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Parents benefit at Baby Bargain Boutique
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Neighbors | Alisa Manna.Canfield resident Jaime Pomponio stands next to her tent at Boardman Park's Annual Baby Bargain Boutique. This event offers a chance for parents to sell their gently used items at a discounted price to other parents in the area.
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Neighbors | Alisa Manna.Austintwon resident Jessie Hall (left) poses with her daughter, Sophia Hall (right), at Boardman Park's Annual Baby Bargain Boutique.
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Neighbors | Alisa Manna.Brookfield resident Lisa Kettler (right) shops with her daughter, Kali (left), at Boardman Park's Annual Baby Bargain Boutique. There they found toys, clothes, and may other gently used items at a discounted price.
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Neighbors | Alisa Manna.Youngstown resident Michele O'Leary (left) works with her parents, Fran (right) and Bob (middle) Chicone, at Boardman Park's Annual Baby Bargain Boutique were they sold their gently used baby items..
By ALISA MANNA
Despite the rainy weather, parents from all over the Valley gathered at Boardman Park on Sept. 22 for the annual Baby Bargain Boutique.
The boutique offered attendees a chance to buy and sell quality baby merchandise for many purposes. It was a great opportunity for families in the community to purchase children resources, from toys, books and furniture to baby clothing and maternity wear. Boardman Park sold out more than 100 tables and tents for sellers to operate and for consumers to choose from a variety of items.
Because the annual Baby Bargain Boutique is known as a “Sold by Moms for Moms” operation, the crowd consisted of both parents whose children outgrew the supplies and parents who were expecting and looking for good deals.
“It’s other moms selling stuff and not paying overprice or being taken for a ride,” Lisa Kettler said.
Kettler is a mother from Brookfield who loves to spread the word about the baby boutique. She participated as a seller for two years and returned this year to find clothes for her daughter, Kali.
The boutique also helps expecting parents, like Stacey and Ronn Gehring. The couple from Streetsboro saw the bargains advertised in the paper and thought it would be a great chance to buy clothes and accessories.
“We bought a rocking horse, clothes, puzzles and tables,” Ronn said.
Some sellers used the event as an opportunity to clean out their houses. Michele O’Leary, from Youngstown, sold her daughter’s clothes, toys, bedding and videos. Her parents, Fran and Bob Chicone, also saw this as a chance to sell some of the granddaughter’s belongings left at their house.
Madison resident Jennifer Wolfert, a mother of a 3-month-old, 2-year-old and a 7-year-old, came to the boutique once before and thought most of the prices were reasonable.
“I like the bargains a lot,” Wolfert said. “I usually buy the name brand clothes and everything is clean and without stains.”
She, like all parents, understood kids grow out of things so fast, and the boutique allowed parents to sell what they no longer needed while offering them a chance to buy necessary items at a decent price.