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It’s getting close to the time when a good portion of the clearance toys will be marked down to 70% off at Target. The markdown should happen at most stores on a Thursday, but it is possible for stores to mark them down on a Wednesday or even Friday.
If history repeats itself, the markdown should take place on Thursday, January 15th 2015. Please understand this is not a guaranteed date, it can happen the week before or the week after. This is an unadvertised clearance, so we won’t know for certain when it happens until it happens. Historically, the markdown has taken place the middle of January.
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: My son is 8, so I will 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 local Target stores now. If you have 3 Target’s that are close to your house (LUCKY!) you will want to check what the clearance is 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
Keep your schedule clear:
Don’t make any appointments on Wednesday or 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!
Check for coupons or rebates:
Check to see if there are any coupons or rebates. Make sure you check Target.com for Target printable toy coupons too.
Here is more information regarding the 70% off Target toy sale:
I use the clearance sale to stock up for birthday parties. It was so great to just grab something out of the closet instead of shopping for each kid. Since I don’t know who I’m buying for, I just buy what I think looks fun. My favorite was the circo tea set, Disney fairy wings and car/track sets. I know having something on hand keeps me from blowing my budget because I feel rushed.
I totally agree! I stock on birthday gifts for my kid’s friends. I can give a bigger gift since I got such a good deal. The kids are always excited about what they can take to a party.
Couldnt u just call the store and ask them when it is?
@linda, none of the employees are going to know. (I’ve worked there, trust me, I became a nuisance just trying to find out when Christmas stuff was gonna go 90% off) even the managers don’t know for dead certain (or a least they say they don’t) when stuff is gonna be marked up on clearance. They say they just find out the morning of when the price team gets their assignments.
and is it always done at a certain time or no..?
I don’t fully understand what you’re asking. Are all the stores marked down at the same time? No, last Christmas our store didn’t go 90% off until after most other stores in our district did, but ours was also the busiest store in the area (south Houston). So it just depends on the store and what they’re told to do. Stores ten minutes apart from each other might go on different days. (As was the case for us and the store down the road last Christmas)
What day of the week do the markdowns happen on baby usually?
Just wanted to give everyone a heads up! My store in Allen, Tx already has alot of the toys marked down to 70% OFF… Everything is going fast here in TX!!
So our stores in North Dallas Wylie, Rowlette are still at 30% by this time it should be stuff marked 50% because usually it’s the last thrusday in July any know if it will be July this year.
Is it a bad sign if your stores clearance toys have not been condensed yet? They toys vary from 30-50% right not but they are spread out over the whole toy section with a few on end caps.
This really makes me wonder if toys will go 70% off this week, seems like an awful lot of work to move all of the clearance toys together in a day or so. Though I wouldn’t mind if they went 70% and stayed spread out. things probably wouldn’t be bought out so quickly then.
Nope, sometimes the stores mark them down where they are located and don’t ever get to condensing them. It does make it a little harder to shop though because you have to go up and down each aisle.
I am thinking there may be a good chance they will go 70% off next week instead of this week, all the the clearance seems to be a week later this year than it was last year.
I am thinking next week as well. Went into another Target this morning and nothing is condensed and there are still to many things that are at 30%. They were sticking a lot of the new toys today as well. I’ll still head out tomorrow but I’m not expecting 70% off.
Has your store condensed the toys or are they spread all over the department?
They were in the process of condensing the clearance toys in my store this morning… so only time will tell. 😉
LOTS of toys on clearance in Greenville, NC but mostly all 30-50% off still. I’ll be dropping by on my lunch break on Thursday to see if they switched to 70% off. I sure hope so!
Also, check out Kmart clearance sections – they’re having a HUGE clearance deal where most all toys that were on clearance (regular prices don’t matter!) are $1.99 – $3.99. I got TONS of barbies, disney princess sets, lego sets, etc. that were regularly $39.99 for only $1.99 yesterday. Score for the gift closet! :O)
Where are you at?
I went to Kmart and nothing was a good deal. Toys clearance was only marked a few dollars less than the original price. Kmart already has higher prices than target and Walmart.
My local target already has alot of items at 70% I will check another location by work today to see if it is the same, i got quite a few imaginext toys @ 70%
Ok so the second location has not marked down to 70%
Toys are marked down from 30%-70% in Colorado. The signs may say one thing, but the scanning shows another (of course). Lots of superhero stuff on sale at 50%-70% already and they were restocking/reorganizing the shelf this morning.
Also, I love Christy’s suggestion to read reviews… I read a few before buying this Little Tikes Leaf Blower (blows bubbles) and learned that for some there were issues with the bubbles not blowing or leaking. I had my eye on it for my son for Christmas and got it at the July 70% off toy clearance sale. I picked it up for around $7 and was sooo excited, but the reviews should have won me over instead of the price. He loves it but it leaks all over the place!!!! It’s now in the garage until Spring when he can have it leak outside.
If you need to purchase baby stuff the time is now. I purchased two Eddie Bauer strollers, Eddie Bauer play pen, dipper bag all 70% off.
Several of my Target stores have varying clearance toys already. They are marked from 30% to 50% but I found some great Skylanders MegaBloks sets for 70% off yesterday (only $3.58 each). I try to buy with specific kids in mind for both birthdays and Christmas.
My target condensed all estancia toys to one aisle , very few the monsters university characters were 70 off but most toys were either 50 or 30 percent still , but I did find motorized thomas the train regular 13.99 ringing up for 2.99 each! They were no marked on sale but scanning in at [email protected] the ones on sale are Henry, Gordon and dash! Great deal if your kid loves thomas!!
I found some of these, too! I think my lil guy will enjoy them!
Well I was there at 8:30 this morning. They were moving things around and I asked one of the guys if he could tell me if they would be marking down the clearance anymore. He told me yes, but he wasnt sure when- he was just moving items. So I found a lady who was marking down the storage boxes in an aisle across from the toy section if she would check to see if the 5 items I had would be marked down anymore. She said she couldn’t do that because then she would have to do it for everyone. There was NO one in the store hardly. I understand her point, but in the past at the Southaven target they have done that for me. I hung around for an hour, but no one stated on the toys, so I put them all back. I had my 18 month old with me, and he was beyond ready to go. I was really disappointed! That was the whole reason I was there!
I am sooooo excited for next week. The amount of toys they were consolidating to clearance toy aisles was nuts. There should be atleast 3 full of clearance toys this year. January toy clearance is so much better then the one in July. SOOOO EXCITED!
Sacramentos were 30-50% off
SoCal – mostly 50% some 30% but a few things were 70% sassy toy set 8.98 and big bag of mega blocks $8.98. Next week should be interesting. I want some playdoh toys and a couple for gifting but not too much.
I went today. Olympia WA (west oly).
There were some items at 70% (most 50%) the woman ahead of my scored several nice things (lucky her) I only got a superman. Strange that when we got to the register they did not ring in at 70%, but the cashier forced it through.
It is going to be awesome!!!!
Thanks Christy!! Does anyone know if this sale happens at Target Canada too?
Will most stores go down on Thursday or Wednesday?
It should happen at most stores on a Thursday.
I have 6 targets here within driving distance, the furthest being about 50 miles. I have checked the closest stores frequently and as of today everything is still only 30% off at all stores. Also the stores are running out of clearance items. If and when the sale happens thee wont be much left to pick through. Pretty disappointed, in previous years the sale was on by now and there were rows and rows of toys to ponder over. I remember one year I filled 3 carts.
If you don’t have a receipt for something and you have bought at regular price and on sale and want to return one will the till default to the regular price or the sale price?
One of my stores Orlando(Millenia) seemed ready on Monday ( I even found the interacitve Little Mommy doll already at 70%) so I took a chance and stopped in yesterday. Sure enough found 50 and 70 markdowns. I bought the following at 70 for the 2015 toy drive:
Disney Princess Palace Pets (talking and singing)
Disney Princess Palace Pets Playset
Disney Princess Ballet outift (pink, blue and purple) and the shoes (only pink)
Bop It Tetrus
Barbie Fashion Designer doll
Mega Blocks Sponge Bob rockstar set (just figures)
Hello Kitty Fashion sets (sleepingbag, pj outfit and sleepover goodies- hoping these will work for the 18in doll for my daughter)
* they did have the collectors Hello Kitty doll (small white) and several dress up wands not princess that I passed on.
I saw a good number of others things I will pick up later but for now they were only 50%. Isles were neat and organized with a few items on endcaps.
Went to another store down rode (SoDo) and it looked like toys exploded. Found one isle (both sides and several endcaps all jumbled and just dumped with no organization at all. Found a few more of those Barbie Fashion Designer dolls but many of the same items I found at 70 were still 30 or 50. But, this second store had legos (chima, movie, star wars, city, heros) so I will have to go back.
Hi Christy…just wanted to thank you again for doing this and for saving me tons of money on Toys, etc. I recommended people following you and thanked you as well on this post today :
TARGET’S 70% OFF TOY CLEARANCE COMING SOON!…BUT, AS IT WILL BE UN-ADVERTISED YOU WILL HAVE TO BE ON YOUR TOES TO CATCH IT!
https://freeplaykids.blogspot.com/2015/01/targets-70-off-toy-clearance-coming.html