Did you know it’s Toy Sale season round these parts? Well, just in case you’ve been hiding under a rock to keep out of the winter rain, I thought I’d mention it. Gotta tell you I have a bit of a love hate relationship with Toys Sales. I love listening to the stories people tell about taking their entire family (including Nana) out for midnight shopping in their PJs! But hate the crowd surfing frenzy that is opening day toy sale reality. I’d rather crawl back under my rock than face that! But because I know some people actually live for just this type of excitement I’m doing my bit by preparing you with all the information you’ll need to ace this years Target Toys Sale.
TARGET TOYS SALE STARTS
JUNE 21ST
You can check out the Target Toys Sale Catalogue and the Target Toys Online website in order to get yourself mentally prepared. I’d also suggest you sign up to the latest Toy Sale news/offers before June 24th so you can be in the draw to win 1 of 10 $500 Target Gift Cards. And your final pre-sale training is enter this giveaway. The very cool people at Target have set a side a $50 Target giftcard for a Truth About Mummy Reader. Walking into the toys sale armed with that baby would be the best possible preparation you could have. Follow these steps to enter:
- Leave a comment below telling me the funniest Toy Sale story you’ve ever heard.
- If you are nice enough to share this giveaway on facebook or twitter please feel free to leave a second entry comment.
- Follow The Truth About Mummy in any way you like (facebook, twitter, email or reader feed)
- Giveaway is open until Midnight 30th of June, 2012 and has a total value of $50.
- (Check the T&C tab for full T&C).
- Disclaimer: I received a Target Gift Card for undertaking this review.
{ 57 comments… read them below or add one }
We lived in America a few years ago and it never ceased to amaze me the way people would behave on ‘Black Friday’ (the biggest sales day of the year). I had a granny pinch a toy from my cart and run off with it at Toys R Us, I was blown away and unsure whether to laugh or chase after her!
With 3 kids aged 4 and under and 6 months pregnant I had been avoiding the toy sales at all cost but finally decided to head in and get a birthday present for a party we are going too this weekend and it wasn’t bananas at all! I only took my 4 year old so she got her face painted, did some colouring in and we went straight through checkout! Everyone must be online laybuying this year.
My mum batteld a toy sale about 30 years ago for my sister. Drove an hour for the joy of queing up for just the right cabbage patch doll…and she got the wrong doll!! She was not impressed!!!
It’s not a toy sale til a toddler chucks a tantrum – mine at Big W last year threw herself on the floor screaming because I refused to get her a barbie doll!
Everything about the toy sales is crazy, I once stood in a Big W layby line for over 4 hours, It was like oh ive been here and hour may aswell stay shouldnt be too much longer… another hour passes and ive taken one step and I say well ive been here 2 hours, if I leave now it would have been for nothing etc etc… Not to mention did it with 2 kids ugh… Worst part was a lady walking up to us in line and saying ” wow no way i’d stand in this line, why dont you just buy them all ? ” Stood there in shock, if I could afford to just buy an store all this stuff right here and now I wouldnt be standing thing there in the first place.
Ive never done another toy sale since then, at least not in the first week. Visit long after people have gone, dont always get what you want but can often find it down the road closer to Christmas.
My son had to come with me to the toy sales this year and was laughing at all the sales staff dressed up as different characters. There was Mario, a policeman, princesses. I had to laugh when he seen duff man from the Simpsons looking rather skinny with no muscles as my son announced “he looks like pop, all skinny and bony” lol made my day.
Not really funny, but was stuck in Layby line from midnight until 0430 in the morning, not fun!!
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I haven’t really seen anything hilarious at a Toy Sale, probably because I haven’t been to that many. I can’t stand large crowds of people! But I think I should experience one, just to see what all the fuss is about. I know my son would love it!
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Ah memories…. The last toy sale i went to was three years ago.After witnessing a cat fight between two women over a Dora the explorer doll,i decided that online shopping was a safer alternative:-)
First toy sale I ever attended was back in 2006. At 5 am as Targets doors opened a hoard of mothers and I rushed in pounding on our wish list items. I t was like a scene out of the film Jingle All The Way as tussles broke out!
My husband – rocked on down to Kmart last Thursday. Picked up the lego he wanted (for himself mind you), went to the checkout and then proceeded to argue with the girl on the register about the price.
It was after she pointed out that the Kmart sale doesn’t start till next week that he realised his mistake and the scanned prices were correct.
He mumbled an apology and slinked out the store.
This is actually a story from the future, and it’s funny because I have set myself up BIGTIME! My kids have birthdays in January so Christmas and birthdays happen around the same time and then the poor little waifs have to spend all year watching everyone else have birthdays at school. (Yeah, I know, I’ve tried to tell them that back in MY day we were lucky to get an old tin can to kick around the back yard!) Anyway, to ease the present withdrawal symptoms, last month I promised they could spend their money-box savings in the forthcoming toy sales. And guess what, the first day we can go is the first day of school holidays, so picture this for a laugh – me plus my 5 year old plus my six year old plus first day of school holidays plus toy sale plus the fact that they still don’t fully understand the difference between $5 and $500. Should be a hoot, and with a bit of luck it will be pouring rain too. Just gotta love that for a laugh or I’d end up crying.
BTW, already following you on facebook and email. Thanks!
9 months preganant, twins in hand grabbing bargins to fill my bag. Waters brooke what a shame had to leave it all, and have a stressfree labour to plan
I just tweeted as well
I haven’t seen anything too funny at a toy sale- mostly because I avoid the crowds like the plague lol! I prefer to wait a few days until the craziness has subsided to venture inside in search of bargains.
About 5 years ago I was at the Target toy sale. It was about 11am on opening day and I was heading to the checkout, right at the front of the store were two women I would guess to be in their late 50′s literally tearing each other’s hair out. Amazingly they were fighting over a $10 baby toy that was not even on sale! The police were called and they were both taken away in handcuffs, funniest thing I have ever seen!
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I haven’t really witnessed any craziness at the toy sales
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No any funny stories but i amazed at the amount of full to the brim trolleys, the first year i went to toy sale was 2 years ago went at opening time and i was astounded by the amount of people there, doors opened and people just started flying into the shop!
Oh, this is a great news. For sure moms would definitely want to engage this great discount in buying toys. In fact, I am one of the persons that will check out these target toys sale catalogue.
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I often wear my PJ’s to the Toy Sales but guess what? I am in my own bedroom with my laptop and buying online.The only way to go for personal safety and ultimate comfort.
A close friend of mine keeps last years catalogue and gets the kids to save their Xmas money for the sale! It’s worrying.
Okay, this is not your usual funny story, but I did have a chuckle. Preparing for the mad rush this year, I went to the Target website to find the nearest store. I put in my postcode (2035) and pressed enter. The nearest Target? Erina Fair, near the Entrance. Well, that’s a bit far from the Eastern Suburbs, so I went back to the suburb list and found that if I put in Lurline Bay, the website nominated Erina Fair as the closest. If I put in Maroubra Junction, Eastgardens is the closest. In celebration of this logic, I’m planning to scour the toy department for a Homer Simpson toy. And, yes, I like you on Facebook.
ive never seen anything really funny, but noticed different target stores in the same city not having every toy the same in the big toy sale, its like what the??
When our little girl was a baby I had a serious back injury and could barely pick her up, let alone leave the house.
I sent my husband out to the toy sale to try and get a baby rocker that was a super special price so that I could try to get her to sleep without having to stand up and rock her. He came home with a baby rocker – but not the one I wanted. He saw the lines and crazy crowds at the toy sales, drove to the nearest baby shop he could find and paid twice the amount just to avoid the insanity! He was forever traumatised, and I still have trouble getting him to go shopping for baby things now.
At least I got a rocker though…
Hi Claire, thanks for entering the Target Toy Sale giveaway on my blog. Just wanted to let you know you won
I can fully understand how your husband felt – might do the same myself. Can you email me an address to have it sent out to. thetruthaboutmummy@gmail.com Congratulations and thanks for entering 
I found a Cranium game sitting on the floor at Target and asked a nearby shop assistant to scan the price for me. It came up as 4c! I rushed to the checkout and handed over a 5c coin, airily telling the operator to “keep the change”. I always wanted to say that.
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Last year I got early access to this toy sale, was able to get in at 11pm and had 1hr before they opened the doors to the public. I knew when it was 12 as all I heard was the low rumble which I soon realised was everyone stampeding through the store with their trolleys…the desperation…and then the look of disgust as I wandered through the checkout…trolley full of much wanted items..heading home..bahhhahaaa!
Thanks for sharing this one. This is perfect for my kids. I really love purchasing target toys sales. I will visit the site with my kids.
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A couple of years ago while I was shopping at my local Target store the waiting line for lay-by was a 3 hour wait so one of the cafes in the centre was coming up to people waiting in line selling food to them
I decided from then on that I would buy my items rather then WAIT that long 
Grown women acting like kids snatching toys from others trolleys when there’s none left.
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I went to the Target toy sale on the very first day once solely because I wouldn’t have time or be near a Target again before the sale ended! I went on my way to work thinking it wouldn’t be that busy in the morning! I arrived 15 minutes before opening and I couldn’t believe the crowd waiting outside the doors – it reminded me of those news flashes of the Myer Stocktake Sale and people being pushed and shoved in all directions. I decided to go to the toilet which turned out to be a big mistake as the crowd had nearly doubled in size on my return! I couldn’t believe how many people where standing there waiting with trolleys and I only wanted ONE ITEM!!!! It was one minute to go and the crowd was getting quite excited and eager like the anticipation before a football grand final game! They even did the 10 second count down and when the door opened the crowd ran into the store… taking me along with them! I had no option than to run too as I was being pursued by crazy women chasing me with their trolleys! I couldn’t believe how stupid and childish (pardon the pun) people act sometimes! People were going crazy filling their trolleys with toys to put on layby. It was as if the world was coming to an end toys were the only saviour! I just wanted to yell at everyone and stay STOP< CALM DOWN< IT'S A TOY SALE NOT A NATURAL DISASTER! The moral of the story however is to go to these sales prepared and get a trolley for protection even if you only need ONE ITEM! OK people stop, breathe and relax!!
Going with my sister, hubby, and brother in law we stood in line and ordered hot chocolates and pizza… Watching everyone faces was priceless..
I have never ever been to a toy sales before ! Yeah crazy that I have managed to avoid them for over 18 years but I love the idea of getting shopping done for xmas early
I reckon going to a toy sale in PJ’s would be ideal for getting to the front of the line!
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I’m not sure you can have “funny” and “toy sale” in the same sentence? I’ve been to the last two (since becoming a mum I love reading the June / July toy sale catalogues more than I used to enjoy reading the Myer and David Jones Christmas catalogues – tragic) and it’s busy, there are lots of trolleys, lots of strollers, lots of young children, and the queues at both the lay by counter and registers are long. Still, we’ll be there next week. It won’t be funny so much as fun.
I don’t wear my PJ’s to the toy sales & some of the other people shouldn’t either. Invest in a button or two people, or at least a robe. You know who you are!!! And talk about a full moon rising.
I never wore my pjs but I have only ever been to one toy sale and that was enough for me. They were snatching, ramming the trolleys into each other pushing and shoving. That was enough to scare me into never going to one so now I do mine all online
Not quite so funny but by the end of the Toy sale finding out that we have negative 47 trampolines on lay-by that we have to get in from warehouses & other stores before people wish to pick them up!
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Oh and no, I wouldn’t wear my pj’s to the sales !!! LOL
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We have done the midnight Target sale once and the funny part for us was watching a lady have a full blown meltdown to tears because she hadn’t brought a coin for the trolleys. (I can’t believe they made us pay for the trolleys!!!!) Anyway, I felt so bad for her that I gave her a coin and sent her on her way into the chaos of toy sale madness.
Jac xoxo
As I am a night owl, I decided to go to a toy sale at midnight and was shocked at the hundreds of people lined up with trolleys at the doors in pjs. There were no more trolleys left to be had as they were all claimed by would be buyers. I waited for everyone to push and run ito the store then entered and saw all these adults running flat out around the store at huge speeds. I picked up the item I wanted and walked to the check out only to discover no one there as they were all lined up at the layby counter. I had a nice chat to the cashier who served me and not another shopper appeared at the check out the entire 15 minutes I was chatting. Glad I paid for my item and didn’t lay by as people were there for hours.
My husband went one year at midnight and couldn’t believe the queues of people waiting to get in. He thought that hardly anyone would come. Anyway when the doors opened he was almost crushed in the rush by trolley. He went straight to the section he wanted (after having scoped it out the day before) and saw someone loading their trolley with that particular toy he wanted. There were ten on the shelf so he thought that he would at least get one, but this person was taking them all. So he reached into their trolley when their back was turned, grabbed one and ran. Never went to another midnight sale again!
For the record- I will not be wearing my Pj’s to this Target Toy Sale as it starts Wednesday night after work(for mailing list customers! that is) unless I wear my Pj’s to work, that’s an idea??
I am quite familiar with all the girls at my local Target, so to my shock last year at the store on Sale Day they were all dressed as Disney characters. Not bad if you are Four years old….BUT these women are not! Some are in their sixties and those short Minnie Mouse skirts were just a bit short. I had a giggle. After walking the store and seeing All these smiling faces I realized that were happy to be showing their legs. and happy to be working on Sale Day. The buss is electric on those days. Even if I am not planning to buy anything, I go anyway. (and usally spend up big)
I try and avoid the toy sales as much as possible. Way too much craziness for me. However my family day care mum who was looking after my son and three other young kids (all under 4) took the lot of them in to the middle of Target’s toy sale last year (on the first day too). She had one trolley loaded up with kids and another loaded up with toys. That is one game lady!
I was once at a toy sale, and this lady was so focussed on getting all the bargains at midnight, that she lost her two year old child. She pannicked and it was called over the microphone that this child was missing. Her two year old was found sound asleep and tucked in on the display bed in the manchester department, oblivious to all the commotion.
My friends grandfather drove her Nana to a big toy sale. Sitting in his PJ’s waiting for his wife to come back. Grand pa got out of the car with his PJ’s on to hurry up his wife,he notice a few giggles,forgot he had his PJ’s on. He wanted to save some time when he he got home and go straight to bed.
I haven’t really witnessed any craziness at the toy sales. I do think the amount of items people purchase can be a little crazy though.
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After doing the Toy Sales at midnight for a few years now, there is a few stories that pop into mind – Just watching the crazy men and women SLIDING under those doors as they rise up when it opens at midnight, is enough for me! And running to the entertainment part of Target to line up for the last Wii, or iPod. Hoping to do it all online for me this year! I’ll be in my PJ’s, Hot Chocolate in hand, feet up and no CRAZY people!!!
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I haven’t really got a funny toy story sale, as they didn’t really even register on my radar until last year. With a 6 month old baby, I innocently wandered into the store last year to get one item, and just about turned tail and ran – the store was filled with trolleys filled to the brim, and a line snaking back from laybys to the front of the store. I thought the world had gone mad! I know what they’re about now, and am aware which days not to wander in for a simple look around…
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I actually witnessed a cat-fight the first time I attended a Toy Sale. I was so afraid, I was the timid ‘oh that was in my hand first but please take it and don’t eat me!’ first time Toy Sale shopper. Now, I am super professional, and while I load up the trolley, Hubby stands ever so patiently in the mile long lay-buy line! I have also been known to elbow women who look sideways at anything I may be interested in buying, hahaha!
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