The $400 Phil and Ted’s Stroller - Dissecting The Purchase

Posted on April 28, 2008

Sticker shock. That is probably your first thought, I know it was mine when The Happy Rockette first told me about the stroller. A little more than 3 months later, we own one! See the picture below for a quick look or click here for an in depth look at PhilandTeds.com.

Here are the criteria I used to evaluate the purchase and why I think it was a great purchase:

Pay Cash. The Rockette had been working every other Saturday to help out at her former job and decided she wanted that extra effort to go towards something. We had the money in two weekends or so. That month gave us some time to do some extra research and really get behind the purchase.
Aligned With Our Values. Being in a small condo, going outside is a must. We love going the park and hiking the trails, walking the boardwalk, going to museums, etc. With the addition of Pebble Jr. two strollers just made everything much more of an ordeal. The purchase would help us cope with a small house, provide us with much more convenient time outside, and contribute to the positive welfare of our children.
Get Good Value. Could we have gotten a $200 double stroller? Sure…so that what did we get for the extra $200 dollars.
- When we went to the store to check the stroller out in person, it was quite apparent that this stroller had years of research and design put into it compared to the other double stroller. It folded up smaller then our current one seater. Size is a big deal for double strollers. It provided multiple child configurations that accommodated our baby and a toddler all the way to two toddlers. The current setup has the Pebble Jr. laying down, and the Big Pebble perched on top. There was even enough room to change the Pebble Jr. which has come in quite handy. Handles are adjustable, covers and rain protectors are easy to use and store nicely, it is easy for The Rockette to push, and the list goes on. The value is in the design.
- Pretty much everyone who owns a Phil and Ted stroller raves about it. Not in an I drive a BMW or Mercedes kind of way, but in a “it’s made my life so much easier” way.
- The resale value on used strollers was not much less than brand new, usually $300 or more. This is an indicator of people’s willingness to pay and the quality of the product. It also helps justify the purchase to know that you can unload the stroller and get a decent portion of the purchase price back.
Get A Good Price. We searched for about a month until with found a new one for $399 with free shipping from Pish Posh Baby. I even emailed to see if there were coupons available, but they didn’t respond until they included a coupon code for pishposhbaby.com with my order. You can get 5% with the code Save5 though 5/30/2008.

So far we are very happy with our purcahse, even though I still have a little sticker remorse from time to time when I realize the the stoller is almost worth the same amount as my car. What do you think? Am I crazy and just justifying a silly purchase?

» Filed Under Cash, Children and Money, Spending

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Hanks Weekly Hangouts #28 (May 4, 2008) | My Investing Blog on May 4th, 2008 4:03 am
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Comments

16 Responses to “The $400 Phil and Ted’s Stroller - Dissecting The Purchase”

Roman (1 comments.) on April 29th, 2008 1:54 am

Its a great purchase a close family friend got one and he loves it.
Ed (12 comments.) on April 29th, 2008 5:38 pm

I like the stroller. The little guy in the back can’t pull the hair of the person in the front because he/she got to sit in the front.
Diana (3 comments.) on April 29th, 2008 11:10 pm

You have so many great consideration before deciding…That’s a good habbit which I am trying to do better.
Rick Vaughn (3 comments.) on April 29th, 2008 11:43 pm

I think its a great purchase but my man in the back needs to be little higher being that low has to be dangerous.
Sue (11 comments.) on April 30th, 2008 3:38 pm

I guess you are wishing you got this for pebble 1 since you can use it as a single stroller also.
The Happy Rock (163 comments.) on April 30th, 2008 4:09 pm

@Sue - Yes, if we could have had the forsight to buy a double stroller like this with the first child we would have saved probably $100 or more dollars. Looking back it probably would have been a tough purchase, since we didn’t have the knowledge and experience about its necessity until now.

@Rick - There is actually a little storage bin on the bottom that sits lower, so there is plenty of room.

@Ed - Our kids aren’t close enough to fight. I don’t think a 4 month will do much damage!

@Roman - It is great!

@Diana - Not being impetuous really helps give you the time to think through these things. The rest comes keeps getting better with experience.
Jacob (2 comments.) on May 1st, 2008 10:34 am

Rock, that’s an awfully nice stroller! This is the kind of thing where you either spend what’s needed upfront to get the quality product you want, or you try and save some bread by buying a cheaper inferior product upfront; but, end up paying even more for it later in terms of hassles, frustration and eventually replacement. Wise purchase!
Ben @ Trees Full of Money (3 comments.) on May 1st, 2008 10:43 am

Thanks for the review! My wife and I are getting ready to make a similar purchase with our second child expected in Sept!

Their are certainly a ton of options in this segment. Sometimes you get what you pay for and other times you don’t, I’m going to share your review with the wifey and see what she thinks!!
Ed (12 comments.) on May 1st, 2008 12:04 pm

On the contrary. A four month old with a hand full of hair can inflict considerable suffering. I’ve seen it happen…to me.
Sue (11 comments.) on May 1st, 2008 12:24 pm

I think that I have seen this stroller before. I didn’t even realize that there was a 2nd child in the stroller until the stroller came by me. Facing me I could not see the 2nd child. Hopefully Pebble Jr will still have a good view of the world.
The Happy Rock (163 comments.) on May 1st, 2008 12:55 pm

@Jacob - I think you are dead one! Thanks.

@Ben - Hope it helps. Feel free to as us any questions.

@Ed - I have a short haircut so there isn’t anything to pull. My wife might agree though.

@Sue - From some of the reviews I have seen the bottom seat has the ‘cool’ factor and people reported children ‘fighting’ over the bottom seat.
Jerry (5 comments.) on May 2nd, 2008 2:37 pm

Some things are worth the additional price, and from what I am reading this stroller is probably one of them! There are some more costly purchases that are ego- or vanity-driven, and others that lead to a better or safer lifestyle. In some ways it is good to scrimp and save, and in others it is worth getting a quality item because you have insurance of quality and durability. We will consider one of these strollers when we have our second baby!
Jerry
Spartan Saving (1 comments.) on May 2nd, 2008 5:04 pm

Although it is a pretty stroller, it still seems such a lot of money just for a stroller which could have been bought for less. (not the same brand, but 4 wheels and a seat)I guess the resale value offsets the initial cost though.
Four Pillars (1 comments.) on May 4th, 2008 9:45 am

Looks good. I don’t think $400 is that bad for a double stroller - you seem to be buying it for the right reasons.

I just bought a nice double jogging stroller off Craig’s List which was a lot cheaper. We will still buy a normal double stroller (more carrying space in the bottom) but we’ll just get something cheap and used since it’s for just going to the grocery store and back.

Mike