We've just always stored them in large black trashbags in the attic, and it does get very hot and very cold. My son is 25 now and the stuffed animals seem good as new. To be absolutely safe, though, you'd probably better listen to Gloria.

The animals my mom kept for me were just in plastic bags or cardboard boxes for about 5 years and don't seem too much worse for the wear. But for all the years before that they were sitting out on display.

How about using a vacuum sealer if you have one? It would keep bugs and humidity at bay in the attic.

I had bunches of my daughter's old Beanie Babies stuffed tots. I couldn't find adequate storage for them. Attic too hot in summer, too cold in winter. Basement and garage too damp. Spiders in crawl space and garage. EEEW! So I put them in plastic dry cleaning bags and they are in her bedroom closet. That bedroom is now our guest room, as DD moved out about a year ago. It might be better to donate them to a Day Care Center or other children in your family. Even tho they are a toddler's favorite toy now, she won't remember them by the time she's in high school.

Since your daughter is just a toddler, she likely isn't going to remember which were her "favorites" when she was a baby. If YOU have an emotional attachment to them and that's why you're keeping them, think about how many "special things" you're going to have stored away by the time she grows up and leaves home. Now, unbless you plan to have a "museum" of your daughter's childhood in your home, then saving "special" toys can become an albatros around your neck.

It's getting emotional about "stuff" that causes so many of us to suddenly find ourselves drowning in clutter. Think about keeping just ONE of those stuffed animals and donate the rest of them. ONE stuffed animal can be a cute accent in her bedroom decor or might even fit in with the decor in your family room or peeking out behind plants in your kitchen window. Other than that, consider WHY you feel the need to store several no-longer-used toys long-term and unless there's a reason that's more compelling than sentiment, give them away and make room for new, BETTER favorite toys now that she's entering a new life stage.

Prestonsnana nailed it. We had so many "favorites". 30-40 years later, they were still hanging around here in youngest DD's vacated room, too special to get rid of. Clean and paint room, cram the most special of the special of those dust covered varmints (racoons, tigers, etc. with their repaired eyes and limbs) under the bed in 1st DD's room.

1stDD is coming home for the holidays with her DH who,OMG, has severe allergies. Goodbye old buddies. Packed them into a couple of big black baggies and tossed them into the garage. They don't seem to be there anymore.

I saw on TV once (can't remember what show) where they took cute photos of each of the stuffed toys that the kids were being encouraged to donate/get rid of. They made the photos into a nice little book for the kids to keep and have a memory that didn't take up quite so much space!
Not sure if that would actually make it easier or harder to part with the toys, but worth considering anyways.

There is a stuffed animal hammock you can buy at ToysRUs that hangs in the corner of the room, suspended from the ceiling. I used these for years and they work very well.

Hilarious, this thread is ancient, but I just hauled out a bag of stuffed animals yesterday and ran it through the dryer to freshen them up. My kids are 16 and 20. The 16-year old remembers most of them and doesn't want to see them go yet; they played with them a lot for a long time.

A cotton horse from my own childhood 53 years ago has what might be a bit of white mold on it, just dust really, but the newer ones which are all synthetic are just fine. I've had bags of them in the attic (hot summer, cold winter) in plastic bags, no real problem. They get aired out every few years.

KarinL

I store stuffed animals in a large "Space Bag", you know the kind that has a valve that you attach to your vacuum cleaner and suck out all the air. I usually stick a dryer sheet in there before I suck all the air out, for a fresh scent. When you open the bag, you just shake the animal and it fluffs right back up.

I read a long time ago, a woman opened up each stuffed animal and threw away the stuffing. She stored the "skin" (carcass?) only (don't remember how). If the owner wanted to resurrect the animal, new stuffing could be purchased cheaply enough.

They would certainly take up less space that way.

QVC recently had on those large vacumm space bags they got over 13 pillows in one and dozens of gigantic stuffed animals in another and then vacuumed the air out. they were flat afterward and waterproof and moth proof check their webpage. I have one space bg with old party dresses but not thyissame brand Hope it helps

I have a few cherished stuffed toys from over the years collecting dust on shelves. I've resolved to clean them up and take portraits of them, add notes about why they're special, and send the toys on down the line. Some day they'll end up in one of those print-your-own memory books or as framed art. I can revisit and appreciate them years from now without the weird guilt of seeing them dusty on the shelves or cramming them into a bag and stashing them somewhere in our very small house:)

I'll be selling any leftover stuffed toys at an upcoming tag sale late September/early October (minus the Steiff frog from the '50's, which really takes up no space whatsoever -- 15 years or so ago it was worth at least $100 on eBay). Anything else I'm still fond of (the leopard is the only one that comes to mind) I'll photograph first. Anything that remains after that will be donated.

I am finally really purging! (I hope!) - no, I don't have that many stuffed animals left -- the leopard, the frog, a lion, two bunnies and two cats. Oh, and a tiny musical elephant.

Of course it is different if you are dealing with a toddler's toys. Save a couple aside that she (or he) really likes and seems to talk to, even if she's doing it much less frequently now. My brother was attached to a stuffed bull well into 8th grade.

Someone suggested vacuum sealing the stuffed animals -- if the plush is in good condition, I think this would flatten down and ruin the plush, if saving the stuffed critters is of interest to you. (Then,, of course, they might be easier to get rid of further down the road, if they are perma-smashed!!)

Right now I have all my beanie boos and beanie babies in a Rubbermaid tote with the lid off and I dump them on my bed every couple months til I can properly display them. My beanie buddies and my build a bears are on my bed and bookshelf. I have over 115. I am proud of my collection and I am 33 years old. Never too old for stuffed animals

I would honestly just have her pic her very favourite and donate the rest. I don’t keep stuffed animals as they can be collectors of dust and dust mites.

If they belong to your kids you have no say.

I kept my kids outgrown stuffed toys in two large plastic garbage cans on wheels for several years and they were fine. Then when they were teens I gave then away to kids. couldn't believe how many they had. When they were little I had a chain across the ceiling with clothe pins holding them up, so they could pick which ones to play with.

"Bkanz" is spamming. Please flag.