Stroller Envy

Remember the stroller wars of several months ago? Kenny wanted the Graco stroller, whereas I wanted the Peg Perego. I finally won. Well, about two months ago we were shopping in Babystyle, when the sales associate informed us of a new stroller soon to be available in the U.S.--the Quinny "Zapp". This stroller promised it all- style, convenience, safety, and affordability. We were really excited about it and have been counting down the days until its arrival in the store. When we finally got the call that it was in, we raced down to the mall to check it out. Oh..my..god..UTTER DISAPPOINTMENT! Sure, it looked cool, and sure, it could fold up into something the size of a briefcase, but it just wasn't what it cracked up to be. The wheels were foam rather than rubber tires, the fabric was cheap, and it just didn't feel very sturdy. It failed Kenny's test of running full speed around a corner. So there we were, standing in Babystyle, feeling defeated in the realm of strollers. I've never seen Kenny so disappointed. He's been talking about this thing for weeks, and all of his dreams were dashed. Well, he feels better now because he finally sold me on the Bugaboo. I've trashed this particular stroller as too expensive for the average person (it runs from $500-1000). But, having been through all of the other stroller brands and eliminating them one by one (except for the MacLauren, which we have yet to check out in earnest), this one is certainly the best. It is the Mercedes of strollers. Actually, make that the BMW of strollers, because at $750 a pop (for the "Frog", which is the one we want), it ought to come with all attachments, plus a nanny to push it. However, you have to buy the cupholder, car seat adaptor, and UV-protected sun screen separately. Oh well. I've been scoping Ebay for used models, and while they seem to hold their value extremely well (as in, I can't find one there for anything under $600), we can still save a hundred dollars or so. Or maybe we'll get lucky and 20 of our friends will pool their resources and buy it off of our registry. I'm sure they offer financing...