Where do I donate used toys? (Austin, Bastrop: house, purchase, store)

[BandKsmom]

My kids & I cleaned out their toy room on Saturday & now have a big pile of toys that they agreed to give away. The only problem I have now is figuring out where I can take them? I'd rather not give them to Goodwill. I'd rather give them to some place/person where they will go directly to needy families/kids. Maybe a women's shelter or something like that. I carpool in to Austin from an hour away & will only have my car on Tuesday (12/22), so I'll need to know by then...unless there's some place in the Bastrop/Smithville area that I can drop them off. Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

[love roses]

The Austin-American Statesman usually runs a story on needy families and gives all the info on their situation and whatever the family may need. I haven't purchased a paper in quite some time so I haven't seen any article on it but it may be online on the paper's website.

[iguanas4]

I don't have any suggestions as to where you could donate your old toys... but it's possible no one will be able to accept them anyway, depending on how old they are, what exactly they are, etc. This is due to the ridiculous new CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvements Act) restrictions. You can Google it for more info, but basically if a toy hasn't been tested and certified to NOT contain unsafe amounts of lead, then it can't be sold, even by second-hand stores. This also goes for children's clothing and (I think) books!

What is the CPSIA?

[McDavis]

Freecycle is a great way to connect with people that need/want you're getting rid of -- people that will come pick it up! It looks like they have a group in Smithville:

The Freecycle Network (http://www.freecycle.org/group/United%20States/Texas/Smithville - broken link)

[capcat]

You can donate them to SafePlace.
SafePlace - Donate Items

They accept picture books, sports equipment, toys (no toy weapons).
Check out their list on the above link for other items they accept, as long as you're cleaning things out. Helping these moms and kids transition to a healthy, safe environment is a great cause. I'm going to their warehouse this week to drop off baby items from their wish list. (see directions and hours for drop off on the right side of the page when you click on the link)

[blakely]

You might want to try The Settlement Home or another place that works with disadvantaged children.

Austin Non-Profit Foster & Adoption

[KBell1617xyz]

Donating them to children in need is a kind and generous thing to do...but...If you are interested in making some money off of them... there is a toy store in south Austin called Anna's Toy Depot that buys and sells used toys. They have been in business over 20 years and I have always found them to be fair. They resell second hand toys to the public and childcare centers. I have let my kids keep the money so it is motivation for them to recycle their toys when they out grow them. The website is Anna's Toy Depot, Austin Texas and I know there is a list on the site of the kinds of toys they buy.

[SacalaitWhisperer]

if you place an ad in craigslist free section and put them out by the curb they'll be gone in a day.

if you want to donate them, "goodwill" and those kind of places will accept them.

[austinnerd]

I would recommend either SafePlace (as mentioned above) or the Austin Children's Shelter. The thing I like about both of these organizations is that your donations actually go to people, not into some store that is going to turn around and sell the items for more than you can purchase them for at Walmart while purporting to "help" their targeted constituency (e.g. goodwill). Putting stuff out for free is fine, but again, tends to attract the reseller (at least in my own personal observations), which is fine (I'm all for capitalism), but you just have to decide who you want to help (if it matters to you).

[Justmy2centsworth]

Ronald McDonald House