San Diego, California News Station - KFMB Channel 8 - cbs8.com"Rent-A-Toy" Helps Save Money & The Environment

"Rent-A-Toy" Helps Save Money & The Environment

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For many parents now doing their holiday shopping, the cost of keeping their kids entertained with the latest toys can add up quickly. But now there's a locally-based alternative to buying toys, helping you not only save money, but the environment as well.

When it comes to keeping kids entertained, buying toys they'll play with just a few weeks can rack up in cost and clutter. Now there's a way to keep up with the latest toys to occupy and educate your wee ones, without breaking the bank.

It's called Rent-A-Toy, a new San Diego-based online subscription service allowing families to choose from more than 700 different toys for all age ranges, from Baby Einstein to Wii. Plans start at about $25 a month.

"And then you can go and peruse thru our inventory, pick whatever you'd like and once you drop it into your virtual toy chest, it's mailed to you right away," Rent-A-Toy CEO Carlos Algarin said.

Families play with their toys as long as they want with no late fees, then return them in exchange for other ones. Shipping and handling is covered in the subscription cost, and each toy is cleaned and sanitized before being shipped to the next family.

"So she gets four new toys every month, and just about when she gets tired of the old ones I send them back and they give me a pre-packaged box and it's so easy," mother Lauren Lenzen said.

"The average home spends between $80 and $1,200 dollars a year on child entertainment, and that'll gIve you 40 to 60 toys. Through our program, our most expensive program we have is under $800 and you get 104 items heading your way through the course of a year," Algarin said.

Parents say they not only like the chance to save some of their precious green, but also the fact the concept of Rent-A-Toy is green.

"It is recycling toys, you know. We're pulling a lot of plastic out of the environment," mother Michelle McKee said.

"You just put the pre-paid label on the box, same box, same popcorn and send it back where it came from, and there's no waste," father John Lenzen said.

It's an eco-friendly gift this holiday season that keeps on giving all year long.