Sad scenes emerge from 'Australia's biggest toy sale' of the year

Yellow tickets were plastered on hundreds of toys sitting on Big W's shelves. There was just one glaring problem.

3 min read

June 10, 2025 - 11:52AM

Lifestyle

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"Where is everyone?" That's the first thought that popped into my head as I walked towards the entrance of my local Big W.

It was the opening of what has always been hailed as their "biggest event of the year" - the BIG Whopping Toy Sale - except it was looking a little different this year.

There was no massive group waiting outside to get in. No buzz outside... just one lonely worker standing at the front of the store holding a catalogue, bidding me a good morning.

"It's the first day of the toy sale, right?" I asked her.

She smiled and confirmed yes before pointing me in the right direction of the bargain items that could be nabbed. Not that I needed it, there were huge signs everywhere - and plenty of bright yellow price tickets on shelves that could hardly be missed.

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Big W's Toy Sale has launched with hundreds of toys discounted and stocked on shelves. Image: Supplied

Big W's Whopping Toy Sale is back!

The BIG Whopping Toy Sale officially kicked off on Monday June 10th, with over 500 toys and tech on sale - including 300 new products big and little kids could get excited about.

Chatter began early online, with eager customers counting down the days to the biggest event of the year - and one that sees them stock up ahead of time for Christmas.

TikTok creator and mum Tara (aka @mamtaramae) was just one of them.

"Counting down till when I can sneak off leave kids at home with dad to do a layby for Chrissy," she declared online ahead of the launch.

But instead of being greeted with the usual chaotic scenes of toys, parents, grannies, prams, and tantruming children screaming "BUT I WANT ITTTTT!!!!" everywhere, she too walked into a somewhat quiet store.

"To be honest, it didn’t seem like much was on sale. There were toys EVERYWHERE though! Literally every aisle around the whole store seemed to have toys in it," she posted in an update.

Another blogger, Food Mumma Ren, also commented on how different the toy sales look these days compared to previous years.

"My oldest is 21 years old now but when he was a little boy the toy sales used to be worth it. Line ups so long. I even started working at Kmart I was employed just for the toy sale, and it was crazy people lining up from midnight to get a deal," she posted on Facebook.

So what's the deal?

Some popular toys are a massive 50% off. Image: Supplied

Eager beavers getting in early

Although the two stores I visited in Sydney's east were fairly quiet, different scenes emerged at the Big W store in Penrith.

"There were people lined up from 7.30am and shoppers filling their trolleys full of toys - we are sure this is just the start of the Toy Sale rush," a Big W spokesperson told Kidspot.

While the sale officially kicked off on the 10th, many customers hit social media to share that their local store already had toys on sale.

"My store already has toys on the shelves. So excited!" one customer declared in a private Facebook group.

"I went in the week before the sale officially kicked off and things were already discounted," another mum told Kidspot.

"I got a heap of LEGO stuff for my kids. I thought I might as well get it now than wait for those crazy scenes to hit when the sale officially launches!"

The 10 picks

According to Big W's Chief Toy Buyer, Christine Faulkner, many customers had an idea of what they were going to purchase before the sale kicked off.

“It’s great to see classic brands, like LEGO, Barbie and Hot Wheels at the top of our customers’ wish lists again this year, with some newer favourites like Squishmallows and Jurassic World joining the top ten," she said.

"If it’s building or collecting, there’s a toy on the list to pique every kind of interest.”

Making their way into the top ten this year are:

The LEGO Record Player with Flowers, $26
Barbie Party Unboxed Pet Birthday, $19 (more than half price)
Hot Wheels Monster Trucks 1:24 Scale Remote-Control Toy Truck, $14 (more than half price)
The VTech 4-in-1 Alphabet Train, $79
40cm Squishmallows, $14
Little People Ultimate Farm Gift Set, $69
Mega Construx Pokemon Jumbo Pikachu, $44
Bluey Escape Convertible, $17 (down from $35)
Jurassic World Chaos Theory All-Out T-REX, $40
Stitch Dance & Sing plush, $39 (save $41)

As for me, I think I'll be heading back for those floral LEGO sets. So pretty (and cheap!)