registry questions

pawcall · September 2010

I feel weird about my registry. Sometimes I look at it and think it looks way too long, and I go on a deletion spree. Other times I think it's better to give people more options, and since it's just a wishlist, it really doesn't matter how many things are on it.

We're sending out 40ish invites to our shower - but at least half of those are family members that live 1000+ miles away (in my family, you invite everyone to everything, or feelings are hurt). Of the remaining 20, I'd be pretty surprised to see about a half dozen show up. Seriously.

Based on how my bridal shower went - the people who don't show up don't send gifts either - so I feel stupid having a huge registry (there are 70 things on my BRU registry, 14 of which I've already bought).

I'm overthinking this, right?

campberson · September 2010

Yes, you're overthinking

I think you should put as many items as you want/need. Who cares what they think! And for all they know, you could be having other showers that warrant more registry items. There's always the registry completion coupon reasoning as well!

NoemiJ · September 2010

I think you're overthinking it (says the woman with over 80 things on hers Smile

). People will buy what's in their price range, so given them a broader option is good. You're also thinking about buying some things with your completion coupon right? So why not leave those things on the registry?

kknapp25 · September 2010

i would leave them on, being able to get the completion discount is nice. plus, even if people don't buy from your registry i think it helps give them a guide of what you're in need of.

lattelady2 · September 2010

NoemiJ:
I think you're overthinking it (says the woman with over 80 things on hers ). People will buy what's in their price range, so given them a broader option is good. You're also thinking about buying some things with your completion coupon right? So why not leave those things on the registry?

This!

elizjane26 · September 2010

Now I'm thinking I don't have enough on mine!

june21jbr · September 2010

I always think the more the better. I love having many options when I go to buy for someone. The more options with mulitple price ranges helps to ensure that someone will actually buy from your registry and not from a random place that you cant take back.

pawcall · September 2010

I know I'm overthinking it. I know! I seriously look at this thing every day and debate adding and/or removing things with the "oh it'll just be easier to buy it for myself" rationale.

Just noticed though, you get double R' Us rewards points if you buy things off your own registry. So that's pretty cool. I think I'm like $20 away from my first $5 gift cert.

ETA: of course, it would HELP if I remembered to TELL them these things were from my own registry when i bought them...

simonra · September 2010

I think you are over thinking. I also over think registry stuff and then DH claims I am sucking all the fun out of it.

I agree with PP who mentioned just using it as a master list. I don't think any of the invitees will judge you on how many things you have on there.

People realize that babies need A LOT of stuff.

sweettea_and_peonies · September 2010

june21jbr:
I always think the more the better. I love having many options when I go to buy for someone. The more options with mulitple price ranges helps to ensure that someone will actually buy from your registry and not from a random place that you cant take back.

This exactly. I have been really surprised at the posts on here where people talk about inviting 50 people and only having 50 things on one registry. Maybe I go overboard (I have 100 things on my BBB registry), but it's just as much for me as it is for the invitees of my shower. It's helping me stay organized, remember what I need and what products I have read good reviews on that I want to get later. Also, as a gift giver, I am always so appreciative when I print out a registry and it's at least a couple pages long. I HATE printing a registry out to see only one page with only one option in my price range.

layersofmeaning · September 2010

Yes, you're overthinking! But so was I! I thought I had way too many items (74 I think - some have already been bought) I'm having 3 showers so I think it's a good number. I've decided: I want it, I need it, I'll add it. No one is obligated to purchase anything!

MsixelA · September 2010

Stop going on your deleting sprees! Like all PP said, it's better to have more things so that there are more options in various price ranges. I think I edit mine everyday - find something I like more so I change it from one thing to another, add something, delete something that I know I'll never actually use, etc. If anything, just add and resist the urge to delete anything, then it'll really be a good wish list.

Or you can be crazy OCD like me. I seriously have a spreadsheet in excel with everything on my registry broken into "need" and "want" lists (then organized from least to most expensive). That way once a shower is done and over and I go back through my registry and spreadsheet and see what's left that we actually need to get before baby Eric comes, and what can wait because it's stuff we just want to have before he gets here.

MsixelA · September 2010

cdobry01:
Just noticed though, you get double R' Us rewards points if you buy things off your own registry. So that's pretty cool. I think I'm like $20 away from my first $5 gift cert.

And this!

june21jbr · September 2010

MsixelA:

Stop going on your deleting sprees! Like all PP said, it's better to have more things so that there are more options in various price ranges. I think I edit mine everyday - find something I like more so I change it from one thing to another, add something, delete something that I know I'll never actually use, etc. If anything, just add and resist the urge to delete anything, then it'll really be a good wish list.

Or you can be crazy OCD like me. I seriously have a spreadsheet in excel with everything on my registry broken into "need" and "want" lists (then organized from least to most expensive). That way once a shower is done and over and I go back through my registry and spreadsheet and see what's left that we actually need to get before baby Eric comes, and what can wait because it's stuff we just want to have before he gets here.

Wow..... Yes

izzourclue · September 2010

Personally if I receive an invite to a wedding or shower of some kind, I send a gift whether I can go or not. Usually a gift card if I can't go. That's why we didn't send any invites to people that aren't local. I didn't want it to look like we are begging for gifts. I don't think 70 items are too many for a registry. You want to give people lots of options and many things are probably small and people will buy multiple items for gift basket or something. You are over thinking it Wink

broccolitree · September 2010

I deleted ONE THING from my registry so far... and it sent my MIL into a tailspin because it happened to be the thing she'd already bought us. She was registry stalking us before we'd sent it out, and the thing I removed was a BundleMe so I don't feel remotely bad about it, but still. lol.

Personally, the only things I duped are things I could really stand to have two of... the portable Fisher Price highchairs, so we could have one for our house and one for Grandma's house. I did a couple packs of Aden & Anais swaddle blankets and a sleep sack at both BRU & Target, a few toys at both, baby mittens at both, etc. But the bigger items we really don't need two of, I went for one or the other.

Though really, I kind of anticipate having to make returns for store credit as it is, so if I get dupes of a bigger ticket item it's NBD.

alisonjoy80 · September 2010

You're overthinking it

My registries are more of a wish list. It's a starting point for people attending my shower(s) to go by, but also a reminder to myself of what I need to get before the baby gets here. I don't think it hurts to have too much on it, as long as you really need all that stuff.

pawcall · September 2010

izzourclue:
Personally if I receive an invite to a wedding or shower of some kind, I send a gift whether I can go or not. Usually a gift card if I can't go. That's why we didn't send any invites to people that aren't local. I didn't want it to look like we are begging for gifts. I don't think 70 items are too many for a registry. You want to give people lots of options and many things are probably small and people will buy multiple items for gift basket or something. You are over thinking it

I do this too. The only out of towners that are getting invites are my family (not even DH's out of town contingent) because feelings will be forever hurt if they don't. That's just how they roll.

But evidently most of our in-town friends haven't gotten the "you're invited because we're good friends. Send a gift, jerks. At least send a card. Acknowledge that you're aware that this is a pretty big life event for us and we tried to include you in the celebration." memo.

MrsYam · September 2010

I've seen registries with over 100 things on them PLUS they had like 1 or 2 other stores for registries. I do believe some people go overboard, but yours looks fine. I can't remember how many items I had on mine with Olivia, but it was around 60-70.

OT-Some little things I you could add that I didn't see are solid feeding supplies. I never thought to add spoons, bibs, and bowls, so when the time came we bought everything ourselves. (Which is fine too)

Try not to stress out, you're pregnant and should be having fun clicking on little baby things to get.

whits900 · September 2010

Now you're making ME overthink it. But I think you're fine.

I have about 45 things on my registry - mostly becasue I don't want a whole bunch of "stuff" in our one bedroom apt. Not to sound ungrateful, but I already know there will be a ton of stuff that I will have to return, simply becasue I wont have room to put it. (mostly because of the few people that will buy stuff, it will all be stuff we don't need and didn't register for) but I'll just use the return credits to buy what we do need - so it'll all work out in the end...I hope....

pawcall · September 2010

MrsYam:
OT-Some little things I you could add that I didn't see are solid feeding supplies. I never thought to add spoons, bibs, and bowls, so when the time came we bought everything ourselves. (Which is fine too)

I keep going back and forth on this. We want to try BLW, and if that works out well, we won't need a huge supply of spoons and bowls and stuff for a while yet because we won't be doing purees or jarred food.

MrsYam · September 2010

cdobry01:
MrsYam:
OT-Some little things I you could add that I didn't see are solid feeding supplies. I never thought to add spoons, bibs, and bowls, so when the time came we bought everything ourselves. (Which is fine too)
I keep going back and forth on this. We want to try BLW, and if that works out well, we won't need a huge supply of spoons and bowls and stuff for a while yet because we won't be doing purees or jarred food.

I had to look up what BLW was. LOL I kinda just went with the flow of things when it came to solids. We did start with cereal and 1st foods, but by 9 months she was eating all soft, bite-sized table foods. How about those bowls that suction to the highchair tray? Those were always helpful and still are because they always seem to want to tip things over onto the floor at an early age.

pawcall · September 2010

MrsYam:
cdobry01:
MrsYam:
OT-Some little things I you could add that I didn't see are solid feeding supplies. I never thought to add spoons, bibs, and bowls, so when the time came we bought everything ourselves. (Which is fine too)
I keep going back and forth on this. We want to try BLW, and if that works out well, we won't need a huge supply of spoons and bowls and stuff for a while yet because we won't be doing purees or jarred food.
I had to look up what BLW was. LOL I kinda just went with the flow of things when it came to solids. We did start with cereal and 1st foods, but by 9 months she was eating all soft, bite-sized table foods. How about those bowls that suction to the highchair tray? Those were always helpful and still are because they always seem to want to tip things over onto the floor at an early age.

Good call. And a pack of spoons never hurt anyone. BLW is one of those things that I really like in theory but I'm not the gung-ho type about anything, so if it works it works and if it doesn't, no baby ever really suffered from eating purees.

JPed* · September 2010

I'm the same way. When I first registered I had 80+ items on there. Now I'm down to less than 60 items. I went through and deleted all the "fun" stuff. We don't have a ton of extra money, so I'd rather get the things that baby needs than cute fun stuff. People will buy the cute stuff whether or not you ask for it. If someone's going to get me pacis, they're going to buy whatever they like - they're not going to search that huge wall of pacis at BRU for the one I registered for. I just deleted my high chair off this morning because I'd rather get the PNP or papasan swing than a chair we can't use for a year.

pawcall · September 2010

I couldn't stop myself. I went delete-happy. I took off a lot of the duplicates and the babyproofing stuff (come on, my newborn is not going to get his finger pinched in the door, I can deal with that on my own later. If I get that stuff now, I will put it in our junk drawer, forget I have it, and buy it again 6 mos from now), and random little cutesy toys (people don't need my direction to buy rattles).

I just go through these phases where I think "good lord, i don't want all this crap in my house!"

Want a personalized experience?

registry questions

Re: registry questions

Choose Another Board

Search Boards