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If your budget is tight, there are numerous options available for cheap baby cribs. Bear in mind, however, that safety should still be your first priority when choosing a crib for your baby.

Be especially mindful of the following safety requirements, which are often lacking with a cheap baby crib:

• The crib must be sturdy and solid.
• Slats or spindles should be no more than 2 3/8 inches apart.
• All hardware should tighten properly and be metal NOT plastic.

Click here for full baby crib safety guidelines...




The first step to finding a great discount baby crib, is to decide what you like before you start discount hunting.

How do you go about this?

Well, take a realistic look at your budget - What can you afford to spend on a baby crib? Now take that amount and add 25% to it. (Divide the amount by four and then multiply by 5). This will give you the price range you should be looking at when you go out hunting for discount baby cribs...




Take a notepad and pay a visit to all the baby outlet stores within a reasonable traveling distance from your home. Look around until you find a baby crib in your price range that suits you. Now, write down the brand name, make, model and price.

Remember to look for other matching baby nursery furniture items at the same time, and make sure you have back-up choices.

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Discount-Hunting

Now it's time for the power of the internet.

If you start early enough and are patient, you will likely be able to get the crib you like at a discount of up to 25% when you go discount hunting online. Remember to take shipping costs into account. Here's what you should be looking out for:


Sales
Visit as many online baby furniture stores as you can find. Check which ones carry the crib that you are looking for. Sign up for the newsletter on these sites. The newsletter will inform you of upcoming sales and specials. If the site does not have a newsletter, check back often to see if there is a sale.


Clearances
Some online baby stores have a clearance or specials section where you can pick up bargain items. Check these often for the crib you are looking for.


Terms
Fingerhut.com has a limited selection of cribs available with payment terms. They also have a clearance section.


Wal-Mart
Check Walmart.com to see if they stock your crib. Their cribs are discounted and they offer free shipping to your local store. (A big saving.) They have a fairly broad product range of discount baby cribs and even have specials and clearance items. (And remember - no one will ever know it came from Wal-Mart!)


Amazon
As with Wal-Mart, Amazon.com offers a wide range of discount baby cribs, many with free super saver shipping.


eBay
If you have been taking notes during your search, you will have a good idea by now of where you can find your crib at the best price.

Now it's time to log onto eBay. Search for the make and model number of the crib you want and try to beat the lowest price you have found so far.

Also check out the other discount baby cribs on auction. Some manufacturers upload inventory surplus on eBay - you can get a brand new crib still in the box at a steal!

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We do not recommend using a secondhand crib, as the safety of used baby cribs cannot be guaranteed.

If you do decide to buy a used baby crib, there are plenty of places to find them.

Yard Sales
Get up early and make sure you get there for the start of the sale. If you can find yard sales listed in your local newspaper, phone ahead. Some people will let you reserve an item that you are interested in. While you are there, check out other items that may work in your baby nursery.

Borrow a Crib
Borrow a crib from a friend or family member or make use of a family heirloom. You may want to restore and refinish the crib to get it ready for your baby.

Local Classifieds and Internet Listings

Resale Baby Stores

• Look for discount baby cribs with simple lines. These are likely to be the least expensive.
• Don't worry too much about extra features such as drop rails. Most cribs have them anyway and if they don't, you can probably do without them.
Here are a few free or low-cost shipping options I have found:


• Isisnursery - free shipping
• Amazon.com - free super saver shipping
• Walmart.com - free shipping to local store
• Babyage.com - flat rate of $7.95 per order
• Remember to take shipping costs into account when you are doing your price comparisons. Some online stores offer free or low flat-rate shipping. This is a huge saving!
• Another great way to save a few dollars, without compromising on quality, is to look for a crib 'n changer combo.
  
  Not only are these less expensive than buying the two items separately, but they are stylish and take up less space!

Build your own crib. There are loads of crib woodworking plans available on the net. Some of these are even free!

Beware though, the support offered with free woodworking plans is often not good. It may be worth paying a small price for the plans to ensure that your baby crib will turn out the way you expect.

Try eBay for reasonably priced plans, and remember, you don't have to stick to a traditional crib - you can go round, corner, sleigh - whatever you prefer.












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