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Baby Showers
Why don't people buy from registries?
Just wondering... I see ppl all the time saying that they don't buy from registries so I was curious as to why?
Personally for a really close friend I'd go out of my way to make a quilt or knit something in addtion to a 30-40 dollar gift from the registry. But for everyone else, I love that a registry is like idiot proof shopping- Just decide on a price range and buy whats there.
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Re: Why don't people buy from registries?
I think people like to be able to put some personal thought into it. And also they want their gift to be super cute and special for lots of "awwww cuuuuteee" responses when opened. But really the whole point of both wedding/baby showers is to get what is needed.
It does feel weird though like I just gave a friend her bathtub, towels and bath products off her registry and even though I know it is what she wanted it felt a little impersonal by not thinking of and finding the special perfect thing for her. Make sense?
I guess that makes sense, maybe its because I've been invited to SO MANY showers lately, but it just seems easier to me to go online and type in a name and pick off of a list. The other day I wet on BRU and bought gifts for 4 showers in under a half an hour- so much easier than actualy shopping.
I get it about wanting ppl to "ohhh and ahhh" at your gift. That's why I do aore for ppl I know really well.
ETA: feel free to flame away at this but, I honestly wish people would register for birthdays and christmas too!! I guess I'm just lazy!!!
I always try to shop from the registry. Usually what I do is get one or two practical items that they registered for and then I get sucked into the cute clothes and buy an outfit or two.
If it is someone I am really close to I ask what they need and then stick to that.
Well if it is a new mom I might buy something on the registry and off if I had a particular item in mind that I loved and found useful but she didn't register for.
I am not really sure why people don't go off registries..It is annoying sometimes. For my bridal shower no one went off the registry leaving me without many of the things I really needed. So for the baby registry I made one at babies r us but, bought many of the essentials already myself.. I will not have the time later to see if I get them at my shower so I got them myself and took them off the registry.
When my sister had her baby, I asked my mom where she was registered and my mom said "oh, BRU, but I don't use registries. Those are for people who don't really know her!"
I'm not anticipating any registry shopping from mom ;-p
I'm with the PP who wishes people registered for everything.
~EDD Nov 18, 2017 with my IUI success story~
[spoiler]
I totally agree. I always shop off of the registry because giving a gift isn't about me as the gift giver (which is why the whole "I want to get something more personal!" annoys me), it's about the person receiving the gift and I want to get them something that I KNOW they want/need. I don't care if it is boring to open at the shower or if people ooooh and aaaaah over it, I'm all about practicality.
I have never understood the "I want to give something personal". Really? What is more personal than a specific item or brand that the person wants and will use?
In general I go off of the registry. If it is a really close friend I might knit/sew something to give in addition to something off of the registry.
yes, I agree, it annoys me when people don't want to or won't buy off of a registry. Also a "personal gift" does not mean something that is cute but un-needed. I like practical gifts, things I know I'll use. What is the point of getting alot of "cute" gifts if you can't use them. If they are cute and practical then even better. But the whole point of a shower is to shower the mother to be with things she needs, not just an excuse to go out and buy something cute that you wouldn't normally have a reason to buy. That's the part that annoys me, is some people think it's their chance to go buy cute impractical things or momentos that they normally wouldn't buy, but they aren't thinking about the reason behind a shower, it's purpose is not to "shower" the couple with things that will go in a storage closet, it's to give them things they will need or use.
By the way, target does have a registry option for "any time" called "Target Lists". You could use it as a registry for bday, christmas etc. I think that is a great idea! I have a friend who all her family members make Amazon.com wish lists and they each buy each other christmas gifts off their amazon wish lists.
A lot of people went off our registry for my first shower, but then my sister had done the whole bring a book instead of a card thing on the invites, so that may have helped so people could do a more "personal" gift... But a lot of people also got one or two things from the registry and then something else cute to go along with it.
One thing I did notice about BRU that's a little annoying though, is that people bought stuff right off the registry and it was never taken off, so I went through it afterwards and marked stuff as being bought so I hopefully won't get a ton of duplicates from the next shower. I know that some people may not have had the registry scanned when they bought the item, but for example, with my mom she bought us our crib and bought it off the registry and I had to go onto it and manually change it myself - and the same with the bouncer seat, which I bought myself with a gift card, so I asked them to take it off in the store, yet I still had to go do it myself later.
Thankfully most of my friends/family insist on going off of registries.
When I shop, I love having a registry to get what the person really wants/needs. But if I know them really well, I also get a little something that is specific to our relationship (like an outfit with a character on it or something) or that I know is really useful from experience that they hadn't thought of.
im not revealing gender til the shower for this reason! i already have tons of people giving me clothes when i find out what im having, no need to have tons of other clothes my baby will never wear...
because usually when people go off the registry thats what they get. newborn size clothes.
but there are certain things i didnt register for like a baby book, and mementos like that because those are gifts some one could add a "personal touch" if they felt so inclined... but if its winnie the pooh, it will get returned no questions asked lol.
I've been wondering the same thing!! It is soo irritating to me to know that you walk around the store scanning everything that YOU want & then nobody takes the time to purchase it. I feel that if you don't feel like walking around looking for the items on the registry, at least purchase a gift card from the store. Gosh... is that too much to ask for??
Woa, fiesty!
I see what both of you are saying. I personally feel registries for the most part are a helpful suggestion as to what the recipiant would like and would prefer a gift that I needed instead of 12 photo albums from 12 different people because they wanted to be thoughtful....but they are being thoughtful and it's the thought behind the gift, not the gift that matters. (as my mom always says) I think you should be grateful that someone took the time to think of you and want to celebrate this special time in your life and not be too hung up on the fact they didn't stick with the regstry, as Roxy said you don't get to spend people's money for them.
Another reason that I think that people don't buy from registries... all the inexpensive items go first, then there is nothing in the $20 range for them to buy. Instead of buying a $20 gift card from the store, which they think will look cheap, they buy something not from the registry, so they have a gift to give.
If I don't know what to buy, and there is nothing left on the registry, my back-up gift is always a gift card from the registry store or diapers.