Top 5 Tips for Buying Toys This Holiday

Last week, my company held a big event where we named our list of the "most wanted" toys this holiday season. You can check it out here, and if any of the toys on this list are toys that your kids are asking for, then don't wait to buy them! If you wait, you might not be able to find them.

That's just one of my top tips for holiday toy shopping. I know that it's early to start thinking about Christmas or Hanukkah. We haven't even gotten through Halloween yet. It's not even the first day of Fall! But retailers are already in "holiday" mode, and so now is the time for you to start thinking about holiday presents.

I've been working in the toy industry for 13 years, so hopefully, you'll trust me as an "expert" and take my advice when it comes to buying toys for your kids this holiday season. Here are my Top 5 Tips for Buying Toys This Holiday:

1. Have batteries handy

A lot of toys come with batteries. Some do not. Make sure you look carefully on the package to see if the toy has batteries inside or not. Usually if you can press a button on the toy and it does something in package, then there are batteries inside. But those are not batteries that you want to keep in that toy when you take it out of the package and give it to your kid. Do you know how many other kids (or adults) have pressed that button inside the store before you brought it home? Put in a fresh set of batteries.

Me on Christmas morning as a kid. So happy my parents got me the Barbie car!

2. If it's big, build it first

Oh, those lovely play structures, large riding toys, and Barbie Dreamhouses that kids just love. They unwrap the giant box and immediately want to start playing. Well, adult assembly is required. And sometimes it's going to take mom, dad, grandpa, grandma, and Uncle Bob at least two hours to put together. Can your child wait that long to play? Start a new tradition and set it up the night before. Spare yourself the "Is it ready yet? Is it ready yet? WHY ISN'T IT READY YET?" You're going to have to assemble it at some point. Just do it in advance.

3. The Rule of 4

I saw this circulating on Pinterest and think it's a really great idea, especially as kids get older. (Aunts, uncles, and grandparents are exempt. It's their job to spoil kids!) But for parents, on holidays (or birthdays, too) all your kid really needs is something he wants, something he needs, something to wear, and something to read. See, it even rhymes! And it keeps the focus of the holidays away from "stuff", which might be something that some of you moms are looking to do.

We clearly didn't heed our own advice with the
"Rule of 4" last year. Oops.

4. Don't wait to buy the popular toys

This one is a big one, which is why I'm repeating it again here. A lot of parents think, "Oh, well, I'll wait until it goes on sale." And then they wait. And wait. And wait. And then there are no more of this mega awesome toy in stock, and they end up having to buy it marked up on Amazon or eBay. Or they don't get one at all.

Don't be that parent.

If you have a child who wants the new Hatchimals or whatever the hot toy craze is right now, just buy it. Save the receipt in case it does go on sale later, and you want to try and return and rebuy. But it's very rare that toys like that see a huge drop in price.

5. Shop at TTPM!

If you're having trouble figuring out what toys to buy for your kid or you want to price-comparison shop before you hit the stores or add something to your Amazon cart, then please allow me to shamelessly plug the company I work for: TTPM.com. We just announced our 2019 Holiday Most Wanted List, a list of 20 toys that we think your kids are going to be putting on their wish lists to Santa. 

But that's not all. TTPM also reviews thousands of toys (and baby products and pet gear) all year long, and not only do we show you how the toy works and tell you why it's fun (or why it isn't), but we tell you where you can buy it and for how much. Then just click on the link of your online retailer of choice (Amazon, Target, Toys "R" Us, etc.) and purchase! It's a one-stop shop that can really make your holiday shopping experience go a lot smoother!

TTPM's 2019 Most Wanted Holiday Toys Press Conference

I hope these tips have been helpful. Good luck out there! Don't get trampled down on Black Friday, and don't wrestle anybody over a Cabbage Patch Kid! That's so 1980s!

Do you have any tips for toy buying that you'd like to share? What are the toys your kids are asking for this year?