The Best Time to Buy Toys, by Category

Toy pricing is seasonal in a way that most categories are not, because toys are a December product with a January problem. Retailers discount when they need floor space, and the timing of that need varies by category.

We pulled price data across four toy categories for two years to find where the low points actually fall.

Building sets: November

Large brick boxes and playsets reach their annual low in the last week of November. Stock is still good, and the discounts are the deepest of the year.

Outdoor toys: September

Garden play, water tables and ride-ons clear in early autumn as retailers make room for Christmas stock. This is the least obvious and most reliable discount window.

Film tie-ins: October

Buy before the film releases or immediately after. There is no discount later; there is only scarcity.

Last year’s models: January

If the child will not notice the difference, January clearance on discontinued sets is the cheapest option of all.

The bottom line

Buy outdoor toys in September, big sets in November, tie-ins in October, and take the child’s actual interests seriously rather than the calendar alone.