4 secrets for saving money on kid's toys

It's not that you're frugal, it's just that most kids judge toys on how much fun they deliver, not the price. Here's how to be a hero at minimal expense.

All toy sales are not alike. For one thing, shopping in the months of November and December—prime Christmas gifting season—guarantees that you'll pay at least twice what the same item will cost in January.

• Many toy stores offer deep discounts in early summer to make way for the coming year's inventory.
• Just make sure you consider what your child's tastes are likely to be six months in the future.

Don't rule out second-hand toys. Most homes, and likely the family home in which you grew up, are filled with treasures waiting to be discovered. That trove eventually finds its way into garage sales, thrift shops, estate sales and even the toy section in used sporting goods stores.

• Little has changed for board games from the past, while tabletop pastimes like hockey, foosball, crokinole and mini-pool are as reliable on a rainy day as they ever were.

In many cities you can find stores devoted to either antique or hand-built toys. They tend to be simple, durable and basically the opposite of a remote-controlled helicopter.

• Still, a kid is going to get more fun out of a pedal-powered tractor than some gadget that's going to break down within hours of unpacking.
• If you really must have those little electronic gizmos, the ideal place to get them is one of those liquidation stores that clear out old stock of new toys at a fraction of their original price.

Remember the toys you had the most fun with? Chances are they were inexpensive things that you as a parent or grandparent can also introduce with authentic zeal.

• Never forget that any toy can be fun when you sit down with the kids and show them how to get into it.

Visit a kid's bedroom these days and one thing becomes apparent: There has never been such a abundance of toys, nor such a variety of shapes, sizes and purposes.

Apart from one or two must-have items, no modern child has a mental picture of every toy out there. That means you can creatively skirt the mainstream market for inexpensive discoveries that will still bring the fun.