Baby Trends: BabyPlays Toy Rental
March 25th 2008 by Dr.MOZ in Baby Products, Toddler Products
Not so long ago, I wrote about the German company (Lütte Leihen of Hamburg) that used the Netflix DVD rental model for children’s clothing. Now it appears, a Texas-based startup named BabyPlays is using the same Netflix model with rented baby and toddler toys.
Here’s how it works according to their website:
- Choose a membership plan that is right for you
- Select as many toys to add to your wishlist as you like
- You will receive toys from your wishlist within a few days
- Keep the toys for 30 days or longer. You will still only be charged your low monthly membership fee, with no late fees ever!
- When you are ready to get some fresh toys, place the toys that you wish to return back in the original shipping box, tape up the box with the provided tape & adhere the provided postage paid UPS shipping label, then drop off at any UPS Store location.
- When we receive your returned toys, we will send out your next shipment
Plans vary from $36.99 (4 toys at a time with 3 month commitment) to a hefty $64.99 monthly fee (10 toys with 3 month commitment). Why would parents pay so much to rent toys when they could just buy them? The perks according to BabyPlays include: (a) age-appropriate, safe, cleaned toys that have already been tested for lead (b) no accumulation of old toys that baby is no longer interested in (c) keep the toys as long as you like, and (d) if you like the toys too much to part with, simply purchase it from their website to keep it.
What do you think folks, is BabyPlays a winner? Click on the comments bubble above to let us know what you think.
Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ
(Tip via Rockin’ Mama)
March 27th, 2008 at 10:27 am
i really like the idea of reusing toys…but that’s a lot of money as a monthly subscription. most kids are happy with a spoon and cardboard box, but i’d consider it at half the current cost.
April 24th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
On average, parents spend about $1200 dollars a year on toys. As a BabyPlays member, you would be saving around $660. BabyPlays brings home a large variety of quality toys, so instead of spending all of this money buying toys that your child will soon lose interest in, you are continuously bringing new stimulating toys into your home for a fraction of their cost. The BabyPlays approach also allows families to accurately budget for their annual toy expenses!
May 19th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Umm, that’s shortsighted. The website doesn’t really “save” you that amount, unless you buy your child NO toys what-so-ever, which seems fairly unlikely. (I’m sure such frugal parents exist–those that let their child have only four toys total–but they’re very, VERY rare.)
I tried Baby Plays, but just canceled after my three month required membership was up. The rules changed throughout my three months, and now it’s only three toys, not four, for $36.99/month. The last straw came when I sat down last night to play with the pirate ship toy we received. I’ve had it on a shelf, so my son doesn’t lose/break any of the many parts, so I know he wasn’t responsible for the crusted on goo (ick!) I found on the ship’s bow. So much for their “sanitizing” process. There have also been multiple snafus with shipment and payment (charging my card twice, etc.) and the toys, frankly, are usually quite cheap—in the $10-$20 range, so “renting” them for $40/month makes little sense. (I could usually buy three of the four outright for the rental fee.)
I thought this was a great idea when I heard of it, but, in practice, just don’t think it works very well at all.
October 31st, 2008 at 4:43 pm
[...] Also on DearDrMOZ.com: BabyPlays Toy Rental and Lütte Leihen Baby Clothes [...]
December 4th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
Great idea! I have used Babyplays and another called rentAtoy.com. I currently use rentAtoy.com because they have more toys and cater to a broader age range. My three kids love rentAtoy and my wife and I love the savings!