Consignment Shopping

I went to a consignment sale about a week ago. I love consignment sales. There is something about going to a giant room full of fun stuff at great prices that makes me giddy inside. We really don't need anything for Derek. I mean, what do you really need for a baby? Diapers, wipes, bottles, clothes, and burp clothes make the short list. Bryan would say having a diaper genie is a life or very stinky death necessity. He's terrified of the day I seriously switch to cloth diapers. And I'm sure everyone has a list of things that make life so much easier.
I justified the trip because I was out and about as usual and the convention center where the sale was being held was on my way home. I didn't even bother looking at the clothes. We've got plenty. This trip was all about toys.
I have toy envy. We've been to some places where the children have these neato, flashy light, pop, spin, twirl, thump, jump, squeal, change your life kind of toys. Do I exaggerate? Perhaps. Only a little though. I grew up with tons of toys. My mom got them from work and I had toy boxes. Plural. And I don't think I really appreciated any of them. I remember losing pieces, digging in boxes, and ultimately stealing Mom's measuring cups to play with instead. I really want Derek to realize that he doesn't need to have every dohicky that he sees as he gets older. As a result when people asked what to buy him for Christmas we asked for things we needed like a bigger car seat. Mom insisted she wanted to get him a toy so I told her I would love to have some Fisher Price stackable rings (I also have the Tupperware shape toy I remember from when I grew up because that's how I keep it old school). Well Derek likes it and I liked it until we went to other people's houses and I saw some pretty cool toys.
Sure Derek liked those too, but lets me honest, he tries to eat paper. It doesn't take much to make him happy. So all my fine principles aside I entered the toy wonderland of the consignment sale and immediately started playing with the toys. Derek was hanging happily in the K'tan trying to play too. I didn't share. Only because I was worried about germs, of course. I bought two magical, lights, sounds, actions kinda toys and some books (again a set I remembered from when I was growing up) and made it out of there paying only 18 bucks. I was pretty happy with my grabs. And I've justified them as first birthday presents since that is coming up in the not nearly distant enough future. After consulting with Bryan (who never likes to wait to give gifts) we gave him one toy to play with now and the other will be wrapped up for his birthday. Now that he has some fun techie toys in his old school arsenal I think I'll have to find another reason to head out to the next consignment sale. I'll take suggestions. Ummm...they don't have to be good reasons either :).