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Getting Ready for the 70% off Target Toy Clearance

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We are getting closer to the time when lots of the clearance toys will be marked down to 70% off at Target.   The markdown should happen at most stores on a Thursday.   There is a chance we might see some of the toys marked down Thursday, July 25th, but I really think that most of the markdowns will happen the following week.  Here are some things you can do BEFORE the big sale happens to make sure you are ready for the big day!

Make your list and set your budget:
Figure out your budget now, and stick to it.   It is so easy to go overboard when you see all of the great deals.   I would also make a list of potential gifts you will need for the year.   It’s much easier to decide what to buy when you have specific people in mind.   When I make my list I usually ad a few items for birthday parties my kids may get invited to through the year   (Example: if my son is 8, I would look for items that will work for boys turning 9.)

Check the clearance deals now:
If possible, you will want to visit all of your Target stores now.   If you have 3 Target’s that are close to your house (LUCKY!) you will want to check what the clearance looks like at each store.   This will help you know which store has the largest selection of clearance, and help you to see if there is a store that has more of the items you are interested in.  The store that meets most of your needs should be the one you shop at first.

Should you buy items at 50% off:
If you see an item that you are extremely interested in, but the stock is very low, you may want to pick it up at 50% off.   I do this for VERY FEW items!   I figure another amazing sale will always come along.

If you see an item that has been marked down to 70% off and you already purchased the item at 50% off, you will not be eligible for a price adjustment.   Target does not do price adjustments on clearance items.   You can buy the item at 70% off and then return the original item with your 50% off receipt.

Check reviews before you buy:
Once you have seen which toys are available, go home and check the reviews on Amazon.com.  Some toys aren’t worth the money even at 70% off.   You want to make sure you are bringing home quality items that will get played with and last a long time

Keep your schedule clear:
Don’t make any appointments on Thursday for the next couple of weeks.  I am serious about this one!!  It may seem silly, but you don’t want to miss the sale, because you had a dental appointment.  Seriously, what’s more exciting – shopping for toys at 70% off, or getting your teeth cleaned?

Get your hiding spot ready:
Once you buy your toys, you are going to need a place to hide them.   I have kept things in my car a couple of times, because I wasn’t exactly sure where I wanted to store them.   On both occasions one of the kids saw something that I was planning to give them for their birthday.  I hate it when that happens!

Want to learn more about this unadvertised clearance event?   Check out these posts:

Learn about the 70% off Toy Clearance at Target (Usually happens January and July)
Tips for shopping the day of the sale

Similar Posts

22 Comments

  1. I want to stress the importance of checking reviews! Last year I bought my daughter a Thomas the Train set along with matching pieces. I took it out of the box and started to assemble it, and decided to check the review (I really don’t even know what made me think then to check the reviews) and they were TERRIBLE! Mostly about how it constantly falls apart and constantly needing to put it back together. With my daughter turning 2 5 days after Christmas, I knew that this would be a huge hassle, and probably a frequent cause of major temper tantrums. But I had already taken it out of the box (which my daughter then destroyed) and couldn’t take it back. This year I checked the reviews for all of the train sets that are on clearance and now I know which sets are worth it and which are not. It works out perfectly because I got a train table for 70% off in January! 🙂

  2. I’m going out of town next week….and in the middle of no where with the nearest target 3 hrs away. So, I’m probably going to miss this sale, which totally bums me out. 🙁 but it got me wondering….do you know if they do a big Christmas in July toy clearance sale ONLINE?? If so, that would sure be awesome!!

    1. The first year we moved out to CA in the middle of nowhere I missed to summer sale. I went two weeks after the sale began and still managed to get a few good toys for my kids (including an Imaginext Bigfoot for $20!!!) After you get back, it doesn’t hurt to go look!

  3. @courtney I have recently seen a few toys on clearance online for up to 65% off. I think 65% off is as low as they go online.

    They don’t really do as much online, they need to clear them out of the store quickly to make room for new merchandise. My best guess, is they don’t have to clear them out as quick online, because the online items sit in a warehouse.

    I would find a friend that can go and make a list and let them know what you are looking for. My sister and I do that for each other. If not, no worries another great sale will come along. Amazon usually have tons of great deals just before Christmas.

  4. @S Very few items left, some plastic plates and cups, tropical silly straws and a few misc. items. Not much worth making a trip.

  5. I consider myself lucky because I literally have FOUR Targets all within 15 minutes of each other and I definitely hit each one (although I have to drive 1 1/2 hours to get to one)! In January I took my husband with me for the after Christmas sale and he was shocked at how much I got for so little (I spent about $300 at all 4 Targets and saved about $700!!!) I cannot wait until Thursday (although I’m going Friday). And I called last week and they said they were still at 50% off so this week should be the week!!!

  6. @Megan
    I am looking for a Train set for my don who just turn 2 last month. I got the train table on january too. And now need to buy the train set.
    Could you please tell me wich Train set has the best reviews. Thanks

  7. If you have a smart phone, using the Target and Amazon apps while shopping can save you a lot of time and money. You can check to see if there are more items at Target.com or check prices and reviews on Amazon.

  8. I just have to rub it in. I have 5 Targets around me. None of them are more than 15 minutes away from me. Yay.

  9. I have been looking at the toy sections at my Targets and all of them are still at only 30% off….I don’t see anything at 50% off so I am wondering if my Targets will still put them at 70% off on Thursday. It seesm highly unlikely. Probably just wishful thinking on my part but for the most part my Target has always followed whatever I have read on the posts so I am not sure why it wouldn’t still be on the same schedule as all the others. Hmmm…..

    1. With this clearance it is possible for toys to get straight from 30% off to 70% off. They just want to clear things out so they can make room for the next seasons toys that are coming in.

  10. If you don’t get a chance to check reviews before you shop, just make sure you do before you open anything, and soon enough that you can still return items if you want. When shopping a big clearance sale, I like to grab what I think I might want and throw it in my cart before someone else gets it. Then, before I check out I look over what I have and decide if there’s anything I want to put back. After I shop, my husband and I look over things and he usually is good about helping me decide what things we really don’t want our kids to have, or what’s not worth keeping. Then I return what we don’t really want. Also, one of each item has to be scanned by a worker with the right scanner in order for them to get discounted further–it’s not like the seasonal/holiday clearance where everything is discounted all at one moment. They often are working on marking things down in the first hour or two they are open. If the toy area is not too crowded, some workers are very willing to scan items for you, if you want to see if it’s going to be discounted but they just haven’t gotten to it. Once one item that’s being discounted has been scanned then all of the identical products will then come up at the lower price when scanned around the store or at checkout.

  11. I have four targets in my area and have visited them all in the last few days to get the last of the 90% Christmas clearance deals. Today I noticed them moving all of the toy section around setting it for the spring layout, and they had condensed toys down to just a few aisles. Not nearly the selection at any of them like they have in the past. I guess they are finally figuring out how to order correct amounts for inventory so they do not have to clearance toys out. Bummer for us deal hunters.

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  13. Thanks for letting me know about the deal , wasn’t aware of such deals.
    Does this clearance happen once in a year only ?

  14. One location in sacramento already discounted all there toys TODAY Wednesday 1.13.2015. I think they might have done it last night because I got there at 9 am and everything was already marked down and the isle was organized VERY nicely. I was just there yesterday and it was a mess.

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