Wholesale toy and game closeouts

The kinds of toy loads you will see

Toys reach the closeout trade in a few repeatable ways:

• Last year's line. Makers refresh their ranges every year and clear what did not sell. New, boxed, in case packs.
• Retailer overstock after the holidays. Shelf pulls and warehouse stock, sometimes with seasonal packaging.
• License changes. When a license ends or a film leaves cinemas, licensed products are cleared quickly.
• Holiday returns. Large mixed returns loads in January: opened, unopened, complete and incomplete.
• Packaging damage. New toys in crushed or torn boxes, which gift retailers will not take.

Pallets are often a mix of sizes: small blind-bag items and collectibles, mid-size boxed toys, and bulky items like ride-ons, playsets and outdoor play equipment that take a lot of space for the unit count.

Judging a toy manifest

Look for these fields:

1. Brand, item number and UPC for every line, so you can check recalls and retail prices.
2. Age grade, which tells you which shoppers it fits and which warnings apply.
3. License or character, and whether it is current.
4. Box condition, separately from product condition.
5. Batteries: included or not, and whether the toy has a built-in rechargeable battery (relevant to shipping).
6. Unit size: a truckload of ride-ons is far fewer units than a truckload of card games.

Red flags: no UPCs on a children's product load (you cannot check recalls); toys with no maker's name or tracking label; foreign-language-only packaging on goods presented as US retail stock; and bulky items that are a large share of the units, because they eat floor and storage space.

Compliance: the part you cannot skip

US children's products must meet federal safety rules. The main points for a reseller:

• Children's Product Certificate (CPC). The maker or importer certifies that the toy passed testing by an accepted lab. You do not create the certificate, but you should not resell children's products where there is reason to believe none exists.
• Tracking labels on the product and packaging identify the maker, date and batch.
• Small parts warnings for toys intended for children aged three to six where small parts are present.
• Recalls. Selling a recalled product is prohibited. Check the CPSC recall list model by model, and ask about recalls before you offer.

Other countries have their own toy safety rules and conformity marks. If you export, confirm what the destination needs with your customs broker before you buy. Toys made only for the US market may lack the marks, labels or language another country expects, such as the CE mark in the European Union. Ask your importer what customs will check, and whether a US test report is accepted or new testing is needed, before you buy toys for export.

Condition guide for toys

Where toy closeouts sell

• Discount and dollar stores move low-priced toys, party favors, crafts and games all year, and in volume in Q4.
• Bin stores love toy returns: they draw families, and the surprise factor suits bins.
• Off-price stores take new, boxed, recognizable brands in clean boxes.
• Online and live sellers do well with collectibles, building-brick sets and licensed items that are still current, and with sealed games and puzzles.
• Exporters see demand in many markets, especially before local gift-giving seasons, which are not always in December.

Sorting a toy returns load

Toy returns are some of the most varied loads in the trade. A practical sort:

1. Sealed and gift-ready: price as new.
2. Opened but complete: tape or re-box, price below new, and say it was opened.
3. Incomplete: bundle similar pieces into mixed-lot bags, or sell as parts.
4. Battery-operated: test with fresh batteries before pricing.
5. Unsafe or recalled: remove from sale and dispose of properly.

Games and puzzles are the hardest to check. Unless the inner seal is intact, assume pieces may be missing and price them as incomplete.

Licensed toys and the clock

A licensed toy is tied to a film, show, game or character, and its value follows that property. Toys linked to a new release can sell fast while the release is in the news and then slow sharply. Classic characters keep selling for years. Before you buy a licensed load, check where the property is in its life: a film just released, a show on its last season, or a character that has been popular for decades. Some licensed goods are also only authorized for sale in certain countries, which matters if you export.

The toy year

Most US toy spending happens in the run-up to the year-end holidays. That shapes the closeout calendar:

Outdoor toys such as pool floats, water blasters and sidewalk chalk follow the summer instead.

Landed cost for a toy truckload

Cost per sellable toy = (load price + freight + storage until the season) ÷ (units − damaged − recalled − incomplete)

Storage is the hidden cost with toys bought in spring for the holidays; include it. The landed cost guide covers the rest.

How to buy toys on Skyline Dealz Marketplace

Apply for access, add toys and games to your categories, and say what condition you accept: new only, damaged boxes, or returns. Once approved, you get alerts that match that profile. Listings show the manifest with UPCs where we have them, photos, the unit count and the member price. Make an offer, at the listed price or your own, including on the whole load. An accepted offer puts the load on hold for you; payment and pickup follow the terms set out on the deal, and then the load is marked sold. If you have surplus toys to clear, send us the details and we'll make an offer: sell excess toy inventory.