Monday, January 14, 2008

Buck you, Gym

We made a pilgrimage to the mall yesterday to exchange all our ill-fitting/disdained ("I don't like turtlenecks, Mommy. I will never wear those ever") stuff. We came out pretty much even at Macy's but somehow at Gymboree I exchanged three old items for four new items and ending up spending $50! (Time for another WTF haiku.)

Now here's the thing -- because all the gift receipts went missing in the Christmas frenzy, my mother-in-law just gave me all the regular Gymboree receipts. I have three of them and each one is about a foot and a half long, because she was buying for three kids on behalf of four different adults.

It's also GymBucks time. I have an insane number of GymBucks now: 250. That means I could buy $500 worth of overpriced clothes for the low price of $250.

My kids don't need $250 worth of clothes. They don't need 25 cents worth of clothes. I am no good at shopping ahead for upcoming seasons either (I rarely buy them clothes, period--their grandmas are so very generous). I know the sane thing would be to just throw the coupons out but it feels too much like throwing away actual money. I also know this is quite possibly the most bourgeois problem I could describe. But, what should I do ... can I sell these things on eBay? Donate them somewhere? Would it be worth buying a bunch of stuff then reselling it online or at a consignment store? Do you want them? Halp.

15 comments:

BlondeMomBlog (Jamie) said...

Gymboree is good at that, isn't it?!

Honestly I have participated in two consignment sales and hated every minute of it. The little bit of money I made was not worth it so I now usually donate things to Goodwill or to a co-worker with a daughter younger than Miss A.

I think you should check into selling the Gymbucks on eBay.

Now shopping at consignment sales? I am ALL over that which is probably why I refuse to buy the overpriced mall clothing!

Binkytowne said...

I try and see those kinds of deals for what they really are: Ploys to get you to spend more money. I say throw them away! (If this were Ann Taylor Loft and I wasn't pregnant I would have already emailed you asking you pretty please to mail them to me :))

Unknown said...

Maybe the Grandmas will want those bucks to spend?

Julie Pippert said...

I'd donate them or hand them off to the Grandma who shops there for gifts (on behalf of others no less!).

Julie Marsh said...

Shopping at Gymboree isn't nearly as fun when it's not the two of us at Riverside Square. And I've put shopping for my little miss picky-picky on the back burner until her attitude and matching skills improve. Maybe we'll go shopping together again when she graduates college.

Lara said...

i would say donation if you don't think you can use the bucks. lots of little ones need clothes, especially in the winter. :)

Girlplustwo said...

i suppose i'd donate. what the heck is a gymbuck?

Anonymous said...

I'm happy to take some gymbucks off your hands ;).
Seriously, you should see if anyone else is selling them on ebay, and follow suit!

3XMom said...

you could always freecyle them too. Freecycle.org

Karianna said...

Ah, the Gymbucks!

I have a friend whose husband is a "Big Wig" at Gymboree. They live in a mansion and have help to do everything. They even have a chef. Apparently, those Gymbucks don't cheat those folks out of still makin' the dough.

Christina said...

I love Gymboree, thanks to good clothes that fit my moose of a preschooler well (thank you, well-made leggings!), but hate their prices.

Yes, people will buy Gymbucks on eBay. There's quite a thriving business there. I don't know where you could donate them, since Gymboree is still expensive even after the Gymbuck.

(I'd be happy to take one of them off your hands if you don't find another way to get rid of them. Just one, though - I can't spend that much on clothing right now.)

And eBay is a great place to resell Gymboree clothing, too. I kept only my favorite pieces of Cordy's wardrobe and sold the rest on eBay, making back nearly everything I spent on it to begin with.

Leighann of Multi-Minding Mom said...

I always forget to use the reward bucks that stores offer.

I tend to buy off the clearance rack at Gymboree. I'm so cheap!

I just bought $100 of clothes on 80% clearance at Kohl's which will hopefully fit next year. Glad I didn't pay $500 at full price!

ewe are here said...

I have to ask: what's a gymbuck?

Silicon Valley Moms Group said...

Yeah, I am not sure you could donate them. They do sell on eBay or local mom's sites here. We love Gymboree because the clothes fit and last. I would take some off your hands for sure.

amy turn sharp said...

yr funny
I will me back!