The Great Purge: Making Room for Santa’s Gifts

Christmas morning is oh so exciting for little ones as they tear through the wrapping paper and boxes to discover what Old Saint Nick has gifted them for the holidays. It’s equally as daunting for parents who now have to figure out where all of these new toys are going to go! (Side note: Why do grandparents ALWAYS buy toys that come in a  million tiny pieces?) Now that the kids are out of school for winter break, enlist their help to purge  unused toys and clothing items to make room for all of the new stuff.

You’ll need three boxes: Sell, Donate, Trash.

Consignment shops are a great place to sell toys and clothing items that are still in great shape. If you have a little more time, try selling those items on local Facebook swap shops. Just be careful and consider taking advantage of the Safe Exchange Zones set up by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office to make the exchange with the buyer. For items you’d prefer to donate, charities like Goodwill and the Salvation Army are always accepting toys and clothing. You can even check with local preschools and daycare centers!

We had our friend Alexandra Graham, a mommy of two and owner of the kids consignment store, Reruns 4 Little Ones in Town N’ County, to share her tips on getting through the pre-holiday purge and how to prepare for your drop-off trip to the consignment shop! Thank you, Alexandra!

By Alexandra Graham

Try to do a toy purge with the kids out of the house – send them out with daddy for a couple hours while you purge the toys – then load them into the car and drive straight to the consignment store- because if the kids see them they will want them back even if they haven’t played with them for 6 months or so.

If this strategy isn’t your cup of tea, then have the kids help. I get the kids to buy into the idea “we need to make room for the toys we’re receiving from Santa and family.” The kids could even go with you to the consignment shop to open up an account – it could turn into a great lesson of earning and saving money.

Take inventory of what your kids really play with – the years of 2-4 are a big jump developmentally and that also means for toys too – what they played with when they are 2 needs to go if they are 4 now.

If getting rid of old toys is a little too sentimental for mommy (this was my issue) maybe put daddy on this project.  Remind him you are taking the toys to the consignment store to earn money.  Cha-Ching!

Getting this done before the new presents come in will make this task more doable if you wait till after the holidays this task can be very daunting.

When taking the toys to the consignment store make sure you have  all the pieces and the toy works.

If the toy has been kept outside or on a porch take a moment to wipe them down with a cleaning wipe.

Remember the better they look the more money you will make – so giving the toy a little extra TLC before dropping them off can increase your profit.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       During the purge make a box for charity so you can make this drop off at the same time.

Check with your local consignment shop because they tend to have different rules and policies.  For instance some shops don’t accept stuff animals, puzzles over 100 pieces, electronic items greater than 5 years old.  Also confirm when they accept items and what they are currently looking for.

This little bit of work at home will make your consignment experience very pleasurable.