Cribs...

Can you lovely ladies please help me out here? We're a ways off from actually buying a crib, but I'm a ftm and pretty clueless. What factors did you consider when shopping for a crib? Are there any safety issues I should be looking out for? And is there actually any difference between a $400-$500 crib and one that's in the $200 range? Is there a real reason to spend more? Anyone have any specific recommendations?