If you have kids and you wait until November to start buying toys, you\'re going to pay more. It\'s not a maybe. Amazon and every other retailer marks things up heading into the holiday window, and the stuff that\'s actually on kids\' lists sells out or jumps in price by mid-November. I start watching prices in August and buying the sure things in September.

LEGO holds its value weirdly well -- sets that get retired can actually appreciate. Don\'t expect LEGO to go on deep discount often; 10-15% off is a solid deal for that brand. For board games, the hobby game brands (Catan, Ticket to Ride, Wingspan) rarely drop much, but Hasbro party game stuff goes on sale constantly.

Two things I always check before buying toys: the CPSC recall database and the actual age recommendation. For anything with small parts, batteries, or charging cables, read the 1-star reviews specifically. Parents who had safety issues will tell you directly.