Crazy idea for getting vintage toys for free

Yeah, you can get some good deals at garage sales too, but a lot of those people want outrageous prices as well.

Here's some goodies I got from the local thrift stores in the last month or so:



Some random 1994 Barbie [she's got real knee (not internal clicky knees) and elbow articulation, which is uncommon for that time period, which is the main reason I bought her, other than the cheap price of $0.50], G.I.JOE Lobotomaxx ($0.25), and McDonald's Transformers: Beast Machines Cheetor ($0.25).



G3 MLP Bumblesweet ($0.50), Skeleflex Triceratops ($0.75), Indiana Jones Belloq, Benjamin Franklin, Transformers Robot Heroes Movie Brawl, G.I.JOE Iron Grenadier (v8), and Star Wars Vintage Collection Peasant Disquise Anakin Skywalker ($0.34 each).



Spin Master Liv Hayden doll ($2), Zoobles Razoo's Tree House Playset ($1.50), stack of various Star Trek cards ($0.50), and the carrying case for the Skeleflex dinosaur ($0.25--irritating that I had to buy it separately, but at least it was dirt cheap).

I used to find all kinds of neat things at thrift stores, but those days are long gone. Heck, even older books I've bought off the Internet have had Goodwill slips inside them. You're better off hitting a yard sale at a stable middle-class neighborhood. Uncle Fred might have cleaned out his attic for the first time in 40 years and God knows what is up there...

Hahaha, Our charity shops are pretty much useless for toys, unless you like baby toys, I often go to car boot sales though as a seller and that gives me the opportunity to get there early and snap up the bargains from parents who just don't know what their kids toys are worth.

I wasn't talking about volunteering though, I was talking about taking a part time job as a sorter and buying and of the items I want myself with my 20% employee discount

@Wolverhulk ISS:
I'm a hoarder, not a seller, lol, so opening a trading stall/table wouldn't do me any good, because I just want to acquire more toys, not part with any of the ones that are already in my collection.

I agree that it seems like most people, even little old Grandmas, know that they can get $$$ for figures on eBay these days, so they don't donate them to thrift stores in the quantities that they used to.

That said, I actually do find some great stuff at thrift stores, even Marvel Legends. The thing is, you have to go all the time, everyday almost, as their stock changes and moves quickly. That's the rub--you almost have to live there.

@Pock63: The thought of volunteering as a sorter has crossed my mind, but, ethically, I think it'd be wrong for me to do that, because the only reason I'd be doing it is for the ulterior motive of getting first crack at their toy donations, not because I honestly wanted to help the store/staff out, and that'd be kind of sleazy (the one I frequent most often is a St. Vincent de Paul Society thrift store, and thus, a Catholic establishment, so, God would punish me!)

I've thought about this all the time although I'd probably go with the cheaper option and take a job as a sorter at our local Savers thrift shop.

I've never had good luck at thrift stores with toys. I think most people know they can get a few bucks on eBay or at a buy/sell/trade type of game/comic/toy store. That's where I get a lot of parts and base figs cheap. It's nice because it's hard to tell online if a part will work for a project without seeing it in person. Long story short, open one of those. You have to pay for your inventory though. No tricking granny into giving you her stockpiles of MLs for charity. Lol.