Used Toys - Donate or Dump?

FREECYCLE, FREECYCLE, FREECYCLE. It is a yahoo group that allows you to list anything you don't want any more and people can respond if they want the items and THEY will come get them! All you do is post it, pick a recipient and set the stuff on the porch.

Look it up in the yahoo groups and fill out their request to join forms (it is a little tedious and the moderators are stuffy and sound a little harsh in their rules and regulations, but once you are in it is a great resource for giving and receiving.

Otherwise I take all our other things to the Wayside Cross in downtown Aurora.

You can donate to a women's shelter or a daycare.

I second the idea of Goodwill and local churches/parents' day out programs/preschool programs. That's where we donate our outgrown toys.

If you want to make some extra money, you can try listing the bigger items worth something on www.napervilleyardsales.com and craigslist. We've done that for some older playsets/playgrounds, bicycles, outdoor toys with success.

Lastly, we donate our outgrown books to our local library which resells them for the library's benefit.

Good luck!

I'd donate them - then you get the tax write off. ;)

I normally give them to Goodwill, Purple Heart, or Cancer society when they do a clothes pickup and they take them.

You could also check with your church (they might run a daycare or pre-school program), your local park district pre-school program or the school itself. Some Kindergartens like to get toys for free-play time. Talk to the principal.

I donate a lot of things to the local women's shelter. They are always in need of basic necessities for little ones, but with xmas coming up, I'm sure they'd love some toys!