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Baby will puke on
those designer duds as well as the cheap ones.
Tantalized by those micro-Air Jordans
you spotted while out shopping for your firstborn? Or, how about
the Tiffany sterling silver baby rattle and that adorable Gap baby
backpack?
Say it isn't so. Spending close to $200
on items such as these is no way to shop for your first baby --
no matter how exciting the experience. But how could you know? You've
never done this before.
That's just the problem. "When you're expecting and
shopping for baby for the first time, you have 'sucker' stamped
on your forehead," says Alan Fields, co-author of Baby
Bargains, an indispensable guide that Fields wrote with
his wife after learning that "having a baby is like popping on the
Juvenile Amusement Park Ride from Consumer Hell."
Step into a baby superstore in search of a crib, stroller,
or even clothes, and the new parent is bound to be grabbed immediately
by an overeager salesman hyping one gadget or another: a brake system,
shock absorption, safety nets, swallow-proof buttons, you name it.
If you aren't careful, you could end up walking out two hours later
with a $2,000 bill and a lot of useless junk.
Know what your baby really needs
The bottom line: Before you set out shopping
for various necessary pieces of equipment, prepare yourself. The
more you know about what you really need, the less apt you are to
be taken advantage of.
First of all, as Alan and Denise Fields' warn, beware
of buying-for-baby frenzy. Yes, this is your first child, but take
a deep breath and remind yourself that your baby's safety is the
most important thing; all the rest then falls by the wayside. Remember
that the juvenile products industry is a whopping $6.02 billion
business according to the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association
and that making a sale is their first order of business. Don't get
sucked into the hype of every little doodad.
Secondly, forget the designer brands -- your baby
won't know the difference between a $700 Bellini crib and a $250
one from Simmons, or a fancy-dancy $1,000 Emmaljunga steel chrome
stroller and a very solid lightweight one for about $200 from Aprica.
And, in many cases, the streamlined versions may actually be better.
The more gadgets, the greater the likelihood of something
breaking on you. Same goes for fancy toys. As Kim and Kevin Holmes,
new parents in Boston, said: "It seemed to us that the cheaper the
toy, the more our baby liked it." Why shell out $200 for a shiny
new wagon with anti-lock brakes when odds are your baby will just
want to play with your keys?
All of this leads us to point No. 3: Stick
with basics, especially when it comes to clothing and furniture.
Keep the clothes simple -- Junior sure isn't going to the opera,
and he'll have outgrown everything you've bought by the time you
get home. As for furniture, skip antiques and hand-painted specialties,
as well as fancy drawers, breaks and locks. Dressers, rocking chairs
and shelves are all much cheaper when they come in simple pine --
and, incidentally, when you buy them at regular furniture stores
rather than special baby stores.
Save your dollars ... you can do it
Take this example: After spotting a "baby" dresser
for $300, Kate Robinson of Chicago shopped around and found a "regular"
three-drawer pine dresser for $139 at a local discount furniture
store. "I think the store slapped the word 'baby' on the label just
so they could up the price $150," she says.
Also, consider mail order. If you live in a town with
only one upscale baby store whose prices are sky high, call up retailers
like J.C. Penney and Sears (which both sell reputable baby furniture
brands, as well as accessories and maternity wear at affordable
prices).
Finally, roll up your shirt sleeves, and do it yourself.
Want a cheerful baby's bedroom? Use stencils, or paint colorful
stars on the ceiling of your baby's nursery. Love those Laura Ashley
sheets, but know (after reading this) that you shouldn't shell out
$200 for them? Buy some beautiful fabric and make your own. You'll
have fun ... and, your baby will love you the more, especially if
you're padding their college fund instead of some designer's wallet.
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