Whether buying for the year-end holidays, a birthday or some other occasion, nobody likes to pay full price. If your eyes light up and you get a rush of adrenaline every time you see a 20% Off or a Clearance sign, then you need to practice the 7 following tips for buying toys at a discount.
7 Ways to Buy Toys At A Discount
1. Use the power of Google – using some basic search skills you'll save TONS!
Typing “clearance toys”, “toy sales” or the name of a specific toy you are looking for followed by the words:
- sale,
- clearance or
- closeout
puts the power of the world's largest search engine to work for you. No time to spend surfing? Then head over to Google.com/alerts. You can set up as many search terms and phrases as you like, and every time a new match is found Google e-mails you a notification. You do very little work and get targeted and timely toy sales information delivered to your inbox.
2. Shop all year long – Keep your eyes peeled for clearance signs and toy sales all year long.
Talk with salespeople at local retail stores. Chat up your friends that also have children to buy for. Shop all year long instead of during the holiday promotional period and you can get some great toy buys. This also helps you absorb the financial impact of buying gifts as your purchases are spread out.
3. Check out garage and estate sales – This toy buying tip goes hand-in-hand with the last one.
During your daily routine, dropping the kids off at school, taking them to soccer practice, going to and from work, keep your eyes open for garage and estate sales. You can check your newspaper every Friday for a list of the upcoming sales in your area. This is a great way to nab bargains throughout the year, and you help someone would remove the clutter from their home.
4. Avoid Black Friday – I know the deals are great but do you really need it?
Yes, some specific toys will be discounted for Black Friday every year. But if you just wait a couple of weeks you will see some real bargains. Avoid purchasing toys on Black Friday and follow the next toy buying tip to get the best price every time.
5. Shop just before Christmas – A couple of weeks before Christmas is the best time to buy toys if you are shopping during the holiday season.
And that means you can avoid the madness that is Black Friday. Nearly every year, the very same toys which were promoted for Black Friday at retailers like Target and Walmart are discounted further beginning about 2 weeks before Christmas.
6. Stop by your local thrift stores every week or month – Thrift stores and charity shops offer secondhand toys, clothes and other items.
Shopping them is fun, and you help out a worthwhile organization. Set a regular schedule and check your local thrift stores on a weekly or monthly basis, getting to know the employees as you do so. You can find some really great toys at remarkably low prices this way.
7. Support Salvation Army and Goodwill – Goodwill and Salvation Army are just 2 charitable organizations that can be found around the world.
Clothing, toys, appliances and household items are donated, and then sold at an extreme discount. As long as you are fine with buying a toy which belonged to another child, you can get some great discount prices and in some cases spend only a couple of dollars for a quality toy.
I hope these 7 tips help you find toys at a discount!
