s/o Saving toys/books for grandchildren

[Night Elf]

Do you have toys/books that your kids have outgrown that you are saving for the future? I am keeping stuff in the attic, and I'm sure my kids don't even realize I still have some of it. It was just stuff I couldn't part with. There's no telling how long it will be before I have grandchildren. In fact, I don't have an inventory so I couldn't even say what all I've kept. I don't usually hold onto stuff I don't use so saving this stuff is out of the ordinary for me. But my kids all enjoyed them so much and I just couldn't let them go. :)

[fairfarmhand]

Yup. I also have a few sweet baby dresses for my girls stashed away.

[kewb]

I usually toss, donate, sell everything that is not nailed down.  However, I am hanging on to some things for my future grandchildren.

My sons Thomas the Tank Engine stuff.  All the wood tracks and trains.  

Our set of wood blocks.

Books-the classics that were mine when I was a kid plus a few that the kids and I read together all the time. 

There are a few other random toys that I can not part with because they had so much fun playing with them.

 

[Jann in TX]

I have a few boxes of books, a small box of baby clothes for each girl and some well-organized toys (Legos, wooden train, marble run...) kept in a wall orgainzer with pull out bins with handles.  The toys have been great for the few times a friend with littles has dropped by. 

 

My oldest will be 24 next week... I dream of grandbabies... she has finally started dating-- but no 'Mr. Wonderful' yet.

 

 

[mlktwins]

Yep :-) ! I'm trying not to keep too much, but I have their metal Thomas the Trains, a whole set of super heros Imaginext, their hot wheels cars, and I know I will keep all their Legos. I know I have some other toys put away. I am also keeping some of their favorite books.

[Chris in VA]

I have a few things, but we couldn't afford the really wonderful Waldorf-y wooden things I would truly like my grands to play with.

So I need to go clean out the crap.

 

I'm not parting with good books, though--LOL--My grands can come to my house and I'll read to them there... :laugh:

[prairiewindmomma]

I am saving a few things--mostly classic wooden toys--for each age range, and a box of beautiful picture books.

[KatieJ]

Yes I did save Legos , tinker toys, gears etc. and yes the grandkids are playing with all if it. I had hubby build a large storage closet downstairs when we put in a bathroom. The shelves were designed to hold all those bins . One of the best decisions I ever made.

I did sell some fabulous toddler puzzles we had and I wish I hadn't now that we have 3 one year olds who visit regularly!

[marbel]

We have some things. 

 

We had a huge train set which was well-loved.  We kept the special trains (Thomas) but gave away the track.  I guess we'll regret that if that type of track is not available when grandkids come, but we'll have to live with that.

 

My kids refuse to get rid of any Legos or Playmobil.  I think generic Lego stuff will be replaceable, but it's their stuff and it's contained.  Will never part with the Playmobil, though it is a waste having it sit in a box.  I am sometimes tempted to loan it to a family with the right aged kids, but know I won't get it back.

 

My kids have chosen some special toys and books to keep.  From time to time we go through the boxes and if they say "why was I keeping that?" we'll get rid of it.  Only books in very good condition stay.  My MIL periodically sends us old books that have broken spines, stained pages, etc.  I don't keep those no matter how much my husband loved them.  Most of the older books have paper that stinks and makes my eyes burn too, so those go right away. 

 

I try not to get carried away with saving.

[Cinder]

Ds2's Thomas trains and a handful of books. I don't think we have anything else really worth saving or that I have an emotional attachment to.

[Annie G]

Yes, and I'm glad I did. Dd has three children and a fourth on the way. We live 850 miles from them so when they visit, they don't bring their own toys. 

 

We have ds's wooden Thomas stuff, youngest dc's Playmobil, wooden blocks,  two American Girl dolls, and a host of favorite childhood books. 

 

 

We sent our huge rolling cart full of legos home with them about  year ago. Best idea ever. I no longer have to pick up a trillion legos when they visit.g 

 

The girls play with Playmobil all week when they visit, but it's never occurred to them to ask for any at their own house. I'm kind of glad- it keeps it a special thing for when they're here. 

 

 

[Lady Florida.]

For the most part no. The two exceptions are Thomas the Tank Engine and Lego. In both cases it was ds' choice to save them. He did have a role model though. My niece's then-boyfriend used to play Lego with ds when they came over. He always talked about his huge box of Lego he was saving for his future children. This gave ds the idea to save the two I mentioned. As for that boyfriend, he's now my niece's husband and they have 6 year old twins (boy and girl) who enjoy playing with Daddy's Lego bricks.

 

Some things are worth saving due to the cost of buying them all over, or the possibility of them not being available. Most are not IMO.

[rocassie]

I will keep a few classic toys that will appeal to several age ranges, and I'll probably keep almost all our books. :)  Oh, and each kids favorite stuffed animal.  I will either pass them down when my kiddos have kids or they will be the toys available at Grandma's.

[Night Elf]

We had a ton of Playmobil, and I allowed ds to sell a great deal of it to earn money for a game system. I still have some Playmobil left over, but I really wish I had kept it all. He's never parted with his Lego bricks. We have some in the attic and he still has a great deal in his room. I wonder what else is up there? Oh, my girls have saved some stuffe animals like Webkinz. I should get those down and have the girls look at them. They may decide to donate them now.

[shawthorne44]

My mother had 3 or 4 large boxes of my stuff and I was so glad.  There is a baby photo of DD wearing the same dress as in one of my baby photos.  In fact, you have to look really close to figure out which one of us is in the photo.  We got lots of compliments when DD wore my baby dresses.  They stood out and looked fancier because they weren't like what every other baby was wearing.  I took about half the books, and the rest are at my parents.  It was so wonderful to see her playing with what had been my favorite toy.  Some stuff we didn't use.  The stiff baby shoes were put back in their Stride Rite box, since stiff shoes are known to be a bad idea now.  There were some nice quality wooden jigsaw puzzles that would be expensive to replace (and I've never seen any like them)  I wish mom had saved more.  Books that she didn't remember reading to me were gotten rid of until I could fight for the book.  So, many of the books on the Sonlight P3/4 list were saved, but then there is a gap until Wrinkle in Time. 

 

[73349]

Not so far. Everything seems just as easy to replace as it would be to find a safe place to keep for 30 years. His best wooden blocks were bought secondhand anyway, for example.

[KRG]

I was glad when #2 showed up 13 years later that I had kept all the Thomas the Train stuff, lincoln logs, legos and a couple of other toys. Getting rid of books has never been an option ;)  So I imagine I will be keeping those same things for grandchildren.  The only outfits I have kept are the ones they wore home from the hospital.  I do have several baby blankets that were made by friends that I have kept, too.

[Alice]

Mostly no. My Mom kept a lot of stuff and as an only child I got it all. I'm very unsentimental and hate clutter. I'm tired of getting all the old stuff (plus all the new stuff that people buy on top of the old stuff). I know that sounds crotchety and unappreciative but it's become more of a burden to me because it's one thing to give or throw away something someone gives you as a gift, it's a whole other thing to get rid of something that someone else SAVED for years and years and is all sentimental about. 

 

I will save favorite books, but not all books. I have saved one favorite outfit of dd's from each stage of her life. The boys are too rough on clothes to have anything to save or I pass it on to friends to use. I'd also rather pass on toys to other kids to use rather than save them. 

 

I'll probably end up with super sentimental kids that bemoan the fact that I got rid of all their stuff. :) 

[Erin]

My mother taught SpEd preschool for 30 years.  When my brother and I outgrew toys and books, they went to school, where they stayed until her retirement 10 years ago.  Conveniently enough, that's when my brother and I started having kids so all those toys (and a few books) came back home.   ;)

 

I teach older kids, so it's unlikely I'll drag my kids' toys to school…Which means I'll have to find a place to store them if I want to keep them.

 I've been pretty selective with what gets saved. 

[aggieamy]

All our toys are currently in use but I can see us keeping books, Playmobil, some Legos, wooden blocks, and the train set.  We also have a doll house that was mine as a kid and some doll house furniture that was my grandmother's.  That's not going anywhere.  We are pretty much minimalists with things and our toy collection tends towards high quality ageless toys.  We also routinely have parties with lots of people and even when we didn't have a baby it was nice to have a few toddler toys available in the playroom so young guests would have something to play with.   

[stripe]

I might save some favorites for my kids, but ... no.

 

My grandma recently dug out my cousin's dog pull toy and gave it to me when I was visiting. It was huge and I didn't want to put it in my suitcase, nor had I ever even seen it before. I left it for my cousin, but she apparently didn't want it and my grandma (who'd been saving it for 40 years) didn't want it back. My mom sold it for $2 at a yard sale.

[LibraryLover]

Attic: German dollhouse, dolls, & furniture, the Thomas items, the wooden kitchen, the wooden animals, the Breyer horses, Shcleich figures , and some favorite special clothing. I did <gulp> sell the Lego & most of the Playmobil, which was stupid. I especially want the Playmobil back.

[SKL]

No!  I am the anti-hoarder.  The only exceptions, maybe:

 

Their special loveys;

Some Guatemalan clothes, toys, and decorations as a connection to their heritage.

[Cera]

Yup.  My kids have absolutely loved going to grandmas and digging through the bins of toys and clothes in the attic.  I have quite a few things set aside so my future grands can have the same fun.

[bettyandbob]

Brio wooden train stuff

Brio mec building stuff(I don't think it's made anymore)

A set of Madeline dolls (based on the books) they were only made for about 5 years

AG dolls

 

There's too much Lego. I don't see how to keep it all. When ds gets his own place it's going to have to be big so he can have the Legos and two sets of drums he's not willing to discuss parting with. There's only so long I can keep big things like drums and Lego. Yes, Lego is big. Do you have any idea how many sets we've accumulated over the last 16 years. Shoot, his younger brother is getting a Batman Lego set for birthday in a few days. Maybe I will keep a small tub of Lego. No way to keep it all. I think Lego takes more space than the drums.

 

The brio stuff and Madeline dolls might be kept at grandmas house for something special to play with when visiting. I remember playing with my mother's toys when I visited her mother. Playing with moms toys was part of the special visit grandma experience.

[Laura Corin]

We are keeping favourite stuff - Thomas the Tank Engine set, probably the Lego, and some favourite books.  It's useful when we have visitors over too - my first cousin once removed is coming over on Sunday - it's nice to have something for a 3yo to play with.

 

L

[Spryte]

I am not a big saver. We keep pictures, and pass the things along. I have a few items from my childhood: Breyer horses; a few favorite books (Silver Brumby, anyone?); and a special stuffed animal.  I will save the same general selection for the kids: a favorite collection, if there is one; a few favorite books; a special lovey.  More than that feels like overkill.  If there is room for a box of Lego or Playmobil, that might stick around, too.  

 

We gave the Thomas collection away as soon as DS outgrew it, and for years the recipient sent pics of her little ones playing with it.  That made DS super happy to see.  I hope he will always love giving outgrown toys to others.

 

DS and DD also have collections of items from their birthfamilies.  All of those items will be saved.

[jenn&charles]

Do you have toys/books that your kids have outgrown that you are saving for the future? I am keeping stuff in the attic, and I'm sure my kids don't even realize I still have some of it. It was just stuff I couldn't part with. There's no telling how long it will be before I have grandchildren. In fact, I don't have an inventory so I couldn't even say what all I've kept. I don't usually hold onto stuff I don't use so saving this stuff is out of the ordinary for me. But my kids all enjoyed them so much and I just couldn't let them go. :)

 

Yes, I saved a ton of Playmobil, Duplos, Legos, a wooden track train set, wooden blocks, a bead maze, a bouncy horse and some toddler books....oh and my son's tricycle (which my husband fixed before storing it). I just couldn't part with those things. I LOVE the Playmobil. Heck, if I had an excuse, I'd set it up myself, just for fun, lol.

 

Some of the Duplos, Legos and blocks were mine when I was a kid and my kids played with them and someday my grandkids will too.

 

We have the bead maze and Duplos down out of the attic for a couple of little visitors that come over from time to time. :-)

 

I'm a very sentimental person. I cried when we threw out my kid's toy kitchen. I wanted to save it for the grandkids, but because we allowed the kids to take it outside, it was ruined and not worth saving anymore.

[KungFuPanda]

I've only kept some books, the Little People sets, and the Thomas sets. This keeps little visitors happy and seem to be universally enjoyed by a wide age range.

[TammyinTN]

We have a huge Thomas the Tank collection and table, Playmobil, John Deere tractors, Legos and lots and lots of Rescue Hero's with all there riding stuff. 

Each set of Grands have a library from Nana and Papa...they loving coming and playing here. 

[Farrar]

A very small number of things, yes.  And a few toys that are no longer in high use that won't be given away but kept instead, like the Haba Ball Track.  I don't believe in keeping a lot, but a few special toys is a cool thing to get handed down.

[ocelotmom]

Mostly no. My Mom kept a lot of stuff and as an only child I got it all. I'm very unsentimental and hate clutter. I'm tired of getting all the old stuff (plus all the new stuff that people buy on top of the old stuff). I know that sounds crotchety and unappreciative but it's become more of a burden to me because it's one thing to give or throw away something someone gives you as a gift, it's a whole other thing to get rid of something that someone else SAVED for years and years and is all sentimental about. 

 

My mom keeps giving me the sentimental stuff she saved that I thought she was supposed to keep to remember me as a cute little kid or something- my baby book, school assignments and report cards from 1st grade, that sort of stuff. Most recently, she brought my box of baby teeth. 

 

It's kind of nice to have some of it to show the kids, but the teeth? Really?

 

So now they're floating around in a box, and will probably stay there for 50 years until I die and my kids are going through my possessions and get totally freaked out by them. I should put them in a different box that isn't labeled "Jess's baby teeth" so that they won't know what they're in for when they open it.

 

I brought up a bunch of books from my dad's last time we went down, and found that a lot of it, though it still looked good, has aged a lot and is too fragile to be particularly useful.

[Desert Rat]

Yes,  I saved most of the books. I have mine from my childhood and I cherish them. 

I also save a few favorite toy collections. There are a few reasons. I was sentimental and loved playing with them with my boys. I wanted to keep some around on the off chance I have grandkids near me. And, they may very well be worth money someday. 

I sold my Strawberry Shortcake collection a few years ago. My parents had saved them for me and I have no daughters. We were out of work and hurting. I made over $250 from those auctions on ebay. I refuse to sell my Fisher Price Little Peoples from the 70's. Those are worth $5-$40 each. EACH! 

There's no telling what will be popular and what won't in 30 years. But, I chose to save toys that meant something to us as a family and that my boys might enjoy having for their kids or to sell someday. And we have the space to store them (2 rubbermaid tubs). 

 

[texasmama]

I might save some favorites for my kids, but ... no.

 

My grandma recently dug out my cousin's dog pull toy and gave it to me when I was visiting. It was huge and I didn't want to put it in my suitcase, nor had I ever even seen it before. I left it for my cousin, but she apparently didn't want it and my grandma (who'd been saving it for 40 years) didn't want it back. My mom sold it for $2 at a yard sale.

I misread and thought that your grandma gave you a dog toy she had saved for 40 years.  lol

[texasmama]

Yes, I save special books, toys and clothes.  I'm sentimental.  My little girl says, "Let's save this for when E (big sis) gets a baby".  :D

[Mommyof4ks]

Wooden toys and some clothes yes, but plastic becomes toxic as it breaks down over time or in extreme heat, so that all gets donated. I usually do not have books without teeth marks when the kids get done lol. I do have some chapter books, but as they start to fall apart I toss them. I do not let my kids play with a lot of the old toys my parents and ILs saved, so I figure my kids will not let their kids play with the stuff I save lol.

[Guest]

Saving ZERO paperbacks, no matter how beloved--the glue will NOT last that long.  

Saving hardbound books I read aloud to my son.  These are all inscribed with a short letter from me to him in the flyleaf.  Includes picture books to LoTR to The Brothers Karamazov.  

Saving Thomas the Tank and all his friends and BIRO track, all Playmobil for ourselves and all LEGO/Bionicles until my son gets his own place at which time HE can deal with it (if he is smart, he can probably liquidate it all for about $5000).  

Saving stuffed animals to which HE is partial.  And one or two to which *I* am partial.  

Saving a few handmade baby clothes because I can't believe Mr. 6'3" was ever that small.  :0)  

 

 

 

[momacacia]

Yes. I will save some things, especially based on my own experience. My mom saved some beautiful building blocks (wood with papered pictures of fairy tales ), a little fisher-price parking garage and some wonderful childrens books and some sets of Childcraft. (Especially the poetry books). I will save those and more things for my kids. It's so special to have them and such neat memories (I'm not sentimental usually)---I want the same for my kids.

[elegantlion]

I'm keeping Lego (although those may go with him), Thomas Train, hot wheels - cars not track. He also collected little metal construction equipment which we still have, plus some metal airplanes, which are cool. Books too. Oh and stuffed animals. We recently dug out a bunch and honestly neither one of us wanted to get rid of them, a few are from my childhood. My problem is I remember where everything came from, so most of the stuffed animal especially have a life story

 

He's still mad at me because I sold a ride on forklift he had.