Smiggle !!!

[Lonely200144]

DD is 5 the week after Xmas and has asked for smiggle stuff for birthday !
I have looked at the site because it’s chber Monday so 30-50 percent off

Pencil case
4 packs of different pens ( not big pack )
Small bag
Hair bow
Hair band
Small light thing
Yo-yo
Swan hair clips
Purse
3 small pots of gloop
110 pound in the sale ??????
My eyes hurt just looking at it haha
Is it worth the money ?

If she REALLY wants to get smiggle stuff - the hard top pencil cases are ok, I'd recommend one of those. And maybe a few scented or glittery pens & pencils and scented erasers to go inside. That's all they need.

You can get the rest of the tat from somewhere cheaper.

You could get all of that for less than 30 quid.
H and m do lovely bags and hair accessories for little girls.
Wilko, the works bandm all do nice decent quality stationary.
I would get maybe the bag and pencil case and source the other tat from elsewhere for less than half the price.

Second flying tiger also.

I think you’re trying to buy too much!
I just bought a hard pencil case for £6, then 5 items for £5 (a pencil sharpener, ruler, biro with 5 colours, big twisty eraser and a pencil with topper) and a pack of scented pens.
Total cost = £16

I don’t think that’s too bad. My DD has a lunch box bag that she’s had for a few years and it’s very tough. The backpacks look ok too.

Cross post with Shouting

£110?? That’s crazy.
I got my DS some stuff for Xmas. A lockable diary, pencil case with a calculator, scented pencils, gel pens, a set with rubbers and more pencils... came to £30ish and I thought that was bad enough! He’s only getting it because he hasn’t asked for much altogether and it’s within my budget. I’d never pay their prices for school bags and lunch bags, I noticed they were about £80 for a set!

The rucksacks are good quality, and reasonably priced, and there are often some on discount in the sale.

If you wanted to spend a bit more, the Smiggle advent calendar is lovely.

Lunch boxes seem expensive. Don't like the water bottles.

Given that she has asked specifically for “Smiggle” I would get a couple of “wow” items from Smiggle (e.g. pencil case and water bottle) and then some similar but cheaper items from elsewhere.

The rucksacks lasted well for my DD in junior school, I thought they were expensive but they did generally last a whole year.

Tinc is similar but cheaper, they have their own shops, website and I've seen their advent calendar in John Lewis recently.

I couldn't find the exact same one I got from the website but have just got this for my niece for Christmas. No way would I spend over £100 in smiggle thou

www.smiggle.co.uk/shop/en/smiggleuk/gifts/gift-ideas/gift-packs/giggle-time-gift-pack?colour=PINK

Absolutely crap quality! Have had to return several expensive pencil cases in the past after they broke within a week. So pleased my dd has outgrown it as I used to begrudge buying from there and would always try and talk her out of spending her birthday money there!

I definitely wouldn't spend £110!

The quality of the bags, lunchboxes and soft pencil cases is good, colouring pens are OK, everything else is a bit questionable. They do love it though, so it is worth buying for the happiness factor!

Why not pick just 2-3 items that you think she might really enjoy e.g. pencil case, pens and sequin notebook?

I went in there once with DC1 aged 4

My hurts hurt from looking at everything in there at first, and then from registering what the prices were!

I could not believe it as I thought it was in the same style as Tiger with loads of 99p things etc.

Luckily managed to make a swift exit with child and they seemed non-traumatised by me not having bought anything!

Smiggle is crap and over priced. Thank god it didn’t start at FIVE here. The kids had bits from there because, well, it’s ‘Smiggle’. However, thankfully, they realised the quality was pretty rubbish and they got more for the same money in other places.

She’s only 4, about to be 5 - she’s not going to know if everything is Smiggle or not.

However, I would take her there for her birthday, as choosing is the biggest part of the fun of it.

So, I’d buy a few bits from Tiger, Range, Claire’s etc for her to open on her Birthday and a handmade voucher for a trip to & other shops for a bag and purse etc or for a set amount of money. Teach her the value of ‘her’ money by showing her she can choose more things if you shop wisely or you can choose to use all your money on one thing you really really love. Never too early!

I’m pretty indulgent, but there’s no way I’d spend £110 in Smiggle. It’s not just that it’s over priced, it’s crap quality. Mostly anyway, we did have a rainbow teddy pencil case that lasted the whole school year and was still fine, but she wanted a new one for year 7. Fair enough.

My DD has a pencil case and a lunch box from there and both are fine but admittedly overpriced. She did have a school bag a few years back that cost about £35 and the mesh pocket for the water bottle ripped after 3 days use. It also wasn’t very waterproof and we had soggy homework a few times (we walk to and from school as it’s only 1/2 a mile away).

For Christmas I would maybe get a few things if it was requested, I often find better offers in store than online. They usually have a clearance section with pencil cases and other tat, still overpriced mind you but slightly better value than paying full price.

One opened up near me a while back and I thought "ooh that looks interesting" and went in to have a browse. Looked at the prices of two things and walked straight back out. Overpriced tat.

I would only get a couple of things from smiggle then the rest from somewhere else. A couple of weeks ago I managed to get a pencil case 2 bath bombs, 2 water bottles 2 sequin notebook bundles (notebook, pen set, goo, secret pen, giant elastic band) a pack of pencils for £55. That was on one of their deals, still expensive though.

I usually buy the pens from blippo they have some cool and cute things on there.

Overpriced tat but if that's what she wants and you can afford it why not / she'll love you for it (for all of 5 mins!)

Aldi have a load of smuggle replica stuff in at the moment, much more reasonably priced.

If you do go for smiggle,, sign up for a loyalty card and you get money off your first purchase.

Wilco, The works, Claires, are all cheaper and much better quality.
I only bought a couple of things in the sale for friends dd, the quality was poor and I'd have been pissed off if paid full price.

Avoid the silicone water bottles they are rubbish and although dd loved the pop out pencil case I didn't think it was worth the money. She got one like this for school this year and it's fab.

www.smiggle.co.uk/shop/en/smiggleuk/gifts/gifts-by-price/gifts-under-30/zip-it-fashion-kit?colour=BLACK

I would get a couple of things that are obviously smiggle then trot over to Tiger and fill my boots

I think best bet is to go to a smiggle store as you can see what you are getting and they do have some offers dotted around. Agree a lot of their stuff is over priced and breaks. I would actually go for a rucksack even though they seem expensive as my dd's has actually lasted well (as someone else mentioned) and she loved it so much. Then possibly one of their 'value' packs with notepad pen etc included or possibly a pencil case (but not the hard plastic ones with drawers) - my other dd was given a roller skate one which was genuinely very fun. But that's it - other than maybe some non smiggle stationary. Older dd is sad because she still likes smiggle but not cool at secondary!

Thankyou I have decided to wait it out and see what deals they have after Christmas but in between birthday ha to get a couple of things.
I did the scented bundle box of crayola instead and then some bits on monsoon in their 25 percent off ( dressing gown, pyjamas, onesie ) she really likes getting stuff like this and cane to nearly half the price.
She starts school in January full time so maybe if sale after Xmas will just pick up a lunch box and water bottle at least it’s practical and she will use.

The backpacks are ok, both my DDs have them and they seem quite robust in comparison with the previous ones we've had. We're on our second year with them, still going strong. I got some folding headphones for eldest DD and they're good too. That's as much as I was willing to buy even in the sale.

Is Flying Tiger the new name for Tiger? Bloody love it in there. They have almost everything, and it's such good value.