MOM Fall Sale

My husband and I are looking forward to our first MOM sale on Sept. 29. If the babies cooperate, we may even know their genders on the 27th when we have an 18 week u/s. I have no idea what to expect at this sale. I know that I get to go for an early "tour" at 8:30 since I am an expectant mom. What types of things do you recommend we look to buy while we're there? What equipment things might we find? Should we attempt to buy some clothes in bigger sizes? Toys? My husband is totally clueless about baby stuff, so I was thinking I'd look for some pictures of stuff and print them off ahead of time so he has an idea what to be looking for. Do you think the sale will be so crazy-busy that we'll be lucky to get much of anything because there will be so many other people there? I have visions of department stores at Christmas when Cabbage Patch Kids were all the rage. Remember that? I read in the MOM newsletter that we can't use our own shopping bags, but should purchase an official MOM shopping bag for $15 when we get there. I can guarantee my husband won't go for that. We just don't have the money to be spending on extra stuff that isn't for the babies. Do you think we can bring a laundry basket or something for which to carry our purchases? I'm sure the rules are different at other sales, but I'm just curious how others have dealt with this.

Thanks for your advice!

 

Hi Beth! I'm sorry I can't help you much on the MOM sale since I was on bedrest during my pg. I can tell you what you may need though if they have it:

swings
big swaddling blankets
double snap and go
some clothes in neutral colors like green, yellow, etc

Hopefully, someone can add more info
HTH!

 

Hi Beth,

When my DD was pg I went to a large semi-annual consignment sale and was able to find quite a few useful items for her, such as a Pack-n-Play for $20, a nice Graco swing for $10, a large bag of 10 Avent bottles for $5 (I bought new nipples for the bottles but not sure if you'd have to), and a baby bathtub for $5. I also bought some rattles/infant toys for about $1 each. I really wanted to snag a double stroller for her but the nice ones were taken. You should be able to find some unisex items like onesies and sleepers, and items to help you at home such as bottles, a monitor, humidifier, mobile, baby lullaby CD's, Baby Einstein DVD's, etc.

I went to the pre-sale as well because I had worked as a volunteer (nice perk) and it was VERY crowded and the pace seemed almost frantic at first. It was the first large sale of this kind I had been to and people had strollers and laundry baskets to carry their purchases. No bags were offered (seems greedy to sell them to customers!) and I really regretted not having something to carry my items around in.

This may or may not be similiar to what you will experience at your MOM's sale, just thought I'd share what I experienced here. Best of luck!

 

We are allowed to bring laundry baskets to put stuff in at our sale.

As for things to buy or things that you can get great deals on -

double snap-n-go
sometimes double joggers but they go fast!
excersaucers (we got one at our sale for $20 so even though we had to store it it was a great deal)
Bouncy chairs
cribs - you can usually fing great matching cribs with mattresses
nursing pillows/boppy
hats
socks
toys
preemie clothes (sometimes hard to find in the stores - not a bad idea to have one or two things)


We didn't buy much clothes because we had received a lot of clothing as gifts. It will probably be pretty crowed, but a lot of the members will be shopping for older twins so you should be ok

 

That seems pretty crazy that they forbid you to bring your own bags, and require you to spend $15 on a bag -- if that's the case, why not call it an admission fee? Anyway, our sale doesn't provide bags but they encourage people to bring laundry baskets or whatever. I hope yours will let you do this too.

The pace at our sale is pretty crazy too -- it's friendly, but hectic. However, when I was pregnant people were extra-careful to make way for me and answer my questions! The other moms really know what it feels like to be you right now.

I wouldn't buy larger size clothes. There is plenty of time for that, and after they're born and have grown a little, you'll have a better sense of what size they are, and also what type of clothes you prefer.

I do buy clothes at the MOM sales, but the main reason I go is for mid-level gear -- exersaucers, bouncy seats, toddler chairs, riding toys, baby bjorns, diaper pails, feeding boosters.... Things that cost $30-100 retail can go for $5-15 at the sale (at least at ours).

They do have larger, more expensive things (like double joggers and furniture), but you have to get lucky because they go fast. So, keep your eye out, but don't count on snagging something like that.

Crib bedding is also a good thing -- it's ridiculously expensive in the stores, and if you don't care if you get a matching set, you can get a good deal.

At our sale, they have a "large purchases checkout" where you can pay for your big stuff and then they'll store it for you, so you don't have to carry it all around with you. You then pick it up with a claim ticket when you're ready to go. Also, people tend to set up camp in a corner with all their stuff and leave someone to watch it for them (or not -- people don't pilfer from what is obviously someone else's pile). But I'm sure every sale is slightly different.

My final word of advice is not to shop too far ahead. If you happen to know that you're going to want a specific kind of tricycle and you see one, by all means get it -- but for the most part, concentrate on things you're going to need for the first 6 months. There will be another sale when you can get stuff for the next stage!

 

I hope you can find everything you will need. All I can say is I wish they had things like this around here. I have never even heard of this kind of sale.

good luck
missy

 

We just went to a baby sale like you are speaking of...the twin one is coming up in October....

We got sleepers for .50 a piece!
ring sling 8 bucks!
Angel care monitor 12.50
Diaper wipe warmer 3.00
Hooded towels...don't remember the price but it wasn't much
The peek and see blocks...the big cube....not sure of the name of it..but it was 5.00!!!!
there was so much there...and this was the last day of a 3 day sale...They had EVERYTHING...there...so I would go through magazines or the computer and cut out pictures..and make hubby a picture book....so he knows what to get!

Missy

Have fun!!!!

 

HI (I just sent you an message) I have been to the very sale you are speaking of!
I was a member until recently when I moved to WI

The sale is crazy but you can usually get nice things that you need. Since you will have a helper you prob wont need to purchase a bag....as long as you DH is strong! ahah

There are some crazy ladies...they will run to get what they want. no lie.

But it is worth the time!

 

yes, they should call the fifteen dollars for a bag an entry fee - taht notwithstanding, i imagine you can get a lot of great stuff I'm going to my first one in a few weeks, i was on bedrest before my girls were born).

I agree that if you have space, the mid-level gear is great - my girls just turned six months and someone got us an exersaucer a couple fo months ago that i was waiting for them to grow into. Well, they LOVE it, and a new one of the same range is about eighty dollars, so if you can snag those. Also, DEFINITELY swings and bouncy chairs - you cannot imagine how much you will use them.

- Monitors - but make sure they work and are recent vintage
- Sleepers - you will go through a ton of them; we hardly dressed in anything else for the first three months because it was so tough to get out of the house!
- slings/carriers, but if possible both you and DH should try some before hand with actual babies in them ('borrow' a friends!) so you know what they feel like: some of them put a lot of pressure on your shoulders
Socks
- Double snap-n-go for sure if you can find it; in those first ew months being able to put the babies in the car and just pop out the car seats when they inevitably fall asleep is great
- Plastic rattles and toys for later (I wouldnt' buy soft toys like stuffed animals, but that's a personal thing)
- crib bedding - yes! and remember, you do NOT need a fancy crib set - you can't put on the bumpers or the quilt anyway, so they just end up cluttering and collecting dust

Agree taht you don't want to buy too much clothing in advance, as there will be another sale in six months. ALso, not too much preemie stuff, as they outgrow them very quickly.

Happy Shopping!

 

i would also look for items like swings, exersaucers, bumbos, etc ... They are SO expensive new, and really have a relatively short life span in the whole scheme of things. We bought 2 swings for $120 each ... and the kids are already bored with them! We are saving them in case my sis gets pregnant. But if not, we will probably try selling them to recoup how expensive they were.

Hope you get lots of good stuff!