Scrooges we are....

I got an email from Ebay with the title Don't disappoint them, get the hottest toys!!!  today, encouraging me to hurry and buy all the most awesome new toy trends before they're out---

I realize they were implying that it is my kids who will be disappointed if I don't hurry and grab all these new toys before everyone else does...
  
But actually, I suspect that they aren't at all concerned about my children-- (!)

I suspect it will disappoint the marketers and manufacturers and sellers of the toys-- more than it will disappoint my kids when I don't go buy all those things.

My boys sure don't care. They like cardboard boxes and cans. (see the previous post--)  Haven't people learned that that's what kids like to play with?

The thing is, Gabe and I talk about this all the time---  We just don't believe in buying brand new toys.  Really. We really don't believe in it.  (you can call us Scrooges, bad parents... whatever.)

It isn't that we're anti-fun, or anti-childhood.  We just happen to like to pick up the awesome old toys from thrift stores that have stood up to the test of time--Or just do a toy trade, where you get rid of the ones your kids are tired of and swap with other parents whose kids are tired of their toys.  Or build a fort out of cardboard boxes.

(guess what else? Kids can get tired of ANY toy, whether you just bought it brand new for $37 or whether you found it at a thrift store for 50 cents. They don't discriminate--)

And, another thing... If awesome toys like the "little people" from 20 something years ago can still be found, that also means they survived!

And they might survive another round of another few kids, right? 
Besides, they're so much cuter-- as well as space efficient--( **At our house, it's always all about space efficient...I mean, you tell me how to live in a one bedroom apartment with two kids without paying attention to downsizing even silly things like that...?**)


See that comparison?  (I'm sure I'm not the only one to notice the correlation with the obesity rate of the country...?)

(actually, in defense of the newer design-- there was some kind of concern about choking or whatever, which is why they made them bigger and one piece.  But, guess what--- Kids can find just about ANYTHING to choke on, or somehow get into dangerous situations with--- It's called....... you must watch your kids!
If you leave them unattended, EVEN with their 'newly improved, non-choking hazard' Little People, you'll return to find them in some other kind of mischief....  I Promise!

 So. I'm "Pro-Choking-Hazard Little People"...  Does that make me a bad mom?

(........maybe people aren't going to want me to babysit for them anymore....but I promise I won't let anyone ingest any Little People heads............I promise.)

Anyway... Maybe I'm rambling a little...

But just think of all the crummy chunks of plastic that are newly manufactured every year...when there are already so many crummy chunks of plastic filling landfills and thrift stores and garage sales everywhere as well-

Gabe and I submit that we have an ample lifetime supply of toys for everyone-- already in existence.  Not to mention the fun kids have with things that are not designed to be toys exactly...

So, sorry Walmart, K-mart,.... ToysR'Us, and Everybody else... We are not doing any Christmas shopping for new toys.

We've been busy picking up things at garage sales from people that listened to all your stupid marketing junk and then realized their house was overflowing with everything they bought and really really didn't need.  

HA!   

(and plus, the highest price they can ask for any of the plastic junk is around a quarter a toy.... because nobody is feeling a supply shortage problem with the garage sale toys!  HA!   Hahahaha....! )

Ok.  I'm done now, I promise.  Are we alone in these 'crazy' sentiments?  Anyone else out there who agrees with me?    Anyone?

(note to Grandparents---  Used toys are awesome. Truly.  Save your dough, ok?  The boys will Love it. We'll Love it.  Your wallet will Love it.  You probably already knew about all our 'crazy' anti-new-toy thoughts...because we are us...  But just in case you forgot...or got sucked into any marketing schemes on the "Latest Awesome Toy" this is a reminder... Hope we aren't too late---either way we love you...)


14  Days Until Christmas!!!  Happy Holidays from us Whites!