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Childrens Holiday Outfits #4: Boys Argyle Sweater Vest

Loobalee as Shopping Tips

Nov|16|2008

Children's Holiday Outfits - Shopping TipsFor this 4th review in our series, we researched the classic argyle sweater vest — always in style.  Argyle anything is a hot trend this season.

We specifically chose to narrow in on the Sweater Vest, as it is such an all-time great holiday piece.  We like the vest better than an argyle sweater for its versatility and comfort.  Dress it up or down.  Pair with a turtleneck, button down shirt, or even a nice crew neck tee.  And, they look great under a sportcoat or blazer.  Accessorize with any type of tie to dress up.

Here are 3 sure tips for buying a boys sweater vest now that you can re-sell in the future:

  • Quality, comfortable fabrics (e.g. non-itchy).  Try fine cottons, cotton-cashmere blends, cashmere, merino, etc.
  • Traditional holiday colors — steer away from trendy, unusual combinations.  Try reds, greens, navy/blues, grays, blacks.
  • V-Necks are more popular than crew-necks and will likely re-sell better
  • Designer brand names*

Here’s our recommendations. We actually didn’t find as many options as we expected, and inventory is also running low.   Remember - prices, inventory, and promotions can change daily. Please share if you see prices drop by commenting below!

  • BUY:J Crew Sweater Vest 1
    • Crewcuts
      • Boys Westen Argyle Sweater Vest (shown at right) - $29.50 (reg. $48.00)
      • Boys Cotton-Cashmere Duke Sweater Vest $19.99 (reg. $52.00)
      • Boys Cashmere Argyle Sweater Vest  - $98.00
    • BabyGap
      • Toddler Argyle Sweater Vest -  $24.50
    • GymboreeGymboree Sweater Vest
      • For Big Boys:
        • Argyle Sweater Vest (shown second at right)- $17.99 (reg. $28.50)
  • WAIT . We loved each of these skirts, but recommend waiting and getting them on sale to optimize your re-sale opportunity.J Crew Sweater Vest 2
    • Crewcuts
      • Boys Haven Argyle Sweater Vest (shown 3rd at right) - $49.50
      • Boys Cashmere Argyle Sweater Vest  - $98.00
    • Boutique Brands:  As usual, we recommend waiting for the boutique sales vs. paying full price now.  And, we did find several options available.  Watch for brands such as:
      • E-Land Kids
      • Kenneth Cole
      • Cotton Blu
      • Nick Nack Patty Wack
      • Goodlad
      • Glorimont Boys
      • Hartstrings *
  • CAUTION: These are some nice-looking styles, but the original price point and quality may not net you much of a profit on the re-sale market.
    • Children’s Place
      • Argyle Sweater Vest for Baby Boys - $9.99 (reg. $14.50)
      • Argyle Sweater Vest for Big Boys - $14.99 (reg. $19.50)
    • Crazy8
      • Dressy Sweater Vest for Boys - $12.99 (reg. $18.50)
      • Argyle Sweater Vest for Boys - $9.99 (reg. $16.50)
        *
  • AVOID:
    • Unrecognizable brands from low to mid-range variety and deparment stores such as Target, Kohl’s, Mervyn’s, Lord & Taylor, Marshall Fields, and Macy’s.*
      *
  • NOT AVAILABLE — We didn’t forget! These popular children’s retailers are either sold out or not offering a classic argyle vest this season.
    • Hanna Andersson
    • LL Bean
    • Abercrombie Kids
    • Mini-Boden
    • Naartjie
    • Garnet Hill
    • GapKids
    • Lands End
    • Janie and Jack
    • 77 Kids
    • Old Navy

— Loobalee.com

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Children’s Holiday Outfits: #3 - The Tulle Skirt

Loobalee as Shopping Tips

Nov|7|2008

Children's Holiday Outfits - Shopping TipsFor this 3rd review in our series, we researched one of this year’s hottest trends - the Tulle Party Skirt, also called the “Tutu” skirt.

The fun thing about this skirt is the variety of options available. You’ll find everything from silk to denim, from velvet to corduroy, from patchwork to plaid, and from metallics to chiffon pinks. But, one thing they all have in common — they make are a great foundation for a festive, feminine party outfit.

The skirt pairs well with most anything: sweaters, blouses, blazers, vests, sparkly tops. In fact, the less the top “matches” the better. They are totally fun, and totally in!

Try these 6 tips for buying a tulle skirt now that will re-sell well later:

  • Quality fabrics such as silks, velvets (vs. velveteen), and chiffons (vs. polyesters) or fabrics with added sheen, lurex, or sparkle
  • Finely stitched hemlines
  • Added details like satin ribbons and stitched on beads or sequins
  • At least 2 full skirt layers (vs. a stitched in tulle hem)
  • Designer brand names
  • Lengths recommended in Tulle skirts for girls is opposite our Dress recommendation:
    • For Babies & Little Girls: Short, above the knee, which is most reminiscent of a tutu dance skirt (and looks great with leggings for a casual look)
    • For Older Girls: A longer skirt, to the knee, adds the perfect touch of sophistication to this otherwise younger style
      *

Here’s our recommendations on one of this year’s hottest holiday trends for girls - the Tulle skirt. Remember - prices, inventory, and promotions can change daily. Please share if you see prices drop by commenting below!

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Children’s Holiday Outfits: #2 - The Classic Red Sweater for Boys

Loobalee as Shopping Tips

Nov|6|2008

Children's Holiday Outfits - Shopping TipsThis month, we’re reviewing 2008 trends for dressing your children this coming  holiday season.

For our second review in this series, we searched for the perfect, classic red Christmas sweater for boys - always a sure winner. We found some great sweaters to consider this season in every price range.

Again, Red is for Resale - And try these 4 tips for buying the red Christmas sweater to optimize your resale opportunity:

  • Fine fabrics like cashmere, lambswool, merino, and fine gauge fade-resistant cottons.
  • Buy designer brand names
  • Color is king! Look for lush, true red Christmas colors. Generally, your more expensive sweaters and finer fabrics will have and sustain better color.
  • Necklines in both V or Crewneck are most popular, but button cardigans, shawl collars, roll neck collars, and zip or half-zip all have good resale opportunity as well - if designer quality.

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Here’s our recommendations for this year’s red Christmas sweaters — for baby, little, and big boys. Remember - prices, stock, and promotions can change daily. Please share if you see prices drop by commenting below! And, refer back to our bi-weekly Sales At A Glance article for all the current sales promotions.

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Children’s Holiday Outfits: #1 - The Classic Red Dress

Loobalee as Shopping Tips

Nov|2|2008

Children's Holiday Outfits - Shopping TipsStop back throughout this month for reviews and recommendations on 2008 trends for dressing your children this holiday season. For each review, we’ll select a popular style and help you find the best values, designs, and quality.

For our first installment, we review the classic red christmas dress for girls. We checked all the common kids clothing websites and a few extras too.

‘Red is for Resale’ - but what works best? Try these 6 tips for buying the red christmas dress to optimize your resale opportunity:

  • Plush fabrics like velvets, silks, and velours
  • Fine detailing such as brocade, smocking, elegant buttons or bows, and faux fur
  • Designer brand names
  • True Christmas color - stay with true reds and cranberry colors
  • Lengths:
    • Sleeve length - Any
    • Babies, Toddlers, all Girls: dress lengths between knee and ankle
    • Older Girls: dress lengths above the knee will also sell
  • Accessories: Red is a hard color to match. Consider buying the matching accessories with, such as tights. Or, plan to accessorize with classic white, cream, or black.

Here’s our recommendations on this year’s classic red Christmas Dresses. Remember - prices, stock, and promotions can change daily. Please share if you see prices drop by commenting below!

Read the rest of this entry »

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Lands End - An Unbelievable Guarantee!

Loobalee as Shopping Tips

Oct|25|2008

Lands End GauranteeIn browsing through our latest Lands End catalog, we came across this attention-grabbing guarantee.

While we knew Lands End had an above average return policy, we didn’t know it was this good!

At LoobaLee we often recommend buying kids clothing 8-12 months ahead of schedule, i.e.  at the end of a season when you can get the deepest discounts. Many people struggle with this idea, out of fear of buying the wrong size or styles.

But, obviously at Lands End, this shouldn’t be an issue. There will be no problems returning an item a full year later (or even longer) for any reason.

The taxi pictured here with their guarantee was on the cover of their 1984 Holiday Catalog. It was purchased by a customer for $19,000. Recently, in 2005, the buyers expressed interest in returning Read the rest of this entry »

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Kids Halloween Costumes: 7 Tips to Buy Now & Sell Later

Loobalee as Shopping Tips

Oct|22|2008

In keeping with our “Dress your kids for virtually free” philosophy, we couldn’t let the Halloween season go by without sharing some of our costume buying and selling tips.

For your children to wear their costumes for virtually free, you need to keep these 7 basic principles in mind:

Buying

  1. Always try to buy on sale — the most sure way to recoup your costs when re-selling is to buy costumes at least 50% off, better yet 60-80% off (which is possible within 2 weeks of Halloween). Consider buying after Halloween at discounts of 75 -90% (this works well when buying ahead for little ones).
  2. Who said costumes are just for Halloween? Buy costumes and accessories for dress-up play at after halloween discount prices, then plan to re-sell during the Halloween season. It sure beats the prices of buying quality dress-up clothes, which rarely go on sale.
  3. If you can’t buy on sale — buy costumes in high demand and/or are pricey (e.g. $50 and up). Brands that consistently re-sell well include: Tom Arma, Gymboree, Disney Store (especially luxe costumes), and Pottery Barn Kids; upscale brands like Puppet Workshop and Forgotten Dreams Designs; and dress-up and fun clothing like Kaiya Eve and Belle Ame.
  4. If buying on-line,take advantage of free shipping, coupon codes, and rebate sites in order to reduce or contain your overall costs.

Selling

  1. Because Halloween has a deadline, people who don’t think about buying costumes until late September or early October will pay excessive amounts to get the exact costumes their kids are looking for. Most people who buy from catalogs do so in August and early September, so popular costumes are likely to sell out by mid-September. Be ready to sell at the right time and take advantage of the frenzy.
  2. Sell immediately next season. For the most part, you will get the best prices by selling the next season vs. waiting a few seasons. Halloween costume trends and styles change quickly. Kids old enough to choose are most likely to want what is popular.
  3. Ultimately, ensure you take good care of your costume and keep track of all the pieces. Complete costumes in pristine condition sell the best.

–Loobalee.com

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Kids Halloween Costumes: Only 10 Days Remaining!

Loobalee as Shopping Tips

Oct|21|2008

Only 10 days to Halloween! Time is running low now, but if you haven’t bought costumes for your kids yet you can now find some excellent deals. Although inventory is low or sold out on many popular children’s costume styles, there are plenty still to pick from.

Delivery Time is now of most concern. Be sure to review retailer’s delivery commitments. We recommend ordering by Oct. 23 to take advantage of economy shipping rates. Some sites are committing to Halloween delivery if you order by Oct. 26, but we think this is a bit risky.

Below, we researched the sales and promotions one more time, so you can see at a quick glance where to shop for the best deals and greatest confidence.

Kids Halloween Costumes

Current Sales & Promotions at Popular Costume Sites

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Kids Halloween Costumes: Where to Shop

Loobalee as Shopping Tips

Oct|1|2008

Only 30 days to Halloween! The best deals on Halloween Costumes for your kids can be found closest to October 31. But if you plan on ordering, you’ll do better to take advantage of the current sale prices and free shipping offers. Free Shipping is likely to disappear on most sites by Mid-October.

Quality children’s costumes tend to maintain their resale value. If you’re interested in reselling your costumes next year or in future years, stay away from trendy character costumes.

The population of on-line Costume sites is endless. Check out our reviews of the Mega Costume sites to assure you get the most for your money, the best service, and the option to return or exchange.

* Kids Halloween Costumes

Current Sales & Promotions at Popular Costume Sites

  • BuyCostumes.com: Free Economy Shipping on Orders over $65 through October 6
  • CostumeSupercenter.com: Take an extra 15% off orders over $35 (enter SPOOKY15 at checkout)
  • SpiritHalloween.com: Free Shipping on Orders over $75. Ends at 12:01 PDT October 6.
  • Shindigz.com: Free shipping on orders over $50 through October 15. Use Promo Code: SZFSFP4 at checkout.
  • CostumeCraze.com: $5.99 Flat Rate Shipping
  • CostumeExpress: Free Shipping on Orders over $50 through October 16. Try Keycode MKS-767 at checkout, or other codes should be easily found via a google search on “Costume Express Free Shipping code”.
  • HalloweenExpress.com:  Free Shipping over $65 - ongoing.  Note:  Halloween Express is the exclusive retailer of the popular Tom Arma costumes for babies.

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Specialty Stores

Here are a few more ideas of places to shop. Or, search for yourself — the more specific you can be the better. For example, try variations on both costumes and dress-up clothes; select your theme, such as sports, animals, careers, fairies, etc.; search by size range such as baby, toddler, little kid, big kid, or youth.

  • Disney Store:  $5 shipping on orders of $50 or more (use code SHIPFOR5 at checkout).  Luxe costumes always retain the best resale values.  But, look for low-stock items too that are in high demand (early sell-outs will likely obtain a high resale value next year).
  • Lillian Vernon: Most Costumes 20% off. Look for Free Shipping codes on line before you buy!
  • Baby Style:  20% off and Free Shipping.  Great place to look for baby costumes.  Costumes are organized by ages Newborn, Baby, and Toddler (we like their website too!)
  • Leaps and Bounds or One Step Ahead: Get a free subscription to Wonder Time, Family Fun, or Cookie with a $75 purchase. A good place to look for infant and toddler costumes, as well as personalized costumes.
  • Wishcraft by Chasing Fireflies: No specials, but great selection of unique, high-end children’s costumes
  • Pottery Barn Kids: 20% and Free Shipping on all Halloween Costumes and Treat Bags
  • Magic Cabin: Nice selection of traditional, basic dress-up clothes for boys and girls
  • Pettiskirt Place: Ultra-luxe costumes for girls from Forgotten Dreams, Kaiya Eve, My Little Princess, Belle Ame and more.

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Happy Hauntings!

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Kids Halloween Costume Sites - And the Winners Are!

Loobalee as Shopping Tips

Sep|26|2008

Halloween ShoppingDo you feel like a Witch doing Broomstick tricks when it comes to pulling Halloween costumes together for your kids?

To help give you a little peace of mind, we spent some time reviewing the mega, on-line Halloween Costume specialty retailers for Kids Halloween Costumes. We found some winners and some losers!

What to Expect

In general, you should expect these common services from any kids Halloween Costume website (if not offered, leave and go elsewhere):

  • Detailed Size Information
  • Customer Reviews
  • Shipping Gaurantees
  • Minimum 14 Day Return/Refund policy and no re-stocking fees
    • Beware: Sites that offer Free Shipping promotions may require re-stocking fees on returns
  • Less than retail offers (via a % off or free shipping)
  • On-Line Coupon Codes and promotions for an extra 15 - 25% off and/or Free Shipping (Google search on store name + “coupon”, e.g. “Costume Supercenter Coupon”)
  • On-line Zoom features that allow you to see the Costume Details

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Returns and Exchanges

Be careful with Returns as most sites do not allow you to return items that have been opened, and many sites have Return exclusions. However, most sites do allow Returns and have flexible Exchange policies.

We paid special attention to Return/Exchange Policies during our reviews recommend you avoid these two popular sites. Neither site offers competitive enough pricing or a unique enough selection of costumes to justify the risk:

  • HalloweenCostumes4Kids.com
  • HalloweenCostumesOnLine.com

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And the Winners Are!

  • Largest Selection: BuyCostumes.com
    • With over 1,600 kids halloween costumes, they offer 20% more costumes than the closest competitor
  • Most User-Friendly: CostumeSupercenter.com
    • Best all-around user-friendly website (and the only site that thanked us for joining their mailing list)
  • Most Detailed Information: BuyCostumes.com
    • Significantly more detailed information about the measurements, fabrics, and details of the costumes are provided than on any other site
  • Best All-Around Prices: BuyCostumes.com
    • Most costumes are discounted off retail by 15 - 30%

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Win a $500 in Robeez Shoes: That’s At Least 12 Pair!

Loobalee as Shopping Tips

Sep|19|2008

Robeez Contest

Win a $500 Robeez Shoe Wardrobe (or at least an opportunity to win 2 pair)! Robeez Dream Shoe Wardrobe Contest is a great one for new Moms to enter — you could literally win multiple pairs of Robeez soft-soled shoes in every size you’ll need (baby, toddler, and preschool)! But hurry, contest entries are only being accepted through October 5.

Robeez (now owned by Stride Rite) was founded in 1994 in Canada by a Mom, Sandra Wilson, and is one of the original soft-soled shoe companies. The other original is Bobux, a New Zealand company, was founded about the same time, in 1993.

In recent years, many soft-soled shoe knock offs have become available from U.S. companies, and many are available for prices less than Robeez and Bobux. But, Loobalee recommends sticking with the originals. A pair of worn Robeez or Bobux in good condition will still retain its value on the resale market.

More news at Robeez!

  • Buy any 2 pairs of Robeez and receive free shipping.
  • Check out Robeez Playground for fun coloring pages, eCards, and Playdate Cards.
  • Try new Robeez Mini-Shoez — “just like real” soft-soled shoes for babies and water repellent too! (sizes 0 - 18 months).
  • Also try new Robeez Tredz - a new outdoor, flexible-soled shoe (sizes 0 - 24 months)

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