I buy up popular kids toys & make thousands selling them at Christmas by hiking price – I’m actually helping other mums | The Sun

Hayley uses the cash to pay for essentials and treats for her kids, as well as buying toys for charity Cash For Kids.

She insists she doesn't rip parents off because she sells them on at their recommended retail price.

Hayley says: “You don’t want to see your kids disappointed and let them down at Christmas, but having to buy the most popular toys each year is such a huge cost.

"You often don’t know what ‘the’ toy is going to be until it’s too late and almost sold out. 

“Then it’s a huge amount of effort and stress trying to get your hands on it. 

“I remember when the Playstation 5 sold out, I signed up for stock alerts and spent hours desperately refreshing the Argos website trying to get one when they came back in stock. 

I started keeping an eye out for new toys in charity shops or heavily discounted in sales that I could buy and then sell for a profit online, as the demand was there

“I even used a hack I came across on a Facebook deals page, where you’d press refresh, go into your basket, press back and then forward, to try and successfully add it to my basket. 

“While I did manage to get one after days of trying, I saw sellers were snapping them up at £525 for the bundle and putting them on eBay for over £1,600, making a huge profit.”

Two years ago she began selling clothes on Vinted, and realised there was "money to be made" by flogging kids toys as well.

"I started keeping an eye out for new toys in charity shops or heavily discounted in sales that I could buy and then sell for a profit online, as the demand was there," she says.

“My son’s birthday is two weeks after Christmas, so he can get a lot of presents twice. I sell any dupe items and save the money for him. 

“I always look in the Sainsbury’s half price toy sale throughout the year and I buy multiple of the popular toys.

“I then offer them to friends for their kids, and then if they don’t want them I put them on Vinted in the run-up to Christmas, when demand is high."

Hayley recently bought four of the CoComelon 3 In 1 Activity Bundle sets, worth £30, for £10 each in the sale, and then sold them for £20.

“I bought the Hatchimals Crystal Flyers Kawaii Flying Fairy for £8, reduced from £16, and then sold it at retail price, making £8 profit, and a Spiderman Universe toy before for £20 in the sale reduced from £45, and managed to sell it at £40 – a £20 profit," she says.

“You do need a lot of time to do it though, and it is a lot of effort, but while I make a profit, I don’t rip anyone off. 

"You need to be clever about what you buy – Fisher Price and V Tech is quite good, and when you put certain items online to sell.

“After Halloween is the best time, when people are focusing on Christmas.”  

Despite the cost of living crisis, shoppers are expected to fork out around £1billion on youngsters over the festive season, according to industry experts, with a toy sold every two seconds at Argos.

According to Toy Retailer Association Chair Alan Simpson, the reason why demand often outstrips supply is because by the time a trend has become apparent, it's often too late for shop owners to buy more stock.

Alan – who has been in the industry for over 40 years and owns a chain of over 30 stores throughout the UK – says: "There's always one toy that stands out, and retailers often get an idea by September what that will be.

"The big problem is the lead time of getting stock into the UK from the factories in the far east.

"When something kicks off and demand soars, it's too late.

"That's when we may limit the amount to one per person, to discourage someone snapping them all up and making a killing, as we don't want to see anyone ripped off."

Counterfeit con

Demand outstripping supply can also cause a surge in rip-off counterfeit goods flooding the market.

One year a trading standards watchdog was forced to issue a safety alert over dodgy versions of Fingerlings – which are in the Toy Retailer top 20 toys for Christmas this year – following reports from a number of worried parents.

Norfolk Trading Standards wrote in a Facebook post: "Fingerlings are looking to be this year's ‘must have toy’.

"With demand outstripping supply this will lead to copy versions appearing in shops, markets, online stores and auction sites.

"These copies could be near copies, common names appearing include ‘Baby Monkey’, ‘Happy Monkey’ and ‘Finger Monkey’, or counterfeit versions presented as Fingerlings.

The big problem is the lead time of getting stock into the UK from the factories in the far east. When something kicks off and demand soars, it's too late

"These copy and counterfeit versions could have issues with the safety of the product and its use."

Alan warns parents who buy toys on marketplace sites with third party sellers are "taking a risk" because they don't always know what they're getting.

"You don't know if the toy is genuine, or a copy. That's a real concern," he says.

"When you're buying in a toy store you can rest assured the item is legitimate… whereas online [on an unaccredited site] you don't know what you're getting until the box arrives.

"There are some very clever copiers out there, but they won't pay attention to the lead content, for example, so they could be dangerous."

'You start to lose all rationality'

Retail and consumer behavioural expert Dr Amna Khan, from Manchester Metropolitan University, says the fact emotions are running high at Christmas can cause parents to become irrational.

She explains: “As a parent, who wants to disappoint their child? At Christmas it’s very much an emotional purchasing process.

"There’s a lot more pressure to buy the right gift and the present that’s going to make a positive lasting impression, especially for a child as the last thing you want to do is disappoint them.

"This means the consumer is willing to pay more and the price becomes almost a bit irrelevant, as there’s a lot at stake.

"You start to lose rationality, and want to buy the item to avoid disappointing your child – it’s an emotional connection and that’s the driver – price goes out the window. 

There’s a lot more pressure to buy the right gift and the present that’s going to make a positive lasting impression, especially for a child as the last thing you want to do is disappoint them

“The high expectations and the ‘limited edition’ nature is what causes a frenzy – there’s not a lot of it, and you don’t want to let someone down.

"This causes the perfect storm so that price goes out the window and the consumer just has to get it no matter how much it is.

"You become fanatical about getting the product. It’s also the fear of missing out – the child missing out on the experience, and you missing out on the memory of them unwrapping that much-wanted gift.

"It’s such a special moment, and you’re Scrooge if you ruin it. A lot of things come into play."

So how do you avoid the dreaded toy tout trap? It's surprisingly simple, but does require some forward planning.

Read More on The Sun

END OF AN ERA

Netflix axes FIVE series in most brutal TV cull yet – leaving fans devastated

MUM MAULED

Horror pictures show woman's arm bitten through to the bone by crazed dog

With retailers often able to predict what will sell out that Christmas in September, it's important to keep your ear to the ground early.

Alan says: "The message we're trying to get out there is – shop early, and you'll have choice. A couple of weeks before Christmas is too late."

This year’s ‘Dream Toy’ top 20

The Toy Retailers Association has unveiled its annual DreamToys top 10,predicting what will be the hottest, most sought-after toys for Christmas…

• Barbie Pop Reveal, £26.99
• Beast Lab, £89.99
• Bitzee Interactive Pet, £32.99
• Cookeez Makery Oven Playset, £39.99
• Fingerlings Monkey, £17.99
• Fluffie Stuffiez Large Plush, £34.99
• Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle and Grounds, £149.99
• Hot Wheels City Ultimate Hauler, £94.99
• L.O.L. Surprise! Magic Flyers, £36.99
• Little Live Pets My Puppy's Home, £64.99
• Miniverse – Make It Mini Kitchen – £44.99
• MINTiD Dog-E – £89.99
• PAW Patrol Mighty Movie – Skye Deluxe Vehicle – £49.99
• Pictionary vs AI – £23.99
• Pokémon 151 Elite Trainer – £52.99
• Squishmallows 7.5″ – £8.99
• Star Wars Ahsoka Starship – £64.99
• Super Mario Movie 7″ Feature Bowser Figure – £34.99
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie Pizza Fire Van – £39.99
• Twister Air – £24.99

Source: Read Full Article