Target Clearance Report

The only thing better than a sale is a clearance sale. Target is the absolute best when it comes to clearance discounts. They are frequently resetting their toy aisles and seem to have no qualms about putting relatively new merchandise on clearance. With a new aisle re-set on the horizon, Target stores have put their toy clearance sales into overdrive. This week clearance prices dropped to 50 and 75-percent, depending on the store.

You may want to expand your search beyond the normal action figure aisle. I found Dance Star Mickey in the pre-school aisle marked at 50% off. One store had at least 20 Mickeys on the shelf. A few were even still in the plastic wrap.

Kung Zhu Hamsters are another deep discount item that you can find for less than two bucks a pop at Target right now. It appears that the boy-oriented Zhu Zhu Pets spin-off was not as successful as their predecessors.

Target traditionally discounts their toys on Thursdays, so hopefully we will see these prices drop even lower this week. I have my eye on several items that I hope hit 75%. What about you?

Aisle Show You: Transformers: Dark of the Moon Already Breaking Records

This is a pile of Hasbro's first Transformers: Dark (not side) of the Moon official movie merchandise: a tiny Optimus Prime wearing a rocket pack that comes with a pair of 3D glasses (for you to wear, not Optimus). This particular Walmart has already marked the figure down to $5.00. The clearance tag says it was originally $7.96. This premature markdown trumps McFarlane's Prince of Persia toys for fastest trip to the clearance aisle.

(image courtesy Amazon)

Walmart's clearance aisle can be hit or miss. Anything that doesn't fit in the normal toy aisle will normally end up there, even if the posted "clearance" prices are exactly the same as the "normal" prices. I actually saw a shelf full of these same Optimus figures in the regular action figure aisle on a peg marked $14.96. Unfortunately with the current state of out-of-control toy pricing, I didn't even question that Hasbro and Walmart were expecting people to pay that much for an ounce of plastic and cardboard.