Where do you the draw the line? (toys)

[Melinda-Q]

So the other day I am looking through some of my favorite toy specialty catalogs for the kids. I open one of them to find this neat new wooden pirate ship/dock set. Mind you, I have purchased two different ones for my son. I started with the first one I saw that looked neat and then last year when they came out with the huge one with the full masts, etc, we bought that. On the next page is a really neat wooden castle toy. Again, Last year I bought a wooden castle for my kids.

Hubby and I have often talked about how every time you buy something within a year or two there is a new and approved version, or another company makes one that is a step up. Do you ever go ahead and buy the new and approved? Or do you just figure they already have a ______________, they don't need another one?

I admit that sometimes it is about me, what I like for them to have. So that really isn't the debate. But do you ever buy "more of the same" or do you just draw the line?

[Slabobbin]

It depends. I agree, a lot of the toys I buy for Ben are because *I* like them and think they are cool. Although has he gets older and has more of his own little personality and his own interests I tailor his toys more to him than to me. :)

I buy and sell a lot on ebay. I have been really lucky so far as a seller in that I get an excellent return on my itmes. I have bought things new, used them for a year and then sold them for more than what I originally paid.

I bought him a dollhouse at a flea market and then ordred the Brio wooden furniture online to go in it. When I got the furniture it make the dollhouse look pretty shabby so I ended up buying a Brio dollhouse to go with the furniture. Guess who plays with it the most? :jester1: (in case you didn't guess, it is ME, lol).

But on other things, especially things that he doesn't play with very often, I will just leave well enough alone and let him keep what he has.

I don't ever buy "more of the same" without a good way to get rid of the old and recoup most of my money.

[DiznieB]

No. Large (and sometimes expensive) toys, such as a kitchen set, baby doll furniture, etc., I buy USED for $20 and under. They use it until it's trashed. Literally. This week I am throwing out their kitchen set because it has two busted windows, a missing door and it's just awful. I will find another USED kitchen to replace it with. I can't imagine spending full price to buy something my kids will outgrow or there will be another BIGGER AND BETTER item next year.

[Melinda-Q]

It depends. I agree, a lot of the toys I buy for Ben are because *I* like them and think they are cool. Although has he gets older and has more of his own little personality and his own interests I tailor his toys more to him than to me. :)

I buy and sell a lot on ebay. I have been really lucky so far as a seller in that I get an excellent return on my itmes. I have bought things new, used them for a year and then sold them for more than what I originally paid.

I bought him a dollhouse at a flea market and then ordred the Brio wooden furniture online to go in it. When I got the furniture it make the dollhouse look pretty shabby so I ended up buying a Brio dollhouse to go with the furniture. Guess who plays with it the most? :jester1: (in case you didn't guess, it is ME, lol).

But on other things, especially things that he doesn't play with very often, I will just leave well enough alone and let him keep what he has.

I don't ever buy "more of the same" without a good way to get rid of the old and recoup most of my money.


You are a woman after my own heart! LOL. You know, I never really gave thought to getting rid of the old on ebay. It is a good idea. HOWEVER I will admit that part of why I buy as many wooden and high quality toys as I do, is because I think of them as the kind you save for future generations (heirlooms, go up in worth somewhat). I think I would find it hard to part with some of it.

I have a dollhouse thing. I admit it! LOL. We should have a playdate. I started my daughter out with the smaller 2 floor dollhouse. Then I saw a 3 story with a patio terrance (it sits next to the smaller one), then I saw the ones put out by Plan Toys and I bought the Georgian style (and the added gazebo LOL). Have you ever seen those tree houses for the dollhouse dolls? They are like two very large "trees" with a bridge between and pullies and stuff? Yep, I did that too. We don't have a dollhouse, but a doll neighborhood! LOL And I fully admit that I like playing with it. I love when the kids make a mess with it all and mix up the furniture and dolls because it gives me time to play and rearrange under the guise of doing my job! LOL :))

Thank you for your reply:) And if you ever want to talk toys.....

[Slabobbin]

We should have a playdate.

No offense but from what I have read of you on here you probably wouldn't want to lower yourself to hanging out with someone of my "ilk". :)

Not that their is anything wrong with me, quite the contrary actually. But I just don't think I would fit into the fairy tale.

[Melinda-Q]

No offense but from what I have read of you on here you probably wouldn't want to lower yourself to hanging out with someone of my "ilk". :)

Not that their is anything wrong with me, quite the contrary actually. But I just don't think I would fit into the fairy tale.


Well, I am sorry you feel that way. I have friends of all walks of life. Heck, one was a stripper and from what I understand was in a "movie". That doesn't fit my idea of ideal and I don't think she did things the right way, but that doesn't mean I personally judge her. There is a huge difference in arguing your point and beliefs in debate and actually holding other's beliefs and ideas against them.

[Slabobbin]

No. Large (and sometimes expensive) toys, such as a kitchen set, baby doll furniture, etc., I buy USED for $20 and under. They use it until it's trashed. Literally. This week I am throwing out their kitchen set because it has two busted windows, a missing door and it's just awful. I will find another USED kitchen to replace it with. I can't imagine spending full price to buy something my kids will outgrow or there will be another BIGGER AND BETTER item next year.

And I do that with a lot of things. I prefer wooden and/or really well made, high quality (not high price necessarly) toys. Believe it or not I am actually able to find a lot of them at thrift stores (you'd be AMAZED at the things people will donate. I've also found $300.00 Coach purses in mint condition!). I also find some on ebay or at TJ Maxx. I very rarely pay the actual full price for an expensive toy (I admit that I did splurge on the dollhouse. But I figure that it will go through several children and hold up nicely and then I can probably sell it and recoup most of what I spent - the resell for wooden toys is amazing).

Being that the resell value for wooden toys is so high I don't feel so bad about paying a little extra for them. I honestly don't like the cheaply made plastic toys that seem so popular these days. They are just a big turn off to me. Plus they are usually full of buttons and make noises, they require very little imagination. I would rather my son have a quality made wooden horse that he can use his imagination with to make it talk, neight, etc. than to have a cheap plastic horse that does it all for him. Plus wooden toys don't have the chemicals that plastic toys do. Lastly, most of the wooden toys I buy are made from rubber trees that would normally be cut down when they no longer produced. This way I am having a positive impact on the environment instead of a harmful one.

[Melinda-Q]

Being that the resell value for wooden toys is so high I don't feel so bad about paying a little extra for them. I honestly don't like the cheaply made plastic toys that seem so popular these days. They are just a big turn off to me. Plus they are usually full of buttons and make noises, they require very little imagination. I would rather my son have a quality made wooden horse that he can use his imagination with to make it talk, neight, etc. than to have a cheap plastic horse that does it all for him. Plus wooden toys don't have the chemicals that plastic toys do. Lastly, most of the wooden toys I buy are made from rubber trees that would normally be cut down when they no longer produced. This way I am having a positive impact on the environment instead of a harmful one.

I couldn't have said it better.

[Niles]

Jake is 18 months old, and honestly, most of his toys were bought because I like them. He gets a lot more joy out of just playing with and exploring his natural enviroment than he gets out of toys at all. He would be perfectly happy with my rubbermaid, some spoons, the dirt, some potato bugs, and about 10 balls. :) So I do try to keep his play enviroment as natural as possible.

I do love toys though, so he has a lot more than he plays with. We recycle (we haven't sold on e-bay, I donate to Desert Industries which is our local "goodwill"), every few months. The "line" for us is that all his toys have to fit in his toybox, or else it is time to get rid of some stuff.

Books on the other hand, there is no line. :)

[Slabobbin]

Jake is 18 months old, and honestly, most of his toys were bought because I like them. He gets a lot more joy out of just playing with and exploring his natural enviroment than he gets out of toys at all. He would be perfectly happy with my rubbermaid, some spoons, the dirt, some potato bugs, and about 10 balls. :) So I do try to keep his play enviroment as natural as possible.

That is awesome! And it is so true. Ben get more joy out of "helping" (and I use that term loosly, lol) me sweep the floor with a real broom and with "helping" me "cook" dinner (I give him a bowl and a spoon and give him bits of whatever I am cooking as long as it isn't meat like chicken or something, and he stirs it all up) than he does with any of his toys. :)

[Peanut]

I have never been one to tie the value of a plaything to whether or not it is the latest, greatest, newest and most improved version of the XYZ. I am constantly trying to instill values that counter this mindset in my seven and five year old.

However, this is more a decision regarding PRIORITIES than financial situations. Sure, I know we COULD afford a lot more toys of the latest and greatest variety, be they wooden, electronic, whatever. I try very hard to get my children to understand the actual play value of an item purchased as opposed to the model year of said item, the fact that Buddy X has the NEWER one so why don't we, and also the dust-collecting factor vice the actual play-usage.

Of course, my life and lifestyle would probably be considered just as bizarre to many here as that of MelindaQ. That doesn't mean I wouldn't welcome anyone here with open arms for a day at the park or playground and a picnic lunch. Note I did not say welcome you into my home, though...lololol! (Any takers in the Colorado Springs area interested in hanging with a mom with two cabin-fevered girls for a few hours during the day?)

(Nothing personal to ANYONE...I do feel the need to interject the fact that we are still "military homeless", waiting to move into our latest "home" as soon as the current renters hightail it out. There aren't too many here of whom I am aware who could readily and easily get onto the military base location where I sit.)

[Melinda-Q]

I have never been one to tie the value of a plaything to whether or not it is the latest, greatest, newest and most improved version of the XYZ. I am constantly trying to instill values that counter this mindset in my seven and five year old.


I find this interesting. Because often I see a new version of something and think about buying it (and have) but it has never really been so much about having the "latest, greatest, newest, etc" but more about the fact that the new version is really different or unique. We buy mostly wooden toys, which are packed with play value. Now if it were plastic junk toys like fisher price stuff or what have you, I probably would not even be fazed by anything new and improved. I don't see most plastic toys as having much play value.
However, this is more a decision regarding PRIORITIES than financial situations. Sure, I know we COULD afford a lot more toys of the latest and greatest variety, be they wooden, electronic, whatever. I try very hard to get my children to understand the actual play value of an item purchased as opposed to the model year of said item, the fact that Buddy X has the NEWER one so why don't we, and also the dust-collecting factor vice the actual play-usage.

Again, this is very foreign to me as well. We never even give thought toi what so-and-so has, because for the most part so-and-so will always have the more commercial type toys, while mine tend to have the wooden toys. So there is no real comparing.
Of course, my life and lifestyle would probably be considered just as bizarre to many here as that of MelindaQ. That doesn't mean I wouldn't welcome anyone here with open arms for a day at the park or playground and a picnic lunch. Note I did not say welcome you into my home, though...lololol! (Any takers in the Colorado Springs area interested in hanging with a mom with two cabin-fevered girls for a few hours during the day?)

(Nothing personal to ANYONE...I do feel the need to interject the fact that we are still "military homeless", waiting to move into our latest "home" as soon as the current renters hightail it out. There aren't too many here of whom I am aware who could readily and easily get onto the military base location where I sit.)

Good luck with your housing!

[OnederWoman]

Every few months, I will go through Jake's toys and weed out what he doesn't play with. When he's older, I will periodically have him go through and pick stuff that he doesn't play with anymore, and donate it to a shelter or a salvation army type thing. His baby toys, I have saved for Alex to play with.

We've never been big on the "latest, greatest" thing simply because it's usually someone else telling us what we should think is the "latest, greatest" thing. Actually, we don't even buy Jake very many toys, because his aunties and uncles buy him so much. We buy him DVD's. I will admit to getting DVD's because I like them. We have lots of Veggie Tales. I prefer that, at this age, his toys be some type of learning toys, like shapes and colors and numbers and letters and stuff. But he's got some "just because" toys that one of my nephews has gotten him.

He's like Niles' Jake, he loves to play with dishes and spoons and pans.

At this point, our space if very limited, but when our house is built, I would like to get him some good quality playground type stuff for the backyard. Not wood though, most likely the fiberglass/heavy sturdy plastic kind. Not as nice looking as the wood, but also less of a chemical hazard, imo.

[OnederWoman]

I've thought about this. The one type of plaything we will spend more on are musical instruments. For Christmas, we are going to get Jake a small drum kit. And he will also get (not for Christmas) a guitar and at least a keyboard. We'd like to throw a bass in there somewhere. For Alex as well.

DH is a musician/singer/songwriter and I'm a singer, so music is very important to us, and we want to foster musical ability in our children.

[Echo2]

I hope you are planning on buying some ear plugs for yourself. Musical instruments in the hands of children can be difficult to listen to. LOL

[OnederWoman]

I hope you are planning on buying some ear plugs for yourself. Musical instruments in the hands of children can be difficult to listen to. LOL LOL! BIL is a drummer, 1 bro plays guitar, the other plays piano, and DH plays guitar, I've got stock in earplugs!

[mom2burgess]

Of course, my life and lifestyle would probably be considered just as bizarre to many here as that of MelindaQ. That doesn't mean I wouldn't welcome anyone here with open arms for a day at the park or playground and a picnic lunch. Note I did not say welcome you into my home, though...lololol! (Any takers in the Colorado Springs area interested in hanging with a mom with two cabin-fevered girls for a few hours during the day?)

we can hang out anyday!

Honestly i went a little crazy with toys in the beginning with Burgess. Nice toys, cheap toys, whatever, she doesn't care. She would much rather run after a ball and play outside, or sing and dance, or "help" me cook, paint her nails, read, dig in the dirt, go for walks, than play. She will play with some toys for a bit and lose interest and go back to doing other things. One day though, I want to build (with my husband!!) a play house for the kids, and she can help me paint and decorate it. I think she would get a kick out of it, it would be cheaper than the ones you can buy in the store, and it would mean alot more, because she (and my son, if he is old enough) will have helped make it.