A new target

In the years after college, when most people move into the World of Work, they may temporarily find themselves out of the comfort zone of a well-defined target market.

I can report that an unexplored consumer frontier awaits those who plan to reproduce. The frequency and sheer volume of baby-related advertising is surprising, and I'm tempted to think that there's been an increase since we got pregnant, but I know this isn't the case. The truth is, we all filter information with whatever happens to be on our minds at the time. So, when I got a tattoo a long time ago, it seemed like everyone had a tattoo. If you start thinking "yellow car," they will start appearing every time you leave the house.

Anyway, the point is that there is a lot of baby gear our there, and now it's all on my radar. This is fine with me, since I'm a big fan of equipment of various types. Quality kitchen equipment historically headed the list for me, so I'm always on the market for good knives, coffee makers, and cookware. Technology was a close second, so after my second crappy Dell, I'm going with this. I'm glad I don't have to pay for it.

I'm approaching baby gear the same way. Well, most of the baby gear. Marci and I have decided to go functional/minimal on items that The Peanut will only use a short time, and blow more serious treasure on things Peanut will need for the long haul, like a stroller. Speaking of which, I see parents pushing their kids around in a lot of wussy-looking strollers. Jiggly wheels, flimsy fabric, and chintzy frames characterize too many of these vehicles. Why have a kid at all if you can't hook it up with a decent ride? A stroller should have the ability to crush other strollers if it needs to, so I'm thinking this offering from Bebelove should meet that requirement. For other needs, Combi's products show that baby stuff can also exhibit good design sense, and many of their items are gender neutral, which is a plus. We like the DX Activity Rocker, and the Play Yard Sport, neither of which exhibit garish colors (just a calm, grayish hue) or acres of creepy, frilly fabric. The real challenge will be finding a bassinet that doesn't look like something out of Rosemary's Baby. Look at some of these monstrosities, which look more like baby caskets to me. IKEA sells a decent crib, tastefully streamlined.

A week ago, someone I work with overheard my discussing baby gear, and sent the following email:

I am inspired now!! Expect some cool garage sale findings from me this summer . . .I loooove shopping!!!

Nevermind that "cool" and "garage sale" are mutually exclusive terms, but now I feel obligated to notify the well-intentioned but misguided that "all gifts for impending baby must be new, factory sealed, include receipt, and are, of course, subject to approval."

Now, how to do this and sound grateful and polite. . .