Stone Soup by Jan Eliot for May 09, 2014

There are some dolls one can not simply part with!!! I’ve a plethora of Barbies and a collection of International Dolls…but the best doll I ever had…and still have…is one I called “Bonnie.” ;)

No comment here. As for a reply to May Kitten yesterday, I too was a Salvation Army Christmas bell ringer in 2010 and ‘11, but that was in the town from which I moved; I was originally a volunteer in their food bank since about ’09. As for having been in the donation shed business for the Sallies in my current town, that’s been since a week before Christmas ’13.

oh dear!

After my Mom died last year, I gave her Shirley Temple doll to a wonderful Senior Advocate who had been so good to her.

I still have a stuffed animal that I won’t part with.

Mine turned 67!

Awww, you commenters, all of you. So sweet. sniff

I have a grand daughter that has a “stuffed animal” problem and since there is no SAA (Stuffed Animal Anonymous) for her addiction, her mom just bagged up about half of her collection, they had a good bye ceremony and donated them to a local charity.

I used to go through my children’s toys and put the ones that were not being played with much in a box and put away for about 6 months, then I would take them down and it was like Christmas in July……rotate out the put away toys with the other ones and they all get a little love.

That is better than what my parents did. After I was in the service and married, and on my way overseas, they gave away my farm toy collection(that a relative gave me) and my electric train set which would fill a 4×8 sheet of plywood(sold for $75(just the engine set would cost $400-$500 today.

IndyMan, If you were already married, why were your old toys still at your parents’ house, if you wanted to keep them? As an adult, they were your responsibility, not theirs.

Oh this is a good one! I fight this battle a lot! I know some who bag toys up, leave them hidden for a while, and if the kids don’t notice, they donate them. To me, that seems deceitful so I try to talk to my kids about it. My youngest child is fine with giving things away, but my oldest wants to keep everything (and the oldest has a great memory).

I still have “Betsy Wetsy” and my girls are still storing their favorites in our basement and they are now in their 40’s. Then there were those classic Fischer Price passed down to the grandkids.

I have nothing from my childhood. I grew up and got new toys.

My uncle’s old toy cars and trucks hung around my grandparents’ for years. I used to read his old comic books when we went to visit (we were 10 years apart in age). He sold them when his children started college, and was able to cover a good chunk of their expenses. So be careful what you donate!

I have my mother’s Patsy Ann doll from the 20s.

We’re having a yard sale this weekend. My 32 year old daughter has decided to keep her 76 My Little Ponies from the 80’s along with her 10 original stuffed Care Bears. From my attic to her storage locker.

Looks like they don’t want to give up their toys.

When we emigrated to Canada in 1953 we had to leave most of our belongings (including most of my toys) behind. We didn’t have much of anything, but a significant part of my Dad’s first paycheck went into buying me a big Tonka firetruck! That’s one toy I’m NEVER parting with!

Parents who pull this stuff have no clue what they’re doing to their kids. Do you know how expensive it is to try and rebuild your 80s Transformer or GI Joe collections?!!!

My Dollie just turned 22!

If a toy is greeted on sight by name and with a hug, it isn’t time for it to go unless there is a specific child they are willing to pass it on to or a specific donation that touches their hearts (say, a family with a girl a bit younger than them lost everything in a fire) I’m 38. There are 2 boxes (a bit bigger than banker’s boxes, but not huge) of dolls in the attic, one of LEGOs and there was one with a few favorite Barbie sets and a half dozen dolls before this summer. My aunt was having a garage sale and so I sorted through the stuffed animals again, and took the 2 Barbies that were especially precious out… My baby “lovey” is in the cedar chest, my remaining dolls were given to me be this person or that and were cherished, the stuffed animals each have a specific meaning. And yeah, except for the lovey, who was carefully put away when I stopped needing it to avoid further damage, some were first boxed when I was Holly’s age. Pared down a bit every few years until they reached the point where a guy was looking for toys and home goods because he’s adopted several families who have nothing- my aunt can get the backstory out of a rock and can see through acts- and it was the last day of the sale and yeah, he walked off with everything he thought they could use, and all his cash, and I’m just waiting to personally find children for the rest.

I get the feeling. I’ve had my Doggie/Blankie (a tiny blanket with a dog’s head), Blue, since the day I was born. Never going to leave them. So many memories.