Tips on Getting Those Hard-to-Find Toys
With Christmastime upon us, many people are in search for many toys for their children. A lot of those toys are hard-to-find, and today I am going to discuss some of the things we have found to be successful when searching for these kinds of toys. Of course some of you know we do not have kids yet, but the toys we are in search of are for my husband. He loves Star Wars, G.I. Joe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Power Ranger, Transformers, etc. Pretty much if it is from the 80's and early 90's, he loves it. We are constantly on the lookout for new and rare toys.
Tip #1: Shop at department stores in areas where the interest for those toys are low
Since we live in Huntsville, there are many people like Brad who are into these same types of toys. However, in some of the surrounding cities, like Decatur, Moulton, and Muscle Shoals, we are able to find more of the rare toys because there are fewer people in those areas who are looking for those toys. So investigate your surrounding areas to see if they may have the toys your children are into.
Tip #2: Shop at clearance rack stores like TJ Maxx, Marshall's, etc.
Every now and then, you can find rare toys at these stores. We have found quite a few in our searches. The only problem here is that these type of stores usually lag behind others for toys. Don't expect to find the newest figures, but you might find something from a few waves ago that you missed. And if you're willing to deal with a messed up box (aka you plan to open the toy) then you might just find a great deal and find!
Tip #3: Check with your department stores to see when they receive shipments
Arrive the day a shipment arrives so that you can get first dibs at the new products. This can get tedious and a bit annoying, but if you show up when they are putting out new stuff, you can find that rare Tickle Me Elmo or Cabbage Patch Kid!
Tip #4: Get to know those shipments and how they are packaged
For instance, TMNT releases their figures in groups. If you notice a group has arrived, then the toy you are looking for may be there. A great example was that when we were looking for the newest TMNT figures we could always find a "Dojo Splinter" and that let us know that a certain group of figures (Rahzar, Slash, and the Newtralizer) were on the shelf or were once on the shelves. You can usually find this information by searching online.
Tip #5: Check out websites like Amazon and Toys R Us
Sometimes you will find rare toys as part of Amazon's Lightning Deals. And some places like Toys R Us are constantly updating their website as they get new things. When the Toys R Us San Diego Comic Con exclusives came out, they could be found online at Toys R Us for a short time. You could later find what wasn't sold online at various Toys R Us stores, but the harder to find stuff was only online at Toys R Us.
Tip #6: Be persistent
We never stop looking for toys. Even if we aren't looking for anything specific, we go down the toy aisle of every store just to see if something new has come out. So every grocery trip to Walmart involves a trip to look for action figures!
Tip #7: Be willing to make a purchase at any time
If you are looking for something specific and you finally find it, buy it. Don't contemplate it. You may never see it again except on eBay for triple the original price! Brad still kicks himself on a couple things he hesitated on buying and can now buy it for big money on eBay.
Happy Shopping!!
Below are some of the deals we have found over the years of searching:
