I've never tried to thrift toys before I went looking for some stuffies to alter, and for $10.67 I got four that were new or in new condition and a wee Halloween bow.
The penguin and puppy still had their tags, and the butterfly and pig were in very clean shape. The puppy was a Valentine stuffy and still smelled of the chocolate scent added to it.
I handwashed everything just to be on the safe side, and hung them to air-dry.
Some words of caution about laundering thrifted stuffies: be sure the stuffing is of a washable variety (you can split a seam to have a look, and then sew it back up.) Remove all paper or tied-on tags and loose elements before laundering. Anything with wiring or electronics should not be immersed in water but instead spot cleaned. Hand wash the stuffies individually in the event the fabric dye bleeds. If you want to put them in your washing machine (I don't recommend this) you should put them in a pillowcase and pin it shut in the event a seam gives; that will contain the stuffing.
Stay tuned to see how I alter these little guys for Halloween.
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