Usually, toys come and toys go, but sometimes, as all parents know, your children become attached to a particular toy (often inexplicably!). And then, one day, that toy goes missing or loses a key part. What’s a parent to do?
Over the past five years, I have trolled eBay and Craigslist for replacement parts (and toys), contacted several toy companies, and, in some cases, repurchased a toy. It occurred to me the other day when contacting a company about a missing part that I have some helpful tips to share with other parents.
Tip #1: If a toy comes with a manual or other information, keep it.
I have a binder for all of our warranty information, instruction manuals, or other important documentation for household items. In that binder, I have a pocket for toy info. Since I never know which toy will be a hit with my kids and which a bust, I now err on the side of keeping any toy info, at least until it becomes clear that a toy is not a favorite or my kids outgrow it and I give it (and the info) away. Believe me, I kicked myself a couple of times for not keeping information for a toy and finally just started keeping it all. This practice has been especially helpful for toys that do not have identifying information for the manufacturer printed anywhere on the toy itself.
Tip #2: If a toy doesn’t come with a manual and either you or your child really like the toy, keep the receipt or make a note of where it came from.
My daughter once lost her favorite stuffed animal, a small sock monkey named Alice. I had no idea of the manufacturer, and, with Alice missing, I had no way to find out the information. I did remember that my in-laws purchased Alice at the Biltmore Estate. A brief search of the internet and a call to the appropriate Biltmore gift shop allowed me to replace Alice with Alice v.2.0.
Tip #3: Never hesitate to contact a manufacturer.
If you have followed tip #1, it will hopefully be easy to find contact information for the manufacturer in the documents. If the documents you kept don’t have any contact information for the toy manufacturer or distributor, you can usually find a website or at least contact information online if you know the company’s name. If you don’t have the documents and there’s no identifying information on the toy itself, it can be a challenge to identify a manufacturer for some toys, but it is usually worth a Google visit to see if you can track down the information with a description of the toy in the search box. I have also had some luck by searching eBay or Craigslist for the toy and finding the manufacturer information that way. Just because you don’t know or have the information doesn’t mean that some other person hasn’t figured it out and posted it online.
When I contact a manufacturer, I asked about their replacement policy. Some will replace parts (or whole toys) without any proof of your ownership. Others require information from the box or toy itself. Many companies provide replacement parts or toys for free while others may charge for shipping or for the replacement itself.
Tip #4: Buy from companies that back up their product by providing replacements easily.
When I contact a manufacturer for a part, I also make clear that I am a loyalist. When a company provides good service, including the replacement of missing parts for a beloved toy, I remember that. And I buy from them again, even if it’s just to get a gift for my children to give a friend. To that end, here are the companies I highly recommend:
1. Pockets of Learning
http://www.pocketsoflearning.com/
This company makes lovely soft toys, many of which can be embroidered with your child’s name. They replace missing parts for free. We have a tea set and a Noah’s ark and needed a new cow for our ark. Customer service was very friendly – they were out of the type of cow we had and sent us a new set of two – and the shipping was fast.
(800) 635-2994, or (401) 247-1991
fax: (401) 247-7860
missingpieces@pocketsoflearning.com
2. Phidal Publishing
http://www.phidal.com/
This company makes the popular My Busy Books, which incorporate a large board book, a play mat, and 10-12 toy figures. We have two Thomas the Train sets. Our son lost the Gordon out of each set (because he carried them EVERYWHERE). Customer service responded very quickly by email and even sent us three replacement Gordons instead of two. This is a Canadian company, so you may want to email instead of call.
customer@phidal.com
1 (514) 738-0202
fax: 1 (514) 738-5102
3. Parents by Battat
http://www.battatco.com/
Many toys have the Parents label. Among others, we have the magnetic sketch board with a beanbag lap desk bottom, four animal magnets at the top, and a magnetic pencil for drawing. The bunny magnet didn’t make it back from a trip to Dayton. A call to Battat got the piece replaced at no charge and quickly.
(800) 247-6144
4. Melissa & Doug
http://www.melissaanddoug.com/
Another maker of many, many popular toys, Melissa & Doug does not always have replacement parts in stock, but they were very responsive when I contacted them through the website about a missing part.
5. Alex toys
http://www.alextoys.com/
Alex makes mostly arts and crafts toys and games. While I’ve never tried to get missing pieces from Alex, we got a great Games to Go set at a consignment sale that lacked instructions for all the included games. You can find instructions for many Alex products at www.alextoys.com/instructions. Very helpful!
If you have other suggestions, feel free to list them!
