With the holiday season only a few months away, we are already seeing a huge increase in toy purchases. So, we interviewed Tara from Australia, a frequent toy shopper and user of US Unlocked, to find out where to shop for the best deals in toys.

1) What toys do you buy in the USA?

Mainly collectables, dolls and baby toys. I have four kids aged 11, 9, 6 and 1 years old and they each have different interests and are at different stages.

2) What is the main reason for choosing to buy these in the USA and not in your own country?

Price, variety and availablility. The US has more stores offering a wider choice of products, and have better sales. US stores also have many online exclusives that are not available in my country.

3) What are your favorite brands and stores for these items?

Barbie and Fisher Price. I buy from Barbie Collector, Mattel, Fisher Price, Toys R Us, Target and Kohl's.

4) Do you go on blogs or forums to find out what to buy and if so, which are they?

I mainly rely on Facebook.

5) What do you predict will be the most popular toy this Christmas? Custom scooters for boys. They are crazy, popular here at the moment. For girls Hideaway Hollow by Fisher Price and anything Barbie. For babies toy telephones, vacuums, or keys. They always want what Mum and Dad have! A toy version of an iphone would be great if I could find one!

6) Do you recommend other toy buyers to use US Unlocked to ship these items to their country?

I would highly recommend US Unlocked. They are fast and reliable, and never disappoint.Shipping and delivery is fast and reasonable, but the best thing is the personal service. ------Thanks Tara for your input!

We agree with Tara that Kohl's is an excellent place to find some very good deals on toys. They often have promotions and we certainly recommend signing up for their newsletter. Kohl's orders are best to be placed through our Personal Shopping service.

Toys R us and Target have a great selection of online exclusives. These are usually collectible toys with brand names like FisherPrice, Mattel or Disney that are not sold anywhere else. Your kid (or the kid in you!) will have a truly unique toy.

For a phenomenal collection of current toys but also toys that have been around forever, go to FAO Schwarz. The best way, however to experience FAO Schwarz is to visit the flagship store in New York City right by Central Park. Remember this scene, from 'Big' the movie?

At US Unlocked we ship such a great deal of baby related items such as gear and clothing that we decided to get to the bottom of the why, how and what by interviewing our loyal customer Lynette Lai from Hong Kong. Have a look at what she says:

1) What baby items/equipment do you buy in the USA?

I buy a huge range of baby goods including baby highchairs, strollers, car seats, baby clothes and shoes, breastpumps and its spare parts, nursing bras and tops, toys, fenugreek and organic milk tea for lactation, baby utensils and baby swim gear and floats.

2) What is the main reason for choosing to buy these in the USA and not in your own country? (price, quality, style?)

The main reason for choosing to buy goods in the USA and not in Hong Kong is because they are cheaper and there's a greater variety of styles/models. I found that many U.S. baby goods (even ones Made In China) are dramatically marked up in HK.

3) What are your favorite brands and stores for these items?

Amazon is a great online store because they stock everything. I love using the Avent line for baby's feeding needs. For baby car seats, I definitely prefer Britax. For baby clothes, I love Baby GAP!!!! For nursing tops and bras, I love Bravado. For highchair and stroller, I recommend Stokke. For linen and bedding, I love Living Textiles.

4) Do you go on blogs or forums to find out what to buy and if so, which are they?

I usually just go on Amazon and read reviews of products before buying. Otherwise, I'll Google say "best strollers" and see what they come up with.

5) Do you recommend other baby product buyers to use US Unlocked to ship these items to their country?

Definitely. I've already recommended a few friends to use US Unlocked to ship goods to Hong Kong. I've found that US Unlocked is reasonably priced, reliable and responsive.

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Thank you Lynette, for your answers and kind words!