Toy pallets vary wildly in what a pallet position holds: a gaylord of small blister-packed figures and plush, a pallet of boxed building sets and board games, or a few big items such as ride-ons, play kitchens and playhouses. Baby lots add strollers, high chairs, play yards, bouncers, bottles, monitors and nursery décor. On Two Bro Sales both share one category, Toys & baby, so read the manifest to see which half of the category a lot really is before you plan your truck or your shelf space.
Timing matters more here than in any other category. Coresight Research estimates the fourth quarter typically accounts for about 70% of U.S. toy sales, as reported by Digital Commerce 360, so resellers buy from late summer through early November to have priced stock on the floor before the holiday rush. Lots won in mid-December still sell, but the window to price at holiday demand closes quickly. After the holidays, returns and shelf pulls flow back into liquidation, often cheaper, for buyers who can hold stock until the next season.
Age grading drives both the safety rules and the resale price. CPSC bans children's products with small parts that are intended for children under 3, and requires warning labels on certain toys that contain small parts, small balls, marbles or balloons. Toys for children 12 and under must be third-party tested and certified on a Children's Product Certificate by the manufacturer or importer, and carry permanent tracking marks on the product and its packaging. A toy separated from its package loses the age label and warnings printed on the box, which is one reason opened toys resell for less.
Completeness is the other half of value. Building sets, puzzles and board games are worth a fraction of retail once pieces go missing, and returns are where pieces go missing. Electronic toys need their chargers or battery covers, and remote-control vehicles need the remote. Baby gear has its own checks: CPSC's resellers guide tells resellers to look up car seat recalls with NHTSA and to check whether an infant carrier's expiration date has passed, and durable infant products such as play yards and high chairs that are missing parts or wobbly should not be resold.