Time marches on, and your children are indeed growing up. Their toys are no longer age appropriate, but you hate throwing good toys away. True, some toys may be worn, but others still have a lot of life in them. Luckily, a variety of options exist, so other children will be fulfilled just like yours were.
Donation to the Needy
Thrift shops always have a need for good toys. All proceeds from the sale go to helping the needy. Since thrift shops are non-profit, they will write you a receipt for a charitable contribution which you claim on your income taxes. Conversely, if you know a family that is in need, simply give the toys to them.
Selling Toys and Video Games
Toys and video games eventually become outdated. As new, bigger and better toys and game counsels come out, your child may quickly grow tired of the ones that he or she already has as most kids desire all the newer things that are out on the market. Now that companies like Microsoft have come out with the Xbox One, you might want to sell Xbox 360 games. You can often take the games to a local store and trade them in for another game or for cash. You can also sell the games over the internet. You may even consider putting some of the old toys or video games out for a yard sale. This way you can make some money back off of the old toys and games and put it towards the new ones for your child.
Saving the Toys as Collectables
Today’s toys are tomorrow’s antiques. If you have the room and the patience to save the toys, do so. Many antique toys sell for thousands of dollars. If your toys were limited editions or rare to begin with, they will command a good price in years to come.
Saving For Grandchildren
Sooner or later, your children will have children. If you have an empty storage area, consider saving the toys for grandchildren. You’ll be saving your children a lot of money. Furthermore, the toys will have a nostalgic value. Your children can tell your grandchildren these were the toys they played with as children.
Toys do have a useful lifespan, even after your children are done playing with them. You have to explore various options, and determine which may be best route to take. If the toys are in good shape, they have market value. You can exploit this by selling your old toys. Some people even earn a good living just by buying and selling toys and video games.