First Baby Swap Meet

I went to my first ever Swap Meet today. It is a baby swap meet at the Poirier Community Centre in Coquitlam. We picked up another couple on the way there and met a 3rd couple with a kid there. The meet was much bigger than I expected, I was expecting it to take place in a small gym, but the entire community centre (5 rooms and hallways) was packed with tables including outside.


I've never been to a swap meet before and the thought of buying used baby items was not that appealing to me. However, if you're saavy enough, you can walk away with some great items. We saw a bassinet that was all yucky and yellow with filth though. That was pretty funny, and no, we didn't buy it.

Here are some things I learned from today's swap meet.

Dos:

• bring your own bag. A lot of the sellers do not provide bags and it's better for the environment.
• bring change, don't bring bills larger than $20.
• browse through all the tables first
• consider the age of your child when you buy clothes for the future. For example, my baby will be born in spring so there's no point in buying a nice puffy jacket that's for 12 months old.
  

Don'ts:

• push others. Although this is common etiquette, there are a lot of expectant mothers at these swaps and I've seen lots of mothers with kids pushing others around to get to the tables.
• bring your baby in a shopping cart size stroller. These are packed events and it's best to leave the stroller with someone by the side, or carry the baby in a sling.
  

I'll post my findings in my next post if I have time.

Kidsvancouver is a great site to get news on upcoming swap meets (and other resources).