IF you missed out on the Aldi wooden toy event, there are still plenty of shops where you can grab similar bargains.
Parents went wild for the supermarket’s annual toy sale yesterday, with some even “fighting” each other to get their hands on early Christmas presents for their little ones.
The Tooky Toy Wooden Valley Vanity Table with Stool is just £34.99, down from £69.99[/caption]
You can get the Tooky Toy Wooden Coffee Machine Set for just £12.99 at Sports Direct[/caption]
Aldi was forced to impose a two-per-person limit on some popular items and enforce ticketed queuing systems to calm the chaos.
Now some of the wooden toys are going for double or even triple their original prices on reselling platforms like Vinted and eBay.
The Wooden Modern Kitchen is selling for £34.99 in Aldi – but The Sun has seen it’s going on Vinted for twice the price at £70.
Another seller has the Wooden Birthday Cake up for £10, despite it going for £4.99 in Aldi.
But there’s no need to fork out as you can still get great deals on wooden toys in other shops currently.
Lidl
For starters, main rival Lidl launched its Christmas Wooden Toys event on the same day.
Shoppers said Lidl supermarkets were much quieter and there was still plenty of stock by late afternoon.
Prices start from as low as £1.79 and you can also get up to an extra 20% off if you have Lidl Plus membership.
Some of the items on offer include the Lupilu Dressing Table & Stool Set, which is £39.99 or £31.99 for Lidl Plus members.
There’s also the Lupilu Dinosaur Set which is £14.99, or £13.49 for loyalty members.
Meanwhile the Ice Cream Play Food Set is £4.99, or £3.99 if you have Lidl Plus.
Frasers
Department store chain Frasers also has a huge sale on wooden toys with more than 100 products on offer.
The cheapest item you can get is the Wooden Chunky Pets Puzzle at £3.99.
Some of the products are very similar to the ones you can get in Aldi.
For example, there’s the Wooden Play Kitchen (similar to Aldi’s Modern Play Kitchen) which is currently £24.99, down from £49.99.
The Tooky Toy Wooden Garage is £24.99, down from £49.99.
And you can also get the Tooky Toy Wooden Valley Vanity Table with Stool, which at £34.99 is hugely discounted from its original price of £69.99.
Sainsbury’s
Parents have also spotted great bargains at Sainsbury’s.
One shopper posted on the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK Facebook group that she had picked up the Chad Valley Sewing Machine toy for just £3.75.
“They had plenty of other choices on wooden toys,” she added.
Another shopper said: “They have lots of toys for sale atm! Just picked up monster trucks for £2.20, toot toot princess car £3, spiderman walkie talkies £2.50! Mini brands £2.50 ect.”
It’s worth checking what your local supermarket has as discounts may vary from store to store.
On the website you can get the Chad Valley Wooden Vehicles Emergency Assortment for £3.50 each.
The choices include an ambulance, fire engine, police car, helicopter, bus and boat.
Or you can get the Chad Valley Wooden Train Set for £12, which includes track pieces, a plastic bridge, vehicles, buildings, people, bushes, trees, traffic lights, road blocks and signs.
Sports Direct
More than 100 wooden toy products are on sale at Sports Direct currently, with discounts of up to 50% off.
The cheapest you can get is the Wooden Threading Game for £3.99.
Meanwhile the Tooky Toy Wooden Coffee Machine Set is £12.99, down from £24.99.
You can also get the Wooden Double Airfryer for £16.99, down from £32.99.
Or the Wooden Waffle Maker, which used to be £19,99, is now £9.99.
More shops holding toy sales
If you’re not just interested in wooden toys, there’s plenty more retailers holding sales.
Morrisons is running a half-price toy sale, with up to 50% off big-name brands like Barbie, LEGO, Hot Wheels, Mario Kart and Bluey.
The sale is running until October 26 and is exclusive to More Card holders.
Tesco’s toy sale started on September 16 and is running until November 2.
It has up to 50% off across dolls, games and LEGO sets.
You’ll need a Tesco Clubcard to get the deals.
What to watch out for when buying toys online
HERE are the British Toy and Hobby Association’s top tips for buying toys online:
- Shop early. Don’t leave purchases to the last minute rush which might leave you fewer options of where to buy from.
- Check out third-party sellers. Look for sellers you recognise and trust. Be cautious of retailers you don’t know and do your research checking reviews and where they’re based.
- Go for branded toys. Try and choose a branded toy as then you can compare it to the manufacturer’s own website to check it’s legit.
- Be careful of going for the cheapest price. If something looks too good to be true, it probably is.
- Check if there are any age restrictions. Make sure you give suitable toys to children based on their age.
- Check reviews carefully. Some reviews are fake so look carefully at the comments.
- Stay with children at first. When your child opens a toy for the first time, stay with them and check for faults, detachable small parts, access to stuffing and loose or accessible batteries or magnets.
