8 tricks to finding amazing deals on toys
8 tricks to finding amazing deals on toys
1. Know your toys
I am a toy junkie. And I am thrifty. A thrifty toy junkie. I love to peruse higher-end toy stores like Mastermind and Scholar’s Choice and drool over their products. As new products come out, I make a mental list to watch for them down the road.
2. Jump on Groupons
Scholar’s Choice recently offered $30 vouchers for any retail priced toy for $15 on Groupon. While it is difficult to find a quality toy for $15, there were MANY options of fabulous items for $30 retail, which came to $15 + tax = $19..eTC. Groupons are timed sales, so if you see one you like, grab it before it’s gone.
3. Check thrift stores regularly
If you are a toy stalker like myself, you can spot a quality toy from the parking lot. I have bought many products by Blue Orange, ThinkFun, Mindware, Lego and K’nex at thrift stores. Another few favorites include:
Ravensburger puzzles
4. Search specifically online
If you are looking for a particular toy on a budget, do a quick search regularly on a site like Kijiji. Sifting through many toy ads on Kijiji can be tedious, but looking for a particular item is effortless. My nephew loves Magformers but I can’t justify $49.99 for a 30-piece toy.
A quick local search reveals there aren’t any available right now…so I’ll keep watching.
5. Good as new
Many plastic toys can be washed in the dishwasher, or in a sink of hot water with a disinfectant.
This marble run set was $10 on Kijiji, regularly $44.99. I disinfected it and set it out to dry.
I loaded it into a bin, created a label, and bookmarked a link with online directions. Savings complete.
6. Contact the company directly
If you purchase a second-hand set that is missing pieces or instructions, try contacting the company directly. I can vouch for Knex in particular – they have mailed me free replacement parts and free instructions booklets for sets that were missing a few items.
