Replacing Lost Toys and Pieces

Every home comes equipped with its own miniature black hole. Into this void disappear socks, remote control battery covers, and the tiny pieces to toys and board games. More often than not, the most important pieces, the ones without which the toy will not function, are the very pieces that vanish.

Rather than putting those dysfunctional toys out on the 50Ã?¢ table at the yard sale, take the time to do some research. Most toy manufacturers offer replacement parts and instructions for little or no cost. HasbroÃ?®, MattelÃ?®, LegoÃ?®, and K’NEXÃ?®, makers of some of the world’s most popular toys, all offer replacements and accessories.

Hasbro is the parent company for such toy lines as Milton Bradley�®, Playskool�®, Bratz�®, Easy-Bake�®, GI Joe�®, Lincoln Logs�® and many others. By visiting www.hasbro.com and entering the customer service area, you can search for either single pieces or bags. If, say, you need pieces for Hi Ho Cherry O�®, you can order a blue bucket for $1.00, a board with spinner for $5.00, or a bag of 40 cherries for $2.50. Instructions can be downloaded directly from the website in Adobe PDF format.

At www.mattel.com, parts can be found for toy brands such as MattelÃ?®, BarbieÃ?®, Hot WheelsÃ?®, Fisher-PriceÃ?®, and American GirlÃ?®. Enter the customer service area from the home page and then click on “shop for parts.” Hot WheelsÃ?® track pieces can be found ranging in price from $1.48 for a 90-degree half loop to $8.98 for ten joiners. Or, a parts bag for the Little PeopleÃ?® Animal Zoo can be ordered along with an extra decal sticker sheet. Every working part for the ESPN Game Station is also available.

One of the dumbest ideas I had when my son was a year old was to buy him an 80-piece toddler-friendly LegoÃ?® set. Since that day I have never again been able to rationalize the 80-piece part in my mind. But, he had all 80, and lost them, and found them, and lost them. Nine years later I am still finding them, along with the tinier pieces he graduated to as he grew older. I wish I had visited www.lego.com eight years ago. Under the “exclusives and accessories” tab, you can purchase bricks by shape or by color, as well as accessories and mini figures. The website also offers instruction booklets for building creations. The wide selection covers everything from a bag of 50 1×4 bricks for $5.99 to the 288-piece wheels and axles for $34.00.

K’NEX has only been around as a toy company since 1992, but the products have exploded in popularity. Although distributed by HasbroÃ?®, visit www.knex.com to find replacements and accessories for K’NEX sets. Pieces can be bought for as little as 5Ã?¢ for a connector. Instruction cards and books can be purchased, as well as “grab bags,” like the 121-piece gears and rods set for $5.21. Don’t forget to grab an electric motor to really set off creations and watch your child’s imagination soar. K’NEX does require a minimum $5.00 order when purchasing from the website.

Gone are the days of using Mom’s sewing thimble and construction paper money to play MonopolyÃ?®. Gone, too, are the days of parents stoically watching tears well up in a child’s eyes as a favorite but dysfunctional is thrown away. The miracle of the Internet and on-line ordering has made replacing lost toys, and smiles, quick and easy.