CCS Toy Consignment Sale Is This Weekend
December 16, 2022 at 3:06 p.m.
CCS Toy Consignment Sale Is This Weekend
By David L. Slone-
“Because I don’t play with them anymore and I don’t need them,” Alexa said, agreeing with her mom, Erin, that the toys have had a pretty good life and now it’s time for other kids to play with them.
The Claypool girl’s toys included a few stuffed unicorns and horses - because she likes horses - as well as puzzles and other items.
Erin said, “We have very generous grandparents, and we have to clean it out so we can bring more in.”
Alexa and Erin are one of over 170 families that dropped off good-quality used toys for CCS’ 29th annual Toy Time at the Home & Family Arts Building at the county fairgrounds as of late Thursday morning. Toy drop-off went until 7 p.m. Thursday. The fair board has provided the use of the building at no charge for all 29 years of the toy consignment and giveaway.
Ami Pitt, CCS Project Independence and Hand-Up case manager, who has organized the event since its inception, said 5,690 toys were dropped off Monday; 4,570, Tuesday; and 4,431 on Wednesday for a total of 14,691 toys as of Wednesday night.
“We have been strong and steady all morning,” she said Thursday morning as consignors continued to come in to drop off more toys.
Pitt said the number of toys this year is more than 2020 but smaller than 2021.
“I think last year, since it was opened up more post-Covid, and the world was kind of getting more back to normal, we really got hit last year. Our in-total last year was over 21,000, and we would have to do another 7,000 today to catch up to that,” she said.
In-take for the toy consignment sale has been averaging 4,000 to 5,000 a day, so if that holds true for Thursday, she expected they would have right around 20,000 toys.
For the toy sale this weekend, consigners get to shop before the public on Friday. If they chose to donate the money from the sale of their toys to CCS, like Alexa did, consignors get to shop starting at 6 p.m. The consignors who dropped off toys but want their 50% from the sale of their toys can start shopping at 7 p.m. Friday.
The public sale is 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“It’s an awesome sale,” Pitt stated, saying that they’re hoping for a lot of shoppers this weekend.
“I know we have the flu going around right now, and Covid was really weird, and all of that, but this is a great way to buy toys for Christmas at a deeply discounted price. We are like garage sale pricing, so it’s a great way to come and we try our best to test all the toys. We try to make sure all the pieces are there, that it’s playable. If we find something wrong, we try to write that on the tag so you know, but it’s still a playable item, but maybe it has this defect or something. So it’s a great sale to come to,” she said.
They’re hoping to see a lot of people this weekend at the sale because they need to sell toys to buy new toys to give away next Tuesday and Wednesday.
The CCS Toy Giveaway is Tuesday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Wednesday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“I’m expecting like 1,500 to 1,700 kids to provide for,” Pitt said. “Now, that’s the parents or guardians - grandma, grandpa, parents, guardians - that come and we send them home with the gifts,” Pitt said. “So the toys that don’t sell will go into that giveaway and any money we make (this weekend) purchases toys also to be given away.”
ABATE (American Bikers Aimed Toward Education) gives CCS baby and teen items, as well as bicycles, for the giveaway. Toys for Tots also provides an allotment of toys.
“All three of us working together covers all of those kids,” Pitt said.
Families are having a bit of a struggle financially with everything going on, including inflation, as well as dealing with other stresses.
“We want them to have a day - that Christmas Day or whenever they celebrate it or however they do it - but, in my mind I just want them to have a day where maybe they can forget about the stress and they can play with their children. Toys to me are imagination - we’re not talking the electronic things here. We’re talking toys that you pick up and play with and you use your imagination. And if mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, guardian, whoever they are, can just set aside the stress for that day and sit on the floor and play with their kids and find their imagination, that’s what we’re shooting for,” Pitt said.
She said they also hope to talk to the parents and guardians while they’re there and ask how they can pray for them and come alongside them and help them.
“We offer Bibles, so I do take Bible donations, and we offer Bibles for the kids also. But anything we can do just to let them know Jesus cares, He loves you. We love you. And we just want to help you get through this time of struggle,” Pitt said.
Along with ABATE and Toys for Tots, Pitt said Meijer is one of Toy Time’s biggest supporters as they provide all of the supplies they need to organize and have the sale.
“Because I don’t play with them anymore and I don’t need them,” Alexa said, agreeing with her mom, Erin, that the toys have had a pretty good life and now it’s time for other kids to play with them.
The Claypool girl’s toys included a few stuffed unicorns and horses - because she likes horses - as well as puzzles and other items.
Erin said, “We have very generous grandparents, and we have to clean it out so we can bring more in.”
Alexa and Erin are one of over 170 families that dropped off good-quality used toys for CCS’ 29th annual Toy Time at the Home & Family Arts Building at the county fairgrounds as of late Thursday morning. Toy drop-off went until 7 p.m. Thursday. The fair board has provided the use of the building at no charge for all 29 years of the toy consignment and giveaway.
Ami Pitt, CCS Project Independence and Hand-Up case manager, who has organized the event since its inception, said 5,690 toys were dropped off Monday; 4,570, Tuesday; and 4,431 on Wednesday for a total of 14,691 toys as of Wednesday night.
“We have been strong and steady all morning,” she said Thursday morning as consignors continued to come in to drop off more toys.
Pitt said the number of toys this year is more than 2020 but smaller than 2021.
“I think last year, since it was opened up more post-Covid, and the world was kind of getting more back to normal, we really got hit last year. Our in-total last year was over 21,000, and we would have to do another 7,000 today to catch up to that,” she said.
In-take for the toy consignment sale has been averaging 4,000 to 5,000 a day, so if that holds true for Thursday, she expected they would have right around 20,000 toys.
For the toy sale this weekend, consigners get to shop before the public on Friday. If they chose to donate the money from the sale of their toys to CCS, like Alexa did, consignors get to shop starting at 6 p.m. The consignors who dropped off toys but want their 50% from the sale of their toys can start shopping at 7 p.m. Friday.
The public sale is 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“It’s an awesome sale,” Pitt stated, saying that they’re hoping for a lot of shoppers this weekend.
“I know we have the flu going around right now, and Covid was really weird, and all of that, but this is a great way to buy toys for Christmas at a deeply discounted price. We are like garage sale pricing, so it’s a great way to come and we try our best to test all the toys. We try to make sure all the pieces are there, that it’s playable. If we find something wrong, we try to write that on the tag so you know, but it’s still a playable item, but maybe it has this defect or something. So it’s a great sale to come to,” she said.
They’re hoping to see a lot of people this weekend at the sale because they need to sell toys to buy new toys to give away next Tuesday and Wednesday.
The CCS Toy Giveaway is Tuesday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Wednesday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“I’m expecting like 1,500 to 1,700 kids to provide for,” Pitt said. “Now, that’s the parents or guardians - grandma, grandpa, parents, guardians - that come and we send them home with the gifts,” Pitt said. “So the toys that don’t sell will go into that giveaway and any money we make (this weekend) purchases toys also to be given away.”
ABATE (American Bikers Aimed Toward Education) gives CCS baby and teen items, as well as bicycles, for the giveaway. Toys for Tots also provides an allotment of toys.
“All three of us working together covers all of those kids,” Pitt said.
Families are having a bit of a struggle financially with everything going on, including inflation, as well as dealing with other stresses.
“We want them to have a day - that Christmas Day or whenever they celebrate it or however they do it - but, in my mind I just want them to have a day where maybe they can forget about the stress and they can play with their children. Toys to me are imagination - we’re not talking the electronic things here. We’re talking toys that you pick up and play with and you use your imagination. And if mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, guardian, whoever they are, can just set aside the stress for that day and sit on the floor and play with their kids and find their imagination, that’s what we’re shooting for,” Pitt said.
She said they also hope to talk to the parents and guardians while they’re there and ask how they can pray for them and come alongside them and help them.
“We offer Bibles, so I do take Bible donations, and we offer Bibles for the kids also. But anything we can do just to let them know Jesus cares, He loves you. We love you. And we just want to help you get through this time of struggle,” Pitt said.
Along with ABATE and Toys for Tots, Pitt said Meijer is one of Toy Time’s biggest supporters as they provide all of the supplies they need to organize and have the sale.
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