The Secret World of Cloth Diapers

I know what you're thinking...

"Come on Sasha, there's not really a secret world of cloth diapers."

Keep reading, honey...keep reading.

Who would have ever thought that small little pieces of fabric, crap catchers if you will, could really have a secret life? Who would have thought that these fancy little crap catchers could take a hold of a crunchy mama and make her so crazed that she literally goes to bed shopping for cloth diapers when in fact, her kid has more than enough? Who would have thought that there was a "black market world" of cloth diapers?

I didn't. I didn't think any of this and I sure as heck didn't know it.

When it comes to cloth diapers it's frequently a battle over who has the hottest, trendiest diapers. Stash shots (a picture of one's whole diaper stash) are literally worth framing for some mothers. Lots of planning, saving, investing and shopping went into getting that perfect "stash shot." It's a cloth diaper mama's way of showing the world just what she has; and what's even better is when she has something that others so desperately want.

Let's talk about limited edition diapers shall we. Back when I was starting out in cloth diapers, I had no clue about limited edition prints and the "black market" of cloth diapers. In fact, I purchased an Irwin print when it was being retired and while I don't believe it was a LE diaper, the comments I get on my Instagram when I show that diaper always makes me giggle.

"Ohhhhh you have an Irwin!" OR "I spot Irwin."

I didn't realize at the time that it was a big deal. It was a diaper many wanted and a diaper that I paid retail price for but was making its way into the "black market" for a price higher than retail. One point for me I suppose.

Then came my first dose of limited edition prints. First up were Jules and Carroll - two diapers that I loved and thought about purchasing but figured I'd wait. Meanwhile Piccadilly Circus and Top Hat made their way into the picture, and rather than purchasing the Jules print that I loved, I chose Piccadilly Circus. Little did I know, Jules and Carroll were about to become extinct in the store and online for retail price. They drifted off to the dark side, the black market if you will, where only crazed mamas will spend the kind of money some people were asking. A diaper that normally costs $20-$25 quickly has a new price tag of $65 or more.

Ain't nobody got time for that.

Then it happened. Cottonbabies released another LE print and perhaps one of the most popular prints, the Audrey diaper. Still not understanding the LE craze, I yet again told myself I would just get the diaper later, only to later realize that they also quickly became extinct. My dreams of getting an Audrey at retail price were shattered. You can bet your bottom dollar that when Audrey's mate, Chaplin, was released a few months later, that I was literally stalking the local cloth diaper store waiting for the UPS guy to drop them off. I was like a crazed addict waiting for her loot. I walked away with Chaplin and truthfully I wanted to wear it on my head and yell out "Na-na-na-boo-boo" to everyone that I passed. But unfortunately, most people would not understand it and would just deem me crazy and since I had my baby with me, I decided to go home without attracting attention (or security).

Fast forward to this past weekend when I stood there staring at yet two more new LE prints from Cottonbabies (geez), Spence and Marie, fighting an internal battle with myself over whether or not to purchase them. I was still holding on to hopes for Audrey. It was then that I mentioned my hopes of an Audrey that the amazing people of Angel Britches pulled out a coveted Audrey diaper (cue the choirs of angels). Their last one that had been saved away waiting; waiting to become the next crap catcher in my stash. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning sitting on a unicorn drinking a milkshake and eating a pickle. I was that excited.

So yes, in a nutshell, there is a crazy secret world of cloth diapers. Mamas purchase several LE prints and turn around and sell them for way more money than retail price (I think that's kinda sad). Mamas stalk stores, websites and Facebook pages to know just when new diapers will arrive. Most cloth diaper babies have more diapers than they need, but considering the high cost of disposables, most of us still haven't spent as much on the cloth (which still makes the cloth so worth it). Some of us (many of us) can reuse our diapers on multiple kids which provides us with another reason to buy more. I'll be perfectly honest. The day I get a positive pregnancy result, is the same day I will shop for a newborn cloth diaper. It's a fun addiction. It's a simple way of living with a fashionable, modern twist.