What to buy at an NCT sale

[cat811]

I want to get some stuff new, but can anyone recommend what would be good to get at one of these - what areas did you try to save on? (i've never been to one of these, so I don't know what the quality is like)
Thanks x

Quality is usually very good (but I think varies from area to area). Be prepared that they are usually a complete scrum - on no account take a baby with you!
They are usually good for prams/pushchairs, baby gates, toys, clothes, that kind of thing. You take the stuff away with you on the day, so you won't buy anything bulky.

In some areas/brances, if you offer to help at the sale, you are able to put things aside as they are unpacked. If there are specific things you are looking for, it might be worth you contacting the local branch and offering to help.

the best buys IME are
a) things you're sure you'll need but are expensive to buy new eg pram, cot, baby gym

b) things you don't know if you'll need hence don't want to shell out lots for eg bumbo, steriliser, travel highchair, back carrier

do not buy toys, you will be given heaps and newborns need very few, and IME rooting through the clothes when heavily pg is more trouble than it's worth when you can get seven babygrows for £5 in tesco.

Remember they happen every 6m so you can go back once the baby's born and stock up on what you missed.

equipment - cot, moses baskets, cribs etc.

highchairs - always a great selection at ours.

slings / backpack carrier things

baby gyms - they sell for about a fiver

Sleepsuits, babygros etc.

Grobags often go very cheap and also bundles of bedding.

You'll need to be at the head of the queue to stand a hope in hell of getting buggies, cots etc. Here the doors open at 10am but people start queuing way before that!

Some branches let NCT members in 15 minutes early - ours was positively civilized until the hoardes invaded . Not all branches do it, though, so worth checking in advance.