A couple of months ago I did two videos comparing some sugar glider pouches/bags.
Now that I have gotten a new bag from The Pampered Glider called “Custom Change-About Screen Play”, I thought a new comparison would be good.
You will see why this new one is more fitting.
(I want to point out that, as time passes, these vendors might change practices, prices or even stop vending so this post will probably not be 100% accurate forever. Always check their current prices and descriptions and compare them.)
Here are some screenshots from Karen’s (The Pampered Glider) website:
As you can see from the screenshot above, it comes with one mesh insert and two fabric covers. (Yes, she was making hers before Gini started.)
Since I originally posted this she has made some changes. She added a toy to it and increased the price by $5. When I ordered mine they were $40 and had no toy.
Anyway, it also comes with two straps. All of that for $45 plus shipping, which is unlikely to be more than $10 if you’re in the US. It’s $6.60 for me.
Mine also came with a zipper pull at no extra cost. I’m not sure if that’s standard but it seems like it is. Gini charges extra for her zipper pulls.
Anyway, you basically get 1 1/2 pouches.
You can just order an extra mesh insert for $20 plus shipping and have two full bags. If you order it at the same time as the Screen Play you save on shipping.
And you don’t even have to order the extra straps (I personally dislike double strapped purses). You can just strap them across like you will see on the photos of the ones I got.
Here are some screenshots of the totals:
Ordering the Custom Change-About Screen Play and an extra mesh insert would cost me basically $75. So two bags for ~$75.
If I ordered it with the extra straps it would be basically $85.
Two full bags for almost $85.
Here are photos of the ones I got:
I absolutely love that they have those snaps to attach the mesh to the cotton cover.
Whenever I pick them up I always go for the mesh.
And guess what happens with my ones from Gini? The mesh just comes out, leaving the cotton cover behind.
You may not care, but it annoys me a lot.
And I like that the inside material is waterproof.
The only negative thing I can say is that the straps aren’t adjustable.
I could attach the straps together to make them longer and wear it cross-body, but I imagine the plastic clasps would feel uncomfortable against my shoulder.
Here are some photos comparing Karen’s Screen Play with Gini’s bags. These bags from Karen are basically the same as Gini’s. They are not an introduction bag like my other one from Karen.
As you can see, Karen’s are basically the same size as Gini’s large sized bags.
The biggest difference is that Gini’s are stiffer, the cotton cover is a bit taller and longer.
Everything else, size-wise, is negligible or the same.
The size difference is so negligible that Gini’s mesh insert fits Karen’s Screen Plays, which is what really matters because it means that both bags fit the same number of gliders.
(To clarify, the grey mesh insert is from Gini and the black one is from Karen.)
Now let’s see Gini’s prices.
One small is $56 and the medium and large ones are $70 each.
They come with the adjustable strap, one mesh insert, a plastic protector and one cotton cover.
She also includes a couple of fleece blankets.
Basically, $70 for one large Gini bag or two of Karen’s bags for $75-$85 (depending if you get the extra straps or not).
Or around $52 for one from Karen, and it comes with the extra cotton cover and a toy. It costs almost $5 less than a small bag from Gini. Which is not a lot but remember that Karen’s bags are the same Gini’s large.
Here are photos of a small one from Gini vs a large sized one:
It’s a no-brainer for me!! XD
You could argue that Gini’s have the interfacing, the plastic cover and the fleece blankets, unlike Karen’s, but I think it evens out with the fact that Karen includes an extra cotton cover, the clasps are sturdier and they have snaps to be able to attach the mesh to the cotton cover. And now she includes a toy.
(And Karen’s bags have a waterproof fabric on the inside so the plastic cover isn’t necessary with hers.)
Or maybe you argue that Gini’s are better quality.
I would argue that they appear to be better quality because the interfacing gives the cotton cover structure. Because the clasps aren’t of higher quality.
But let’s say it doesn’t even out or that Gini’s really are better quality.
In my opinion, Gini should be charging only a few more dollars than Karen. Around $47 plus shipping ($55 total) for a large. At most, hike up the price to end up paying $60, including shipping, for a large one.
Because, even if they are better quality, the quality is not twice as good.
So taking everything into account, I think Karen’s are a much better option.
They do the exact same thing and the differences between them, in my opinion, do not justify what Gini charges for hers. (She’s free to charge whatever she wants, of course.)
Yet she probably sells way more than Karen…That’s what advertising in the Facebook groups does! lol
(As of me posting this, Gini still does auctions. Some reach or surpass the regular price but some don’t get any bids or only a few. I would suggest trying to buy through auctions to end up paying a more reasonable amount. It might take a while to win one at a reasonable price but it’s not like these bags are a necessity. If you’re in dire need for a pouch, she shouldn’t be your go-to person. You will most likely be waiting for months! Other vendors, like Becky’s Sugar Babies, almost always have premades they can ship fast.
To be fair, though, Gini does also offer premades from time to time. They’re regular price but you’ll get them sooner.
Update – End of May 2017: I’m not in Gini’s group anymore so I don’t know what goes on in there but I have seen that she has an Etsy shop where she has premades available all the time, it seems. I don’t know if she still does auctions or how long her waitlist is now, or if she even has one, but it seems you can easily get her bags without waiting months and months.)
Tsugie's Sugar Gliders 