I want to thank all of you for your advice, tips, and shopping help! I was upset when Amazon increased the price on the Deluxe kitchen by over $40 overnight and I had given up on Amazon, but then the link that mommyredheads posted sent me back and I got an absolutely amazing deal!!! They had a brand new deal through BabyAge. The Deluxe kitchen will be arriving at our house next week for a total price of just under $270 (after the $30 credit for opening an Amazon credit card)!! That is about the same price I could have gotten the PartyTime kitchen at TRU and I really like the Deluxe model better. Of course, Amazon has already changed the price again! I am glad I went ahead and bought it when the price was low. The hardest part in shopping for the best price is the S&H costs. I was finding great prices, but then I would have to start the checkout process before it would even reveal shipping costs on most websites. Most of the time the shipping was over $60 and all the free shipping codes I could find don't work for items with surcharges. I am so thankful mommy2redheads found that deal and let me know, because I would not have found it on Amazon. The best deal I could find was through Linens and Things (I was shocked to find they sell this), but this deal really beat it. I signed up to be on the email/postal mailing list for Step2, but I guess it takes a while to get anything and I wanted to get this kitchen here as close to our daughter's birthday as possible.
It is funny that Holly mentioned the different plastics used on the Deluxe vs. all the other kitchens. From online shopping, I noticed the Deluxe one has more of a gray look on the appliances and the other ones all look shiny/silver. I called Step 2 and the rep told me all the appliances were exactly the same, but then I read through the assembly instructions online and saw the Deluxe appliances don't even install the same way. I called Step2 again and got a different person and she said all of the appliances were exactly the same plastic/model number, etc. So I called a toy store three hours away from me that carries all of the Step2 line and has the kitchens all on display and asked them. The girl there said in all the years they have carried them, I am the very first person to ask and/or mention this and that indeed the Deluxe appliances are made of a different material! She had never even noticed it herself. Anyway, I like the silver look better, but agree that it will probably be more durable in the thicker plastic. Silly tangent...but it was making me crazy to figure out what was going on with that and I thought it might help someone else since it took me a while to figure it out.
I am quite sure I care waaaay more about the choice of this toy kitchen than my daughter ever would. I am sure she would love any one we got her. I think I had such a hard time deciding because I know this kitchen will be a piece of furniture in our living room for years to come and I want to like it!
Thank you so much for your help. I found you when I was researching carseats and have stuck around after my carseats were purchased because I have learned so much about things that have nothing to do with carseats! I tell all my friends to check out car-seat.org! Keep up the great work!!!! :thumbsup:
