I also posted this in the Baby Bargains "Around the House" forum.

We are looking at buying an outdoor playset for DD. I really don't want it until next Spring, but I understand now is the best time to shop for deals. For those of you with high-end playsets (Rainbow, Cedarworks, etc.) are they worth the money? ...really worth it? They are easily 4x the cost of the typical sets you see at TRU or Lowe's, will we get 4x the use? We are not wealthy, so it would be a huge investment for us. However, if I felt we would be getting that much more use, I think it would be worth it. Do kids really play on these sets when they are 6, 7, 8 yrs old? My brothers' have the typical Eagle's Nest sets that Lowe's carries and their kids don't (and never really did) play on them. Now I could see them getting all excited to come to our house to play on our big, expensive set, but if it was in their backyard everyday, would they be as excited?

I realize that durability and safety come into play, but I wouldn't be willing to invest that much more based soley on those two factors.

If you have a more economical set, do you wish you would have paid the extra money for the high end set? Would I be better to get a cheaper set and put my money into cool accesories?

When is the best time to buy the Rainbow & Cedarworks sets? I received a recent flier that the Rainbows were 30% off during the month of July and Cedarworks is currently running a 10% off sale. If I wait until October or later, will the deals get more tempting?