Toy hunting

[jec]

I am always on the hunt for new toys ~ that I'm not paying full pop for!
I love consignment stores and of course friends getting rid of toys that if you go that day to pick and get out of their house...are free ! :woot:
Anyone know of a great site to order toys from that aren't going to cost me a week's pay. I'm always looking at flyers but thought maybe someone know's a great site they want to share :)

[Spixie33]

If you are looking for something specific then I would recommend kijiji. Have you tried that?

Other than that I get my stuff mostly at Walmart or Scholar's Choice/Mastermind but it does get expensive so I have to really think it over for a while about what I am going to get and whether I really need it.

To be honest I mostly get everything new because I am worried about recalls on older stuff or how clean it is. However...I am picking up some baby legos that I found on kijiji tomorrow.

Sometimes Walmart has great clearance sections in the toy sections during the week.

[zen39]

Have you tried kijiji...tons of toys on that site. In the summer keep an eye out for yard sales in your neighbourhood and search for daycare closing sales.

[ECE53]

I really like All About Kids they are online and have a Wearhouse in Ottawa's east end.

[Play and Learn]

Same as what zen said: Kijiji is awesome, as well as garage sales.

Make a list of what items you want, and put a max price on it that you'd pay for that item. I did this when I first opened up, and gave my mom and sister the list and they went to garage sales in their area when I went to them in my area. You'd be amazed at finding somethings for free, or next to nothing!

Great areas to go garage sale hunting is an adult neighbourhood. The grandparents there just want to get rid of the stuff! I found a wooden table and chairs set for $5 (originally around $120 in price), and a Radio Flyer tricycle for $5, it was barely used (original price is $80)!

[jec]

I've never used Kijiji ~ funny eh. I hear about it all the time and never gone on it! I"ll try thanks!!

You can really find some great things at consignment stores!! A lot of times it's parents bringing in doubles of things given to them. I got a really cute tea set from Fisher price for the playroom brand new for $12! ~ in the package!

[jec]

I'm looking for a work bench type of toy ...they have them at toys r us ~ the Home depot tools. Off to kijiji I go!! I might end up getting it from there if I don't find it as I've been on the hunt for a while now!

[Spixie33]

Oh forgot to say that you should also try the toy sections in Value Village/Goodwill if you have one near you.

Last time we moved - I gave a way trunk loads of stuff to Value Village. All in great condition but I was too busy packing etc to list everything on kijiji or have a garage sale so I decided to just purge

I still kick myself thinking how much I could have used that stuff once I opened the daycare. Instead I had to go buy it all again.

[Sandbox Sally]

Spixie...ditto! Two months before I decided to open my day home, I gave away on Freecycle ALL of my kids' Little People - I mean, the barn, the city, the house, the garage, zoo, and about 50 of the little buggers. Sigh!

[jec]

Oh no!! I bet you guys were kicking yourselves!! I've been open for 2.5 yrs and not looking for start up toys but, I'm always hunting! So I went on kijiji and don't they have one of the Black and Decker work benches in my town!! I sent an email and waiting to hear back. Wish me luck ~ $30 verses $90 on toys r us!

[SummerLuvin]

I know where I live, we have a multiple births association. They have a sale every spring and fall, and it's like hitting the jackpot! Clothes, toys, books, equipment, everything and anything you could think of super, super cheap. I don't know where you are but I know that Ottawa has one and there sale is march 3rd (tomorrow) and London has one too; their sale is in April.

[Inspired by Reggio]

I do not buy 'toys' just staple equipment and everything else is open ended materials :o

I invested in a wide variety of blocks and props for supporting block play - cars, animals, community helper figures. A train set, a quality set of musical instruments a variety of puzzles and a few other 'fine motor' things from Scholars ....everything else in my playroom is 'real life things' for the kids....old cameras, old binoculars, old flashlights, tools, keyboards, joy sticks, cardboard tubes, old eye glasses with the lenses removed, Dr kit tools with a real stethoscope and so forth from my aunt who is a nurse - well you name it to add to 'role play' - Value Village, Good Will and family are great sources of this kind of thing .... IME children play for much longer and way more 'imaginatively' with things that are REAL like they see parents and other people in their life using.

I also have a collection of River rocks, pine cones, large sea shells, wooden circles, marker lids from dried up markers, lids from play doh and other materials all stored in labelled clear containers that they explore with and add to their play to play games with and so forth.

The only toys I have have been 'gifts' to the daycare given by well meaning family ... a Mr Potato set that was given to me which a few kids still like to play with, a infant steering wheel thing that use to have batteries and make a hell of a lot of noise that they now have forgotten it ever did that ... everything else is either meant for building or manipulating or role play or music, puppets and that kind of thing.

[Spixie33]

Oh no!! I bet you guys were kicking yourselves!! I've been open for 2.5 yrs and not looking for start up toys but, I'm always hunting! So I went on kijiji and don't they have one of the Black and Decker work benches in my town!! I sent an email and waiting to hear back. Wish me luck ~ $30 verses $90 on toys r us!

Yup...still bugs me that I have away so many of the exploration blocks I had for my own kids and which were then discontinued etc. There might be other fools like me donating all their perfectly good stuff. lol

YAY!!! that you found what you wanted on kijiji !

[Dreamalittledream]

I know where I live, we have a multiple births association. They have a sale every spring and fall, and it's like hitting the jackpot! Clothes, toys, books, equipment, everything and anything you could think of super, super cheap. I don't know where you are but I know that Ottawa has one and there sale is march 3rd (tomorrow) and London has one too; their sale is in April.
Ooh I'm going to be in Ottawa tomorrow. Is it possible to share where/what time this sale is?

[Momof4]

I started out with an idea and not much else when I opened my daycare. So I put the word out to all my friends and family that if they were downsizing or planning a yard sale that I would love a donation of anything of good quality in great condition. One friend brought a couple of boxes of really great stuff to me. When children outgrow their toys parents tend to just stick them in a closet until they go crazy and have to purge. Don't be afraid to do this too.

I also bought a some things off kijiji and disinfected them like crazy, including my wagon and triple stroller.

[Mamma_Mia]

I'm hunting for "Boy" toys!! I have a lot of pinks lol 80% are gofts to my daughter so I try asking for the neutral colours (red/blue/yellow) but....not.
I also use kijiji a lot. Just this week I got a booster feeding chair for $10 and a new potty for $8, in the fall I got a folding mini-slide which I keep indoors for free!! It was a first come thingy.

So yeah.....looking for more things little boys would like. I don't know what though?? Cars, lego?? anything else?

[Momof4]

Also, do you have a network of daycare provider friends in your city? When a home daycare provider closes for any reason she is usually getting rid of great quality equipment for yard sale prices. Or, when they upgrade or make changes they want to get rid of things. That's how I got my great Step 2 slide for free!

[Spixie33]

I'm hunting for "Boy" toys!! I have a lot of pinks lol 80% are gofts to my daughter so I try asking for the neutral colours (red/blue/yellow) but....not.
I also use kijiji a lot. Just this week I got a booster feeding chair for $10 and a new potty for $8, in the fall I got a folding mini-slide which I keep indoors for free!! It was a first come thingy.

So yeah.....looking for more things little boys would like. I don't know what though?? Cars, lego?? anything else?

I don't know if you are near a Superstore but they have been having really great prices the last few weeks on their yellow 'mighty machine' type toys. Like Plastic Tonka loaders and bulldozers etc and they often have very goodclearance stuff at the end of every season where you can get toys $10 off sometimes or half price. I do a walk through of their toy section every week just in case it is something I need

[SummerLuvin]

Ottawa Multiple Birth Family Association "twin sale" sat March 3rd, 2102. 11:00-1:30 @ the Nepean Sportplex. Here's a link:

http://www.mbfa.ca/mc/page.do?sitePageId=6 2117&orgId=mbfa

[jec]

Thanks Ladies for the idea of kijiji ~ I just picked up my Black and Decker tool bench for $30 and it looks like brand new. The best part...5 minutes from my house!!!:woot:
I owe you ladies one ;)

[playfelt]

The Zellers ad has a BBQ set listed that I was thinking of adding to the indoor playhouse area with the idea of while the boys do cook I bet they would cook more on something like that and it would be fun. Price was around $29 I think so going to research if that is a good deal first.

[Mamma_Mia]

I don't know if you are near a Superstore but they have been having really great prices the last few weeks on their yellow 'mighty machine' type toys. Like Plastic Tonka loaders and bulldozers etc and they often have very goodclearance stuff at the end of every season where you can get toys $10 off sometimes or half price. I do a walk through of their toy section every week just in case it is something I need

Thanks for the tip...we have one right around the corner and I didn't think of looking there!! :)

[jec]

Also, do you have a network of daycare provider friends in your city? When a home daycare provider closes for any reason she is usually getting rid of great quality equipment for yard sale prices. Or, when they upgrade or make changes they want to get rid of things. That's how I got my great Step 2 slide for free!
We just moved to Peterborough, I don't know too many providers in my area. We moved in September and most people have been hibernating for the winter so I'm sure I'll see and meet more providers once the nice weather comes.
Gotta love free !!

[jec]

I know where I live, we have a multiple births association. They have a sale every spring and fall, and it's like hitting the jackpot! Clothes, toys, books, equipment, everything and anything you could think of super, super cheap. I don't know where you are but I know that Ottawa has one and there sale is march 3rd (tomorrow) and London has one too; their sale is in April.
I don't know of anything like that here..but I think we have something similar called a Mom to Mom sale and you can cash in! We used to have one in our old town too and I got a lot of great toys for the playroom!!

[Dreamalittledream]

Ottawa Multiple Birth Family Association "twin sale" sat March 3rd, 2102. 11:00-1:30 @ the Nepean Sportplex. Here's a link:

http://www.mbfa.ca/mc/page.do?sitePageId=6 2117&orgId=mbfa

Thank you so much:)