The Vulture Friend

Does everybody have one? I think I have several. It's not totally a bad thing. Sometimes I just need to get rid of some stuff, so having people who are practically rabid for my hand-me-downs does come in handy at times. Sometimes it's incredibly annoying when word gets out that I just got something new to replace something I already had, and then get 20 texts asking for the old one. Sometimes I have no intention of getting rid of the other one since we're not done with babies yet, and I will get to use it again. I'm sorry, but I'm not inclined to turn loose something I probably paid hundreds of dollars for unless I'm 100% sure I'm not going to need it again.

All in all, I do find it amusing on some level, but at the same time, it's bothersome that when friends come over, they're always checking out Orren's stuff, trying to figure out what I'm going to be willing to turn loose of in a few months and what I'm not. (Here's a hint: I'm not turning loose of any of it. There's a reason we but top-of-the-line stuff. It's so it will still be in good condition for the next baby, and we will get our money's worth.)

I'm all for frugality. I save HUNDREDS on my baby gear by buying discontinued colors, or waiting for sales, or trolling for coupon codes on sites like retailmenot.com. In all honesty, ANYONE can do this stuff, and get really high-end stuff for very good prices. Sure, it's more than you pay for the junk they sell at Wal Mart, but not by as much as a lot of people think. I'm not even secretive about this stuff. In fact, I give this advice to EVERYBODY who expresses an interest in my stuff (which is almost everyone I know with babies and toddlers). I also make a real effort to find the best sales on the things that people are always hitting me up for, and to post them online where all my friends will see them, and to give them coupon codes that I get from certain brands for customer loyalty. I also call people's attention to it when new colors come out and a lot of brands put discontinued colors on sale, or like earlier this year, when a certain Italian stroller company I adore put out a new model and replaced TWO of their old ones with it, thus putting the two discontinued models on sale at the deepest discounts I've ever seen. Yet they still want to buy my stuff, probably for pennies on the dollar. Can you see my eyes rolling? You should.

I guess it's complimentary that people like my taste in stuff, and it's nice to know that when we are done with babies, and it's time to sell our baby gear, we won't have a problem finding buyers for it. Until then, it's us and the vultures.