Anonymous wrote:I would love to know if anyone has any regrets about spending alot of money on a playset. I am very close to buying a huge redwood playset from woodplay. I have also looked at Rainbow, Cedarworks, and playnation but like woodplay the best. The playset is huge with two seven foot decks, and another smaller set attached. It has a playhouse,crawl tunnel, bridge, spiral slide, 14 ft slide, 10 ft slide, and big spiral slide. I can afford the money but I am not rich. I am supposed to go pay a deposit today but I feel really bad about the price. I have five kids age ranges from 17 Months to nine years olds so I know I would get lots of use. I have been looking for about a year and this one has everything and is perfect for the kids of diffrent ages. It was a custome design so I can not find an exact one but one of the sets looks exactly l it looks as nice and similar to this

http://www.rainbowplay.com/index.php/swingsets/package/27b-original-king-kong-castle-supersized-package-v-grand-slam/

Then there is a bridge and crawl tunnel connecting it to another set that looks kind of like this


http://www.rainbowplay.com/index.php/swingsets/package/43a-original-king-kong-clubhouse-package-ii-with-dual-lower-level-playhouse/

The only diffrence is the second pic I will only have one 10" slide off the smaller deck and the playhouse is om the top bottoms are open. What I want to know is for those pf you that spend $8000 or more on a playset do you have any regrets? Do you feel you are getting your moneys worth out of it?

I am the origional poster. I want to say thanks for all the people who posted. I also want to give an update on what we decided to do. First of all I did not realize that this was a forum for the dc area only. I am from Georgia. I actually bought the playset Saturday. Later that day Rainbow playsets and playnation called me. When I told them I went with woodplay they wanted to know why. The main reason was that I was told that woodplay is 100% redwood and I figured that was the reason it was so expensive. However, the other playset companys insisted that woodplay mixes with cedar. I did not think that could be true becaues the woodplay guy went on and on about how his set was all redwood. He even wrote it on my receipt. I contacted several other dealers in other areas to see what they had to say about the wood. They all said that the wood is mixed with red cedar. I dont have a problem with cedar I just have a problem with paying a price for redwood when it is not 100% redwood. For those who do not know redwood is the most expensive wood to build a playset with. I ended up cancelling my order. The 50% deposit I payed will be refunded back to my credit cards. I feel really bad becaues I wanted to give this playset to my kids but I am not willing to spend that much money on a set that is built with the same type of wood as a cheaper set. I thought about trying to get him to drop the price becaues I think I was paying to much to begin with. I am lalso leaning towards buying the lumber and building a playset. I would start small and add on a little at a time. I am not sure if my husband would ever have time to finish it though becaues he works out of town all the the time. Also the playset dealers said it is a bad idea to use pressure treated wood for a playset becaues of the chimicals and it cracks more than redwood and cedar. Anyone know about that? I am also thinking about cedarworks but they are even more expensive. They are having a 10% sell in September but even with that they are expensive.

I am the origional poster. I want to say thanks for all the people who posted. I also want to give an update on what we decided to do. First of all I did not realize that this was a forum for the dc area only. I am from Georgia. I actually bought the playset Saturday. Later that day Rainbow playsets and playnation called me. When I told them I went with woodplay they wanted to know why. The main reason was that I was told that woodplay is 100% redwood and I figured that was the reason it was so expensive. However, the other playset companys insisted that woodplay mixes with cedar. I did not think that could be true becaues the woodplay guy went on and on about how his set was all redwood. He even wrote it on my receipt. I contacted several other dealers in other areas to see what they had to say about the wood. They all said that the wood is mixed with red cedar. I dont have a problem with cedar I just have a problem with paying a price for redwood when it is not 100% redwood. For those who do not know redwood is the most expensive wood to build a playset with. I ended up cancelling my order. The 50% deposit I payed will be refunded back to my credit cards. I feel really bad becaues I wanted to give this playset to my kids but I am not willing to spend that much money on a set that is built with the same type of wood as a cheaper set. I thought about trying to get him to drop the price becaues I think I was paying to much to begin with. I am lalso leaning towards buying the lumber and building a playset. I would start small and add on a little at a time. I am not sure if my husband would ever have time to finish it though becaues he works out of town all the the time. Also the playset dealers said it is a bad idea to use pressure treated wood for a playset becaues of the chimicals and it cracks more than redwood and cedar. Anyone know about that? I am also thinking about cedarworks but they are even more expensive. They are having a 10% sell in September but even with that they are expensive.

That's a great pic in the link!

They are large, however. My husband bought a used one (he did some work on) that has a slide, a little upper deck with a phone (?), and three slots for swings. Of course, it's not huge, but it does take up a good chunk of the yard. We have btw. 1/2 and 3/4 acre.

If OP has acres and lives in areas like Glenelg or Marriottsville, something that large will not be an eyesore. I know; we pass one by each time we visit my SIL in Ho Co. The homes are McMansions on 2-3 acres, and the playsets are placed in the far back of the house.

Anonymous wrote:I somehow doubt either of those are as enormous as those picture make them look.
http://failblog.org/2008/09/04/waterslide-fail/

But anyway, no, I would not spend that much on a playset for my kids. However, my parents got a modest one for my brother and I, and I used that thing until I was in my early 20's. Granted, it was a different style from these (more things to swing on, no slides or forts), but they got their money's worth for sure.

Also, I vehemently disagree with earlier advice to just get a trampoline and invite over neighbor kids.

Woah. That thing is scary looking

Anonymous wrote:wow. just wow. let me guess, you make $250k/yr and are middle class, right?

What's it to you? Really.

wow. just wow. let me guess, you make $250k/yr and are middle class, right?

we considered the $10k+ sets and came to our senses! we finally spent less than $1,000 on a set from Lowes (on sale) and we are very happy that we did not spend more. the kids use it frequently and are not looking for anything fancy. we have an elevated covered fort accessed by a rock wall, a slide, sand box, two swings, a set of the swinging acrobat rings.

Anonymous wrote:Wow, PPs not OP here, but jealousy is bad and will eat you up from the inside!

OP, if you have the money and the space, I say good for you!

Why do you assume people are jealous?

Disagreement does not equal jealousy.

If you have the money and think your kids will play with it, go for it, OP.

My only critique is that the playset is really unattractive. I'm not sure I'd want to look out on my backyard and see that thing everyday.

I somehow doubt either of those are as enormous as those picture make them look.
http://failblog.org/2008/09/04/waterslide-fail/

But anyway, no, I would not spend that much on a playset for my kids. However, my parents got a modest one for my brother and I, and I used that thing until I was in my early 20's. Granted, it was a different style from these (more things to swing on, no slides or forts), but they got their money's worth for sure.

Also, I vehemently disagree with earlier advice to just get a trampoline and invite over neighbor kids.

OP I love the second set with the playhouse. I think your children will have a blast with it.

I can't imagine spending $14,500 on a playset.

If I had that much to spend, I would buy a smaller, more tasteful one from CedarWorks with a multilevel tower (trap door?), few swings (incl 2 person), small slide, bigger slide, and rock wall.

Wow, PPs not OP here, but jealousy is bad and will eat you up from the inside!

OP, if you have the money and the space, I say good for you!

Meanwhile, children in DC are starving...