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View Full Version : Spin Off-What Toys have NOT met your expectations?



The Review Mommy
04-04-2009, 02:23 PM
You know what they are...

Toys (after extensive research possibly) have you wasted $ on only to find that it wasn't for DC and/or you after all.

Here are just a couple of my disappointments.

Tiny Love Gym-twins hated being on their backs as infants. They'd hold their breath, turn beat red, and whail! They are 100% belly sleepers. I wasted $70+ on this thing and could have just used a blanket!

Step2 Kangaroo Climber-I bought used in mint for $60. The kids loved it but I had to get rid of it because it was a huge safety hazard. 1) They kept falling off the platform because it was too small with no steps, just a drop off. 2) The opening above the door was too low for my 10 month old twins (they kept hitting their heads on it and crying while trying to open the door. 3) they kept finding themselves stuck underneath the platform unable to get out (too low) I could go on and on...

What are yours?

Melaine
04-04-2009, 03:15 PM
Wheely Bugs. I'm still sad about those. They are just as cute as I imagined but the girls completely ignore them.

nellonello
04-04-2009, 06:00 PM
My DD was a tummy kid as well and we also wasted money on the Tiny Love gym as well as the Lamaze Spin and Explore Garden Gym.

hellokitty
04-04-2009, 07:12 PM
Kettler trike (I think my kids would have been just fine with a $30 trike)

Wooden play kitchen and all the works to go with it (I have boys and yes, they are very steretypical, even when offered toys for girls, they will always revert to the boy toys)

Train table (my kids LOVE trains, BUT they do not use the train table for their tracks, they use the floor, I don't know why everyone makes it sound like you HAVE to have a train table, it just takes up a lot of room and annoys me)

Little People (my kids just aren't into it, I'm holding onto it though in hopes that maybe baby #3 will like them, I'm convinced that LP is more of a toy for girls...)

Powerwheels (spent a ton of $ on it, my kids play with it for five min and lose interest... just seeing it taking up MASSIVE space in our garage and knowing how much it cost pisses me off)

Most electonic learning toys for the under age 3 group were a total waste of $ as far as I am concerned...

maestramommy
04-04-2009, 09:20 PM
Kidco play kitchen, plus utensils, plus all this M&D food. We got it off CL for $85. Then sold it again on CL for the same price a few months later. Dora never went near it after the first day. That really had to be the biggest bust ever.

However, now she loves to make food for real! She helps her dad make pancakes every Saturday, helps me make banana bread and cookies once a week, and insists on making her own sandwich for lunch (and sometimes dinner) every day. Everytime she sees me cracking eggs or mixing ANYTHING, she wants to take a turn. Go figure :p

MMMommy
04-04-2009, 09:36 PM
Play kitchen - This was a huge disappointment b/c I think I wanted to play with it more than DDs. We got them the wood play kitchen and all the cute food sets and accessories to go with it. Not a hit at all. It literally just sat there and took up space. It pained me to part with it, and I ended up selling it on Craig's List.

Dollhouses - Started with the adorable Battat dollhouse from Leaps and Bounds. It was the cutest thing and all-inclusive. Sadly, got no play. Then, DDs said they wanted a Barbie-sized one for Xmas. Grandparents bought it for them. Again, no play.

Coincidentally, two items that take up A LOT of space, but got little play.

Nechums
04-04-2009, 10:09 PM
I second the Lamaze Spin and Explore Learning Gym. DS always cried when I put him on it. He's a huge tummy-time kid, but prefers to be free on the floor.

DrSally
04-04-2009, 10:37 PM
I second the Lamaze Spin and Explore Learning Gym. DS always cried when I put him on it. He's a huge tummy-time kid, but prefers to be free on the floor.

I was tempted to buy this, but then thought it would be a waste if she didn't like it and it would have short-lived utility. I tried to buy one off someone who was done using it, but she wanted too much for it.

For Ds, the train table is kind of a disappointment. But, I bought it at the end of the season when he was 2, and we saved it for after our move and settling in, and then Xmas. By that time, he was 3, and not as into it as at 2 yo. Oh well, maybe DD will like it and we can always use it as a table for a dollhouse.

kijip
04-05-2009, 02:45 AM
While they were very loved and fun while they lasted, I was surprised that he stopped playing with the wooden trains basically before he turned 5. His collection was (well still is, it's just mostly in storage for F) massive. So that part of my expectation was not met.

We got way less use out of the Kettler trike than we should have and I bought it WAY too soon for him (age 1). Not much of a loss, I think I got nearly as much for it used as I paid new from the old BBB co-ops on them.

A couple years back I though he would love the rocking horse my dad got him but as it turned out he was scared to death by that thing and my dad ended up opting to return it and buy him something else with the money after Christmas. I will NEVER forget how much he hated even looking at the rocking horse.

sidmand
04-05-2009, 01:12 PM
Some were on here as toys/things that exceeded expectations. One person's trash is another's treasure, right? Not so much toys as things though.

The Learning Tower (resold on CL for what I paid for it used though)
Bilibo (a gift, cool idea, maybe DD will like it)
Graco Sweetpeace swing (DD NEVER took to it as much as I loved it!)

Piglet
04-05-2009, 01:53 PM
Little People were a dud for us on all 3 kids so far. I keep them around but they will be outta here soon. I didn't buy any of the electronic stuff for DS1 and then got more with DS2. It was a dud, especially the more educational stuff. The electronic phone from the Disney Store is a big hit and it was the junkiest phone we bought, LOL. None of my boys got into cars or trains but I never really spent any money on them, so no harm done.

jent
04-05-2009, 02:09 PM
Haba teethers

Haba fantasy blocks (but DH and I loved these)

Wooden toy cars (forget brand, bought them from Oompa)

Wheely bug-- sort of-- now that it's been out of sight for a while in the basement, DD was really excited to see it again yesterday. So maybe it was timing.

pastrygirl
04-05-2009, 05:11 PM
Oooh, I forgot about the Haba blocks! BIG bust here, too. Any blocks, really. He just barely likes Duplo blocks.

Most stuffed animals are a dud for him, yet they keep multiplying. They're like gremlins!

Pretty much anything besides books. He doesn't really seem to play with toys.

Piglet
04-05-2009, 05:27 PM
Pretty much anything besides books. He doesn't really seem to play with toys.

LOL - you just described DS1! He still only really likes Lego and costumes and books, books and more books.

fivi2
04-05-2009, 08:07 PM
Little People - no play at all and my mom bought a bunch

Bristle blocks - and these are kids that love blocks... just not bristle blocks

Rody Pony - occasionally gets some play, but not as much as I expected

dollhouse - same as Rody - some play, but not a ton (they love people and furniture, just not the house)

our train table doesn't get a ton of use as a train table, but we use it for other things, so I don't think it was a bad purchase. I am surprised they didn't play with it as a train table though.

plan city parking garage. they hate it. They love their friend's big plastic garage, but hate the plan city one. I need to sell it, but it was a gift from my dad (I told him to buy it!)

hillview
04-05-2009, 08:26 PM
I agree those floor mats for babies are a total waste. The MASSIVE amt of play kitchen stuff. I really only needed a few pieces. The pans and dishes were good the food was largely a waste. I am glad I got the M&D train set and not a $$ one -- it gets played with on occasion but not often. Teethers were also a bust for us for both kids.
/hillary

hbridge
04-05-2009, 08:44 PM
All of the toys that Grandma bought for DC to push while learning to walk! The child refused to walk holding a toy with wheels or our hands. It was cruising or crawling! Grandma kept on trying though, we had so many push toys with wheels... DC did take a few tumbles trying to stand on them while cruising though.

amandabea
04-05-2009, 08:59 PM
Oh, I've had sooooo many disappointments -- I buy waaaaayyyyy too many toys.

Rody Horse - gets some use, but she was too little fot it initially and now she bounces too hard and topples over into the coffee table.

Almost all of the soft toys like the Nobu Pound a Sound and the matching stacker. They were lovely and made nice sounds, but got really limited play.

Bilibo - it mainly sits in her room and holds stuffed animals. Sometimes she'll spin her dolls or put it on her head.
Duplo Blocks - she NEVER plays with them.

FP Digital Camera - it's just not the same as mommy's.

Monster Bowling - it just sits in its package never played with.

Most of the others I've already gotten rid of and forgotten.

maestramommy
04-05-2009, 11:08 PM
One other thing that has been a sad disappointment is stuff like duplos and megablocks. We have 3? 4? sets, and they have yet to generate much interest. Luckily most of it was handed down, and the one set we bought was a steal off CL, but my kids are just NOT into those. Dora was momentarily interested the week her cousin came to visit (who LOVES lego type toys), but she's over it now. Since they came from family I'm hesitant to get rid of them, but they take up a lot of space!

DietCokeLover
04-05-2009, 11:19 PM
Clippo! Ugh, why do we have these? DD loves mega blocks and building things so I thought ths would be a great toy. They are so hard I have a hard time connecting them and taking them apart. I hate, hate, hate this toy.