PSA: You don’t actually need a Target toy sale to get a steal of a deal on toys. Once you have a few of these tips and tricks up your sleeve, you’ll run straight to Target to stock up on the hottest toy deals.
Shopping for Target toys is like a game in itself, especially when you stack multiple savings (like the $10 off $50 Target toy coupon we’ll get during Circle Week in October and Target Circle Card discounts) on a single toy purchase. While their Semi-Annual Toy Sale in January and July is a surefire way to save, you don’t have to wait around for one to happen to catch a good deal. Between Target toy coupons, Circle offers, Buy One Get One deals, and Target’s price match policy, top-notch toy savings are always within reach.
Whether you need Barbie, LOL Surprise, Hot Wheels, or Lego, use these 11 KCL-tested tips for the ultimate Target toy sale savings. And get ready to score phenom toy deals throughout the year.
Download The Krazy Coupon Lady app to track all the best Target deals, Circle coupons, and toy savings right on your phone. Then text HACKS to 57299 so we can fill you in on more money-saving tips.
1. Use Target Circle offers to score extra toy savings, like $10 off $50 toy purchases during Circle Week in Oct.
Hunting for Target Circle offers is a great way to save on Target toys. Target regularly drops Circle coupons like $10 off $50+ toy purchases or $25 off $100+ toy purchases (or both at the same time).
For the Target Circle Week sale in October, the offer is typically $10 off a $50 toy purchase, with a few brands excluded.
The coolest part is that you can use these Circle coupons online and in stores, plus you can stack them with Target toy sales for even bigger savings. Circle coupons don’t usually work on clearance items, but it’s worth checking the coupon exclusions each time just to be sure.
If you don’t already have a Target Circle account, be sure to sign up to take advantage of these coupons (it’s free).
2. Shop the Semi-Annual Target Toy Sale in January and July to save up to 70% on toys.
The Target Semi-Annual Toy Sale is a three-to-four-week event that happens twice a year. It’s unarguably the best Target toy sale to shop at low prices. Starting in late December and June, Target stores mark down a bunch of different toys to make room for new inventory. The result? Up to 70% off clearance toys from Lego, Barbie, Fisher-Price, Disney, and so much more. Last year we found 5 Surprise toys, crazy sand, Roblox characters, and Tonka truck playsets all for under $5.
The Target Semi-Annual Toy Sale discounts usually start at 30% off and then quickly jump to 50% off. About two weeks after that, the sale will hit 70% off and stay that way until the sale ends.
Target Semi-Annual Toy Clearance – January 2024
While the bulk of the winter toy sale happens in January, Target started their last event right after Christmas. Discounts reached up to 50% by early January and up to 70% about a week after that. We continued to see deals on various toys for the rest of the month. Here’s how it went down:
Winter Semi-Annual Toy Clearance Dates | Clearance Discount |
|---|---|
Week of December 26 | 30% |
Week of January 1 | 50% |
Week of January 7 | 70% |
Target Semi-Annual Toy Clearance – July 2024 Predictions
Last year, the summer toy sale started with 30% off clearance toys in mid June, but the bulk of the deals happened in July. Also, the sale overlapped with Target Deal Days in mid-July, which seemed to give the toy clearance a boost. We saw toy deals for up to 70% off through the rest of July. Here’s what we expect to happen this year:
Summer Semi-Annual Toy Clearance Dates (*predicted) | Clearance Discount |
|---|---|
Week of June 18 | 30% |
Week of June 25 | 50% |
Week of July 9 | 70% |
3. Take an extra 25% off holiday toy purchases with the rare Target Circle toy coupon.
In mid-October, Target releases a Target toy sale coupon for 25% off one toy or kids’ book, just in time for the lead-up to the holidays. You’ll find this Circle coupon in the Target app, where you can activate it to save 25% on your next toy purchase.
The 25% off Target toy coupon is usually available for 3 – 4 weeks and aligns perfectly with some of Target’s best holiday toy sales. Technically, you can’t use this coupon more than once, so the key is to use it on the higher-priced toys on your list. But have your partner, kids, family members, and friends all sign up for a Target Circle account and ask them for their coupon if you want to keep riding the savings high.
4. Shop Target Circle Week in July and October to save 60% or more on top toys.
The twice-a-year Target Deal Days event was always popular for discounts on top tech (like Apple products), even competing with Amazon Prime Day for the best deals. But Target now calls these events “Target Circle Week.”
Target recently announced a Target Circle Week event April 7 - 13 to help promote their new Target Circle Rewards program. However, it looks like only select toys will be up to 30% off.
As far as Circle Week in Oct. we predict it will run for seven total days — Oct. 6 – 12, 2024. During past sales, we’ve seen discounts like 60% off top toys. I’m talking Nerf, Hot Wheels, Melissa & Doug, Cocomelon, and so much more.
5. Save up to 40% on Lego sets with Target sale prices and $10 gift card promos.
Target Lego sets go on sale every month, but the key is to wait for a Target gift card promo and a sale price at the same time.
Let’s talk about the timing. Target releases a gift card promo for Legos in October (and sometimes in February). The deal is you get a $10 gift card with a $50 Lego purchase. When you stack this gift card promo with a Target Lego sale, you’ll save up to 40%, making it the perfect opportunity to stock up on Lego toys.
6. Save up to 77% when you buy Target’s Our Generation dolls instead of American Girl dolls.
Did you know you can buy American Girl doll dupes at Target for a fraction of the cost? These 18-inch Our Generation dolls start at $25.99, while 18-inch American Girl dolls will run you at least $115. The dolls are the same size, and all the accessories are interchangeable.
Historically, we’ve seen the best sales for Our Generation dolls and accessories during the Target Cyber Monday sale, when prices drop by as much as 53%.
7. Stock up on Target board games and puzzles when they hit 50% off.
Target drops a board game sale about once a month, but try holding off until you can save at least 50% on your favorite games. Next to clearance board games (which can reach up to 70% off), this is the best deal Target has on board games. Always check the endcaps in the toy department for clearance board games — they can get buried, so you may have to dig.
Some of the best times to find Target board games for 50% off are during the Target Circle Week in July event and the Target Black Friday sale. You’ll also find board game deals like B1G1 and B1G2 50% off at Target throughout the year.
8. Ask for a price match on Target toys if you find a lower price within 14 days of your purchase.
The Target price match policy is a great tool to use for bigger toy savings. You can price-match any qualifying item for up to 14 days after your purchase. The item must be an exact match from Amazon or Walmart.com. Also, you’ll need to show the cashier proof of the lower price on your phone.
You can even price-match the Target app if you find a cheaper price than what you’re seeing in stores.
TIP: Target doesn’t do price adjustments for clearance items. So if you buy a toy during Target’s toy clearance, you can’t request a price adjustment if it gets a deeper markdown later.
9. Save an extra 5% on all your Target toy purchases when you pay with your Target Circle Card.
Always pay for Target toys with your Circle Card to score that extra 5% off. When there’s a Target toy sale plus a coupon for $25 off, that extra 5% Circle Card discount adds up to an unbelievable deal. You also get free shipping with your Circle Card, which makes online shopping worry-free.
If you use your Circle Card as a debit card, you won’t face any additional fees or interest charges.
10. Always scan clearance toys at the price scanner to check the latest price.
Those bright yellow price tags are an easy way to tell if a toy is on clearance. But the price on the sticker isn’t necessarily the price you’ll get, which could be even lower than you think.
Bring the toy over to an in-store price scanner (you’ll find one every 10 – 15 aisles) to check the current price. You can also scan in the Target app, but it won’t give you the current in-store price.
Related: For more price-scanning fun, check out our tips for finding hidden Walmart clearance.
11. Trade in your old tech and video games for Target gift cards you can use toward new toys.
The Target trade-in program won’t make you rich. And Target isn’t always the best place to trade in your used electronics and video games. But if you do choose to make a trade-in at Target, you’ll earn a Target gift card that you can use on anything in the store — including on Target toys. Be sure to compare Target’s trade-in values to those at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy.
Target Trade-In Values
Xbox One 500 GB: $10
Galaxy Tab S4 64 GB: $15
Playstation 4 500 GB: $20
Apple AirPod Max: $35
Nintendo Switch 32 GB: $40
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