TBH I'd just toss them unless they are really special. These days with health concerns - I really wouldn't touch a secondhand stuffed toy with a barge-pole. And new ones are very affordable. The only exception would be really collectable ones.
Resist the urge to attach value that isn't there....
I donated all my stuffed animals over the years (they were all in good condition, so they went to relatives, friends with young kids, or the Salvation Army), except for 3 that have a lot of sentimental value.
I used to keep them on my bed until I got 2 cats who love nothing more than to tear plush animals to shreds. Now I can't display them in the open (cats can get to them anywhere, including highest shelves. I may have bionic cats...), and I have no glass cabinets or anything, so they're in a closet. I really don't want to get rid of them, but I don't have a good solution to displaying them. Any ideas?
Anita....you could get individual glass cases that are made for dolls.
I have 2 stuffed teddy bears I received when I was born, 61 years ago. I decided they had to get clean or go so I ran them through my washing machine. They came out like new!
Anita - How big are they? Places like Hobby Lobby that do a lot of framing sell acrylic collectible cases meant for signed footballs or basketballs. The acrylic would likely be more budget friendly than glass cases.
If they won't fit in a case, how about getting a decorative wreath and set/wire them in the opening? Maybe one with twigs or branches that would work year round - just add ribbons to match your current decor. Or you could go with evergreen and only hang them out at Christmas time. Either way, as long as the spot you find to hang the wreath isn't close to a cat landing zone, they would be safe.
Hear the voices in "Books (and movies?) that ENCOURAGE clutter". Lots of people will accept your donations!
Ahh yes,I packed away my "special ones but not too far away. there are dolls and animals out for grand and great grand kids to play with ( and take home if they like) Their are few left. A friend just puts a free box out frount of her house from time to time and it all dissapears. thinking ofd doing that myself with kitchen junk.
We're steadily decluttering most of our stuffed toys, who were legion. Our local thrift stores will take them as long as they're in good condition and clean.
I wash small batches of stuffed toys in the washing machine, in hot water, but instead of tumble-drying them I set them in the dish drainer or hang them outside on the line.
Although I haven't displayed the parts and pieces of the stuffed animals-like the quilting suggestion from jsp. I have "reassembled" several into pillow pet type of reconstruction. (now that everyone is backing away from their computer in horror) They turned out really cute.
Great timing for this post! I second Erasergirl and everyone who suggested Freecycle. In fact, a Freecycler just picked up three large trash bags full of stuffed animals today. All the toys were at least 10 years old, and most had been played with. A few of them were to dirty to donate, so I ran them through the wash, and they were fine. Freecycle is really the way to go for almost anything you really can't get rid of. Good luck!
Oh, stuffed critters! The really big problem with them is that they cannot be laundered, for the most part. They harbor germs and maybe real live critters, as well. They are not made with materials that are meant to last, and you never really know just what it has been stuffed with.
Cuteness aside, stuffed critters are really NOT good things to have. When they are new and lugged around by your own child so that you know where they have been, it is not as bad as it could be. If they are old and used-----no way would I want them around. There are way too many of them in the landfills and at yard sales!
If you are a collector of such as teddy bears, you probably keep them clean. I don't' think that the goodwill even accepts stuffed critters, do they? I have heard that day care does not allow them.
They are an avenue for unwanted organisms and allergies, and I don't trust the labeling that states the contents and the materials. Think about it. Would you, otherwise, let your child cuddle under their chin something that has been dragged out on the floor of the dirty world, or or use a dirty pillow?
I know that they are, sometimes, cute, but--------ugh! They are best kept limited.
I agree, stuffed toys are full of dust and who knows what. I run my grandhildren's through the washer and dryer. I figure if they survive, they're clean, If not I trash them.
I have seen stuffed toys at Goodwill. Usually looking quite dirty. Yuk!
I'm a cautionary tale about giving a child too many stuffed animals. I amassed so many of the things, and always had a hard time getting rid of them. A large factor in this is that, like people are saying, it can be hard to give them away. The Goodwill around here no longer takes any toys, due to concerns about lead, although Savers does still take them. I hear tell that there is an organization called SAFE, Stuffed Animals for Emergencies, that collects them. But, looking at their website, the donation guidelines aren't too clear. I also found an organization called Beanies for Baghdad in which soldiers give beanie babies to the kids that they come across. I am not making this up.
At the end of the day though, I just have a hard time throwing away something with a face. I know they're inanimate objects, but something about just tossing them is hard for me.
If you read this thread through, you'll see that several people have attested to the fact that yes, stuffed animals can be washed!
After the floods here we gave a few of our stuffed toys to a group taking goods to the flood affected areas. I expect that there are kids in those tornado hit towns that would love a 'new' companion.
Making a photo memory of stuffed toys and then sharing them with needy kids sounds like a wonderful idea. Keep a couple of favorites and give the others away.
pklillmain, most cannot be washed. Sure, some can. They are made of all kinds of different materials and stuffing. They are as varied in materials as the day is long.
They are harbingers of all kinds of mites. And, they can be a carrier of bed bugs and fleas. Yes, inanimate critters can have fleas!
They are almost a personal item, much like a personal bed pillow, or one's own bed sheets.
My grandson has a bunch of them on his bed. I am hoping that he grows out of it soon. At least they do stay in his room for the most part, so their travel is limited.
You can put stuffed animals into a bag stick them in the freezer for a couple of days to kill the bugs.
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