HOLIDAYS : Warehouse Toys : Shopping in these aisles is acceptable as long as the prices match, which means they should hover around wholesale.
Christmas without toys would be like Christmas without children, and that is unthinkable.
Since department stores have closed their toy sections and sent Santa to the mall, toy shopping is basically a search up and down the aisles of warehouse operations. That warehouse atmosphere is acceptable as long as prices match, which means they should hover around wholesale. At L.E.C. World Traders in Sun Valley, prices fit the surroundings.
L.E.C. is a wholesale operation that sells to major organizations, such as Toys for Tots, the Salvation Army, Rocketdyne, Rockwell and various veterans organizations that have toy drives.
The jammed aisles are lined with such names as Mattel, Bradley, Kenner, Parker, Little Tikes (including its big-ticket items) and others that don’t have such a high profile. This year, the Nerf Missile Launcher has captured children’s imaginations. Suggested retail is $40, and two stores we checked have it for $30. L.E.C.’s price is $19.
With whistles and flashing lights, it’s easy to see what attracts the kids to Buddy-L’s Rumbler Racer, marked $14.95 instead of the $30 suggested retail price.
Is there a little girl on your list who wants a new Barbie? The 1992 Holiday model, in glitzy white and silvery fashions, is about $50 at most stores, $40 at a major discounter--and $34 at L.E.C.
Pictionary, still a good choice for older children, retails for $40, was discounted to $32 at some stores and is $20.90 here.
On the board game front, my grown children want me to buy the family Balderdash, which has a suggested retail of $40, often discounted to $32, but is $19 at L.E.C.
There are bins and bins of stuffed animals--in all sizes and colors. A lovable fluffy white monkey by Fiesta was $8. I couldn’t find him elsewhere to comparison shop, but just about every item on the vast shelves here seems to be about half of suggested retail.
There are toys for all ages here, but don’t bring the kids. Aisles are narrow and the proximity of the toys might be too tempting.
There is one trick: Upon entry, pick up an organization discount card and fill it out with whatever your group is--business, church or social--and remember that whatever you select will be 40% to 50% less than the suggested retail price.
WHERE TO SHOP
What: L.E.C. World Traders.
Location: 8150 Sunland Blvd., Sun Valley. The entrance is in the back, off San Fernando Road at Ratner Street, which is one block east of Sunland.
Hours: Through Christmas Eve, open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays, till 5 p.m. Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.
Cards: Visa, MasterCard.
Call: (818) 768-6126.
