanks,
Christy

[egoldber]

With these shops, as you have seen, it is important to go often to get the best deals on items in good condition. I have seen icky high chairs and I have seen ones that are absolutely immaculate. I think most things can be "safe" bought there. Sometimes things are a better deal than others. The big concern is about items that have been recalled. You can get a list of all recalled baby items from the last several years at the Comsumer Product Safety Commission website: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/category/topic.html

Even for items that have been recalled, there is sometimes a "fix" available from the manufacturer. I would make a list of what you want, go to the CPSC website and get recall info about those items, and just be an alert consumer. Also make sure to know the current retail price of items, and what they usually go for on clearance or on sale. For example, my local consignment store LOVES to mark exersaucers for $45. If I can get a new one for $50, I'm not going to pay $45 for an old one!!!

I think the big thing to avoid at these shops are car seats. If they have been in an accident, then they should not be used. You can't get reliable info about their "accident" history at these shops, so I wouldn't buy one there.

HTH,

[KathyO]

Ditto on everything you just said, particularly the bits about going often, getting a list of product recalls, and being aware of the retail prices so you really do get a good deal.

I am the consignment shop queen, and got my crib, bathtub, exersaucer, swing, doorway jumper, sling, sleep positioner, bouncy chair, activity centre, diaper bag, portable change pad, carriage and a hundred smaller things, from these places. Plus a TON of great, high-end clothes. When a hat or mittens or booties or socks only cost you twenty-five or fifty cents, you don't freak out if one goes missing during a trip somewhere. Likewise, if you invest in something and then find that it doesn't really fit in with your lifestyle (in my case the sling), or you buy a toy and your child never really cottons to it, or an outfit gets stained or torn, you don't feel so bad about it if you didn't pay much to start with.

The big find was an Amby Baby Nature's Nest Hammock for less than $30 US when they go for $200 new, including shipping. Some friends are using it now, but I'll be using it for baby #2.

I definitely second that car seats are not something I'd get at a consignment shop. I probably wouldn't get a breast pump there either, bottles yes but not nipples, and consignment shop strollers and play pens have frequently had the crap beaten out of them, so inspect thoroughly before buying, checking for signs of wear or abuse.

You can go crazy on clothes in these places. They are rarely worn out, and most consignment stores weed out most of the stained ones. My daughter wears Baby Gap and Gymboree and OshKosh and Please Mum, but at a quarter to a tenth the price of the new stuff. And you're not stuck with whatever the designers offer for colours or styles THIS particular year.

And hey - there the smug little glow of getting a good bargain, even if you don't tell anyone!

Cheers,

KathyO