*UPDATED* Short of stalking garage sales...

[sarahsthreads]

And another update:
DD loves the slide. She's been sliding all day in the living room. I have a feeling when we move it outside she's going to be begging to go outside all day. And the tops of the legs of the slide work well enough as handles, so no worries there. Thanks again for all the advice!

____________________

Update:
Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions! I tried a dozen garage sales in the past three days and decided if I hadn't found one by the end of today I was just going to go buy something. After all, my time (and sanity) is worth something, right? There weren't any listings on ebay or craigslist either. So we drove out to TRU and picked up a Little Tikes folding slide for $40. Ouch!

And now I'm wondering if I should go back and exchange it for the $30 Sizzlin Cool slide that Kayleesmom mentioned (it was $30 instead of $20 at our TRU). We decided on the Little Tikes one because it was a little shorter and folded up more compactly. And I'll be perfectly honest and also say that the I liked the color of the LT one better. It will "coordinate" with her playhouse and blend in more with the backyard. Yes, I'm that pathetic. ;) But now that I see it unfolded in the living room I'm worried that there's no "seat" or handles at the top to help her to get into a sitting position and ready to slide once she's up the steps. I guess we'll try it out in the morning and see if it works for her.

I'll update again when we decide whether we're keeping it or exchanging it.

____________________
Is there any place to get a toddler-sized slide or simple climber IRL? I'd like to spend under $100. DH would prefer under $50, which is why I started out looking at garage sales. Since I've had no luck I've looked around a bit online, but shipping for these things is insane - anywhere from $30 to $100 just for standard shipping. Seriously, who pays as much for shipping as the item costs?!?

Is it worth driving the half-hour to the "local" TRU, or would Target or KMart have something? It's such a pain to go shopping with DD lately that I haven't really managed to get out to look anywhere. Sigh.

I've also looked on our local craigslist and in the classifieds with no luck, so I'm stuck with either buying new or trying to get to garage sales right when they open. (And if just trying to get to Target sometime before lunch is a pain, getting to a garage sale at 8:30 in the morning is impossible.)

Help!
Sarah :)

[jess_g]

Hi, I have had great luck recently with our local craigslist. I bought a display bookcase and a great step 2 playhouse that my son just loves. I think you should be able to find a climber used on craigslist this time of year, but if not than defently check out TRU. They do have a lot of climbers for sale. You can also check on the step 2 website. They do list stores that sell there products. Maybe there is a store listed closer than TRU. I must admit though that a half hour drive around here is nothing. Everything is at least that far away from us.

Jessica.

[holliam]

On our local Craig's List things go so fast it's not even funny. I got an outdoor climber at a local consignment store thanks to Beth (brittone2) who drove by it and tipped me off!

Holli

[cric]

Have you checked ebay w/ local pick up only options? You can do an advanced search for items w/in whatever number of miles from your zipcode. I've been watching a few Step 2 auctions in the Chicagoland area because I'm getting ready to sell our climber.

[MarisaSF]

Twice a year, our local parenting group has a big swap meet. It's an awesome place to get that kind of stuff as there are generally tons of duplicates. Vendors set up in a big parking lot and there's a bit of a mad rush. But I got a little slide for $10 (there were several). I think those climbing cubes were anywhere from $40-75 depending on the vendor and the condition.

This to say that you can find something good in your price range. If you find a big swap meet like this, you'd only need to get up and out early once, not every weekend!

Good luck!
One tip: Post a "Wanted" ad on craigslist (add a photo or two of what you're looking for). Wanted ads always work for me (as both buyer and seller). Sometimes people just don't realize that others want what they aren't using.

[dules]

You have to be fast with Craigslist but it can be done. I don't know where you are located but this was just posted today on my local (NJ) list:

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/bab/169276236.html

Sometimes people ask outrageous amounts and sometimes I think they just want to get rid of the thing.

Good luck!

Best,
Mary

[kayleesmom]

i found a toddler slide that is plastic like the little tikes ones at toyr us from Sizzlin Cool it is blue steps with green plastic slide. 20.000 awesome in the summer area