May 19, 2009

Wow, Graffiti Increases Value 45%--For Stroller Shoppers

phil_teds_graff_red.jpg

No need to lecture Phil or Ted on the impact indiscriminate graffiti can have on property values.

Costco.com has graffiti fabric-covered versions of the $489 P&T Sport Buggy with the doubles kit, plus the Lazy Ted bouncy chair conversion kit [a $55 value!] for just $300. Plus free shipping. That's Maclaren country.

The graffiti-covered Vibe has been similarly defaced, $489 down from $789. Costco non-members pay just 5% more.

First, Phil & Teds buys Mountain Buggy--which experimented with all kinds of Hawaiian print s as it was running itself into the ground--and now the graffiti P&T's are getting unloaded at a warehouse sale. New Zealand's Golden Age of Kooky Stroller Fabrics is drawing to a close. Which means great deals for everyone! Or everyone who's down widdat, I guess.

phil_teds_graffiti.jpg

phil & teds Graffiti Sport and Graffiti Vibe at Costco.com [costco.com via dt reader eric]
Compare to P&T Graffiti strollers on Amazon, $469-589 [amazon]
image: Yo, mothersuckers! [philandteds.com/graffiti]

17 Comments

{sigh} Unfortunately for us, the P&T is not available on Costco.ca

Well, what I've decided I really want is the iCandy Peach. At least, based on the photos, it looks like what I want. Unless Bugaboo finally comes out with a double within the next 6 months...

I called this one. How many people want a graffiti stroller?

Thanks for this post we are shopping for one of these for K2 arriving next month.

Anyone have opinions on Vibe vs Sport? I thought the Vibe was pretty slick in person. $180 more than the sport? I'm not sure.

Also isn't the graffiti just on the inserts? Not like anyone's going to see it right?

I haven't seen the graffiti version in real life, but for the price difference, I could probably live with it.

I had pretty much decided on a Vibe (I like the adjustable-height canopy and that it is possible to fold it with the toddler seat attached; I don't like the brake position, but not fond of the foot-operated brake on the Sport either), until I found out about the newest iCandy. They're supposed to be available in North America starting in September; we have 'til November, so I've got my fingers crossed.

True enough. a well-placed blanket or child would hide most of the graffiti.

"Anyone have opinions on Vibe vs Sport? I thought the Vibe was pretty slick in person. $180 more than the sport? I'm not sure."

The Vibe is better engineered, without a doubt, and way better-looking. But I got the Sport because (1) a year ago the Vibe had just been released and cost $700+ with doubles kit, and (2) the Vibe seemed marginally larger than the Sport -- and even though the difference might just be a few inches here and there, I got the impression that if you really use the stroller in tight confines, the Vibe would be seriously less useful.

In fact, I find the Sport just squeaking through narrow passages all the time, somewhat confirming my guess.

Any Vibe users have thoughts on size?

You can get new fabric for the strollers from Regal-Lager for relatively cheap...so it may be very worth it!

Oh yeah, it's a total steal. Worth it, definitely.

I have the Sport because we bought it before the other models came along, but I would still buy the Sport. The Vibe is kind of cool as well, but when I've tried it it doesn't handle well and the first thing that I did was accidentally engage the brake because it's a very tiny button in the middle of the handle bar. There's basically no way you can push this stroller with one hand because you'll set off the brake. Glad they made the brake easy to engage, but it's totally placed in the wrong place, I'd be hitting it all the time.

The Dash is just ugly and weird.

Well I would consider getting one...But I would have to get a liner, the seats are just too loud. The new fabrics from Phil&Teds USA (Reagal not carrying them anymore) is NOT cheep. Man seat is 83.99 double seat is 54.99 If you want to totally change colors. The hood is 31.99, parcel tray is 43.99 for a total of $214.96 LOL

actually I reckon this says more about Regal Lager's ethics (or lack of) than p&t's success. Aren't they supposed to be "builders of brands"?? and they go and dump stock at costco?? Personally - I love my graffiti vibe. I loved the idea behind this concept: every buggy is limited edition, taken from original artwork by a street artist, so mine is 100% unique to me. How cool is that? (PS - the brake? you only do that once!)

I didn't realize that it's already May 2009, the long-announced end of Regal Lager's distribution deal with P&T.

And I have no idea how the P&T R-L thing went down. But if R-L hoarded these flagship, limited edition strollers until the end of the relationship just so they could dump them on the market, yeah, that would be a dick move.

If, on the other hand, the world's luxury goods market has spent the last 8 months at the bottom of a cliff, and R-L got stuck with a pile of unsellable fashion merch as the clock ticked down, there are worse places it could end up than Costco.

I do think that the print on the vibe seats is nice. If you don't like it you can just use an after market vibe pad. They just went a bit overboard with the sports....I mean come on..did you have to put it in the footwell too? Kinda hard to put a liner over that.

For my Vibe I made a little foam cover with a hole for the break buttons.. So to engage the lock you stick your finger down the hole...but if you are just pushing the stroller with your hand on it it doesn't do anything.

Link to Flickr photos is my URL.. This is the first one I made..it didn't last very long. The next one I ironed and sewed a piece of cotton to the top side of the main body of foam..that one is still going strong.

Kristina- nice. They should have designed it this way! I remember seeing your homemade sun shade. Maybe they should just hire you!

Well..not sure I want to move to NZ to be on a design team. But I sure wouldn't say no to being a stroller test mama. :) They certainly could use a test team before they launch there stuff.

Is this a Regal Lager move or simply part of P&T's post-RL distribution plan? In any case, it's a pretty great deal.

Any comments on the Traveler that also appears for a good price on Costco.com? I have the T2 cot which is like most P&T products in my opinion. They're really great at one thing but miss the mark in most other areas. The T2 is extremely light and folds incredibly small. Makes the portability of a pack n play seem ridiculous. But it has a pretty annoying setup/takedown process. Could probably fill a room with pack n plays before you get your first T2 set up.

I'd say the same thing about the Sport/Vibe. The ability to fit 2 kids in such a compact footprint is fantastic. But everything else about the strollers (design, quality, handling) is unacceptable for their price points...at least I used to think so. The costco price may change that a bit.

we kind of hate our sport, it is very hard to drive when fully loaded. about once a week or so we are ready to go buy a side-by-side double, but then convince ourselves that we won't need it very long, and besides we are about to get a bellabike which should solve all of our problems. (ha!)
as for the graffiti it is a marked improvement over the camouflage option - i mean why surround your kid in war graphics? weird.

I have had the Vibe for about 1 year. It was great with our two children who are only 17 months apart in age. Unfortunately, the tire has worn out. I have tried everything to find a new one. I have call the company, reps, every store and online site. There are no wheels available in the US. A former rep said that they had not been about to get one for 4 months. The people at Phil and Teds told me at least 3 weeks and then would not return my phone calls. I love the stroller, but folded up in the closet is not doing much good. Thank goodness I kept the Bugaboo and bought a wheeled board. Unfortunately, I can no longer support what I thought was a cool company with inovative products.

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