Toys & Games

Toys a child outgrows and games the whole family keeps:

the trade splits along that line, and each side is judged differently. On the outgrown side sit the rattles and activity tables of baby and toddler toys, dolls from baby dolls to Barbie, and the bikes, slides and paddling pools of outdoor play. Most leave home in good order because a child moved on, so condition and cleanliness decide them. The kept side belongs as much to teenagers and adults as to children. Board games and puzzles come out every holiday, LEGO and other building sets get rebuilt and resold, and Pokémon and Magic decks in trading card games are traded like a currency of their own. These hold their value only while they are complete. The old tico toys fall somewhere in between. A wooden trompo with its string, bolinchas, as marbles are called here, or jackses with the little rubber ball cost next to nothing on their own, so offer them as one bundle rather than one by one.

Age marks and player counts on the box:

both are worth reading before the picture. The age mark is about safety, not about how bright a child is: a toy marked as unsuitable for children under three usually has small parts, magnets or a button battery so check before it goes down to a younger sibling. On a board game, the lid gives the number of players and the length of a game, and those matter more than the theme. If the cards carry text, check whether the edition is English or Spanish.

Battery ride-on cars and the pack under the seat:

are the biggest spend among outgrown toys. A small 6-volt car costs from around ₡100,000 new, and a two-seater with a parent’s remote can run past ₡300,000. A used one goes for a fraction of that, and the battery explains most of the drop: nearly all of them run on a sealed lead-acid pack that holds less charge after a couple of years and may never recover if it sat flat for months. A replacement pack costs far less than the car, so a sound car with a tired battery is a fair buy if the price leaves room for a new one.

A used toy that looks fine in the photo:

can still be a die short, eaten by a leaking battery or brittle from the sun. Open a board game and check the contents against the list in the rulebook. A LEGO set can be checked the same way: the set number is on the box and the instructions, and newer booklets end with a full parts list. On anything with batteries, open the compartment. A white or greenish crust on the contacts means batteries were left in until they leaked; a little cleans off, but contacts that have been eaten through may never work again. Switch the toy on before you pay. Outdoor plastic shows where it was kept: a slide or a play kitchen gone pale and chalky spent its life in the sun, and that plastic cracks. With a ride-on car, ask to see it move with someone sitting in it, and listen for a grinding gearbox, the other part that gives out.

Every piece on the table, then the box from all sides:

those two photos do most of the selling for a used game or set. Count before you photograph and say plainly what is missing: a game sold as complete that turns out a card short ends the deal at the door. A complete set in its box with the instructions fetches clearly more than the same pieces loose in a bag, and people who collect LEGO, Hot Wheels or Barbie pay for the box itself. Give the LEGO set number and the board game edition. For a ride-on, say how old the battery is, how long it runs on a charge and whether the charger comes with it, and say whether the car fits in a hatchback with the seats folded, so that a parent driving over from Palmares or Siquirres knows before setting out.