The Target Toy Clearance

So last week I saw on a few blogs that Target has two days a year when toys go 70% off.  

One in January, one in July.  The July one is the last Thursday of the month.  

So on Wednesday I took the kids to the new Target by us to check it out.  We found a bunch of toys (especially cars 2, Zach's love right now) on clearance for 30, 40 of 50% off.  This trip was super helpful for two reasons- 

1-I knew where all the clearance toys were (besides on the end of the row).  Some people were saying their Target cleared out an entire row and filled it with clearance items, but ours were mixed in with the regular toys in their regular sections. 

2- I was only looking at the clearance items and had the kids with me, so I saw what they got excited about.  It was fun seeing them loving the same toys as usual and hoping I would be able to get them so cheap the next day!  We hadn't been shopping for a while (I've been doing it all online since it's free shipping and then no impulse buys!) so I was glad to see what they liked.

 So Thursday morning my mom stayed home with the kids (yay!!) and I went back to the same Target. I had called the day before and asked if they were going to be marking things down Thursday, they said YES!  

So I went a little after it opened (8:30) and it was me and two other moms and 4 workers.  The other moms and I had our carts loaded in minutes.  It was so fun!  Like Black Friday...but nobody else knew about it!

It was nice that it was so empty. I got a lot of things that were the last of that thing- like that grocery cart with food that was $5.50, that Cinderella with a bunch of accessories for $10.50, and the Hot Wheels slot cars for $12.59 (my most expensive purchase for my kids- so it was down from $50).  Cars 2 geo trax were 3.74 for the 2 pack.

 That motorcycle scooter thing was $7.49.  Most of the bigger Cars 2 stuff was $6 or under, since they were around $20 to start.  

I came home with my loot (after my doctor's appt) and my mom and the kids and I went to the other Target near us.  I am SO glad we did!  They had a few things- Transformers! - that the other Target didn't have.  My mom got 2 Transformers for Zach's birthday that were originally $25 each for $7.50 each.  (plus, side story- she bought them earlier in the week at only 30% off, and was able to get guest services to give her the difference!)  He doesn't have any, so that will be super fun since he loves playing them at Grandma Bishop's house.

That night I read some blogs and saw some of the things other people got. 

 Some of the toys were not interesting to me, but I scored way more Cars 2 than most people (although, that's exactly what I was looking for).  There were two things I saw others got that I didn't see.  Bummer!  

I listed out everything I had gotten for them and was bummed I didn't have those two things so then I would be done.  The next morning my mom left for Southern California, and the kids and I decided to try one more Target near us.  Again, so glad we did!  They had the two things I was hoping for :)  It was awesome!  

The trick at that Target was that they didn't mark things for 70% off, they were still at 30 or 50% off.  One of the things didn't even have a clearance sticker at all, but I used those scanners and scanned everything I wanted and what do you know- they scanned for 70% off!  No wonder no one else had bought them :)  One thing was actually 80% off!  It was this big Thomas thing that Zach has been wanting, so from $60 down to $11.56.  Woohoo!!  The only problem- he was with me, so I told him to forget about it.  For a month till his birthday. (even thought I had hoped that would be his Christmas present...o well, some shifting and it works).

The Kre-o Transformers are actually for my nephew, and we ended up with 3 of them!  My sister in law was excited :)  She was on her way to California, so it's perfect timing for their Christmas!  

The total at the end- I spent around $230, and I'll get some back from my SIL for her things, and then I have told grandmas and aunts not to buy the kids anything for birthdays or Christmas (except my mom already got their stuff for bdays)- just to come 'shop' in the boxes in the garage and pay me back!  Everyone's shopping is done :)

Their birthdays are the beginning of September, and I already have listed out which toys they are getting for each holiday and stockings so it doesn't get TOO crazy.  PLUS a bunch of the things I got are presents for their friends.  I still have a bunch left from the big Target easter toy sale (another CRAZY sale) so now we're stocked for some of the age groups I was running out of. 

Super fun!  I'll have to check it out in January...although harder to buy toys in January when everyone is on toy overload (I guess that's why they do that) This one worked out at the perfect time for us- before baby, just before birthdays and before Christmas!