A little advice (and vent) for anyone buying baby gifts for friends, relatives, etc...

Please, please, please...if you want to do your friends/relatives a favor...ASK them what they need for their child or what SIZE their child is wearing BEFORE you buy ANYTHING! Or, have the decency to give a gift receipt!

I just spent the last two hours packing up Paul's 6-9 mos. clothes, and I cannot tell you HOW MUCH stuff I have that he either wore only once, or never at all (tags still on!) This is so unfortunate, b/c there are so many things that he will need in upcoming months, and I cannot take these things back for even a store credit b/c I don't know where they were purchased. I am very frustrated right now.

Also, be concious of the season that you are buying for. If a baby is born in the Spring, you might think that it's a great idea to buy a 12mos. outfit, but guess what? The sizes of baby clothes are not true to their age. My son is wearing 12mos. NOW - at 8mos. of age, in the dead of winter...soooo, many outfits will STILL go unused.

I have now separated these things into piles...some will go to St. Vincent de Paul, some will go into storage (if I ever have another child AND it's another boy), and some I will have to re-gift. This will save my pocketbook later on, but I just wish that all this generosity could have benefitted the person it was meant for - my son!

Re: A little advice (and vent) for anyone buying baby gifts for friends, relatives, etc...

We always include the gift receipt.I don't know why people don't always do that.Its a shame when you can't use something.

Re: A little advice (and vent) for anyone buying baby gifts for friends, relatives, etc...

Claud, some people don't think long term, they think the baby will look so cute in it. My GF whose baby is not even born yet just had her shower and she had to return so many things to get store credit or things for an older child. She got a lot of 'young' clothes. She was lucky her guest gave receipts. I don't think people do it intentionally but I think it would be nice if they thought ahead. Some of us when we get invited to a shower get so excited we rush right in to the store and start picking up all the cute little stuff. I know I have been guilty of that, but I always give the receipt.

Good post, hope a lot of people heed to it Hey someone else will benefit from what Paul did not use.

Re: A little advice (and vent) for anyone buying baby gifts for friends, relatives, etc...

Thanks for the advice Claud, that sounds frustrating!

Any tips on what I can do to prevent this? I'm not sure if I should register for clothes. But, if my baby is born in the summer, I know that all he/she will need is onesies and creepers. Should I just be upfront with someone who buys me something that I know will not get used and ask them if they mind if I exchange it?

Re: A little advice (and vent) for anyone buying baby gifts for friends, relatives, etc...

I know when my SIL registered my stepmom told her to make sure to register for lots of Medium and Large size stretchies because she will not need a zillion 3month sized clothes. I agree, giving a gift reciept is great but not all stores do those during non-holiday times- they should though.
At least you have other outfits for a new baby or a shower, plus you will be helping a less fortunate baby with the donations.

Re: A little advice (and vent) for anyone buying baby gifts for friends, relatives, etc...

Just something else to think about
I work for a homeless shelter and we have teenage moms with newborn up to age 5--so if anyone is ever getting rid of baby itmes, cloths, toys, etc---we are always in need--
I work for Covenant House New York-- if you want to check us out to make sure we are reputable you can see our new website
Covenant House New York
I am the Dir of Funding PR & Volunteers and of course can answer any questions that anyone has
Laura

Re: A little advice (and vent) for anyone buying baby gifts for friends, relatives, etc...

Laura- do you pick up donated furniture or does it have to be dropped off. My SIL has a crib that she wanted to donate.

Re: A little advice (and vent) for anyone buying baby gifts for friends, relatives, etc...

Good advice! Someone gave me a snowsuit at my shower in the 9 month size. He'll be 9 months in July!!! LOL!!! They didn't give me a gift receipt but luckily there was a tag on it from the store and I was able to get store credit.

Re: A little advice (and vent) for anyone buying baby gifts for friends, relatives, etc...

Michele- depends dropped off is easiest--where does your SIL live?
Laura

Re: A little advice (and vent) for anyone buying baby gifts for friends, relatives, etc...

Nina, I dont think you need to ask someone if they mind if you exchange it. You do what you need to do. its hard to judge how big a child will be and what clothes he will be wearing. My son is 3m old and is wearing some 6m outfits.
Also, ive seen 6m size clothes that looks like Newborn and then ive seen 18m sizes that look like 3T.
The main thing is to return items as soon as possible, because if you wait to see if you need them, at the last minute, and THEN try to return them, we all know the deal with no receipt, you get the lowest selling price. Some items I was returning for store credit at BRUS and the lowest selling price was like $1.99 for gorgeous outfits !! so I kept the outfits and gave them to my cousin who just had a baby also. Id rather someone else get use out of them, brand new, than get $2 for these $30 outfits....its your own judgement call.

Re: A little advice (and vent) for anyone buying baby gifts for friends, relatives, etc...

Out East on LIE. I didn't know if you do scheduled pick-up service.
Maybe next time we have a GTG you could ask LIW to do a 'bring any donations' for your charity. I am sure people have stuff at home that they would love to donate but don't know how.

sometimes even saying what u need doesnt work..

we only bought things that were large sized since we figured others would fall for the 'CUTE' little clothes....WE were lucky cuz at least 1/2 of our gifts spaced out the sizes...esp if the ones who were giving gifts were parents themselves....

Now I am getting the 'what do you need?' calls...and Rob & I finished out our registry b4 Juliannen was born...thinking since the items were still there- no one wanted to buy them. ARGH

Esp ARGH since we bought the pac-n-play.
Friends of ours contacted my MIL regarding what to buy us..the shower invites had gone out at this time. Mom told her about our registry. The next time they spoke they again asked about what to buy and then usaid they would pick up the pack n play for the shower. Well, they didnt make it to the shower, and the item still appearaed on our registry. We thought nothing of this at the time.

Then, In Dec, we all attended a holiday party for a club we belong to. Again, she approached my MIL, siad she wanted to buy something 'BIG'...and my mil said they really want the pack n play that is on their list. If it isnt too much, that is WHAT they WANT .
WEll, again, it still was on our list as unpurchased. Rob suggested we go to BRU and pick up the last items... ( I think as mudh as a distraction since I was overdue at this point)....

WELL, the friends came to see Julianne this sunday and made us a taco dinner. She handed me a box saying she wanted to buy the pac and play - but it showed it was already purchased. I told her that we did buy it a few weeks ago ,etc....so she again tapped her box and said- well - here is your pack and play.
Inside the box were 4 outfits...2 3-6 months and 2 6-9 months...tags attached from KMart,,,each listed $12.99 price.

First, Kmart has kids clothes on sale now- and most of the items are going for $5 to $7 accding to my MIL.
Second, 4 outfits @$12 each= $48. Pack n play cost $130 plus tax. NOT THE SAME THING!

I know I risk sounding petty here...but $40 does not equal $130..and YES I AM happy that they came to see us and cooked a quick and nice dinner...she should have just handed me the present and said 'Enjoy'.

BTW- if you need to return items and are not sure where they ar from...if the name of the company is 'especially for baby' that is the BRU brand. Return it there or at KRU.
Gerber and Carters clothes can be returned at Kmart of Kohls...even without a receipt...you will of course get a credit to use in the store...not cash.

Re: sometimes even saying what u need doesnt work..

You DO NOT sound petty! Why 'pretend' that you are going to buy someone something. Just give the gift that you can afford and that's that.

Re: A little advice (and vent) for anyone buying baby gifts for friends, relatives, etc...

Claud - How true what you said is!!! Emma was born in June... someone got her an adorable dress when she was born. Unfortunatly its a 6-9 month (Dec-March) size. Oh well... maybe if we go on vacation she can wear it. People have to do the math!!!

Re: A little advice (and vent) for anyone buying baby gifts for friends, relatives, etc...

The truth is, people think that the baby's age will equal the size of his clothes. This is the way people thought about it years and years ago...but now the clothes are much different (consider the fact that they now make preemie clothes).

And, unfortunately, I do not have time to run to all these different stores and say 'Can I return this here? Is this your item?' Not to mention that many of the outfits were sent to us from different states, so I doubt that everyone shops at BRU or Buy Buy Baby. Oh well...the less fortunate will benefit!

Re: A little advice (and vent) for anyone buying baby gifts for friends, relatives, etc...

One other thought: This is just my opinion but I don't like anything too cutesy for my son. Cutesy works great on girls but since my little guy was born I have received some very girly looking boys outfits that I'd never put on him. They're boy's outfits but they are just too...well, DH called Luke 'Mr. Fancy Pants' with one outfit which pretty much sums up the style. You'd think that as an infant they could get away with it - and they can - but there are so many nice boy clothes out there, it's not my taste to dress my boy in yellow or outfits with duckies on it. Again, that's just me but I think you will find alot of mothers of boys feel the same way which is why I think those kinds of clothes go to waste.

Re: A little advice (and vent) for anyone buying baby gifts for friends, relatives, etc...

Elizabeth I kinda agree with you. Evn though I dont mind yellow or duckies on my son, I did get sick of the yelow and green stuff that I got at my shower. I got clothes that were 'good for a boy or girl' from birth to 12 months. I returned everything bigger than 3 months. I figured it looks cute, up until a 3m old, and YES of course it would still look cute on a 4m old, but I Wanna get some BOY CLOTHES !!! Ilove putting little boy stuff on him. enough of that cutesy green and yellow stuff !( and whatever else I havent returned, will go to my next child, or to my sisters next child, ....)