The Entertainer launches pre-Black Friday toy sale with up to 85% off

BLACK Friday is still weeks away but that doesn’t mean you can’t bag a bargain earlier.

Toy store The Entertainer has kicked off its pre-Black Friday sale where you can get as much as 85% off kids favourites like Nerf, Barbie, Disney and more.

Savings before Black Friday can be found at The Entertainer

Black Friday falls on 27 November this year but many retailers now run sales and discounts weeks ahead.

It’s a good time to shop for Christmas but you never know if you might find something cheaper closer to the big day.

It’s always worth checking any items you’re eyeing up aren’t cheaper elsewhere though, so you know you’re getting the best deal right now.

Don’t forget, you can only shop online for home delivery or click and collect because of lockdown in England and Wales.

How to compare prices to get the best deal

JUST because something is on offer, or is part of a sale, it doesn’t mean it’s always a good deal.

There are plenty of comparison websites out there that’ll check prices for you – so don’t be left paying more than you have to.

Most of them work by comparing the prices across hundreds of retailers.

Here are some that we recommend:

Google Shopping is a tool that lets users search for and compare prices for products across the web. Simply type in keywords, or a product number, to bring up search results.

Price Spy logs the history of how much something costs from over 3,000 different retailers, including Argos, Amazon, eBay and the supermarkets. Once you select an individual product you can quickly compare which stores have the best price and which have it in stock.

Idealo is another website that lets you compare prices between retailers. All shoppers need to do is search for the item they need and the website will rank them from the cheapest to the most expensive one.

CamelCamelCamel only works on goods being sold on Amazon. To use it, type in the URL of the product you want to check the price of.

The Entertainer and other toy stores are not considered essential under the lockdown rules, so you can’t go to stores to buy items or browse the shelves.

Scotland and Northern Ireland stores remain open.

Home delivery and click & collect is still available from the 150 stores nationwide during lockdown.

Click & collect is free but only available for orders of £15 or over and should be ready to collect in three working days.

Deliveries to your home are free when you spend more than £49.99 and £3.99 if you spend less. Express delivery for the next working day costs £5.99.

And if your basket is eligible for Asda toy collection, you can pick up your package in Asda stores nationwide as well as myHermes Parcel shops for £4.99.

Here are our top picks of The Entertainer’s pre-Black Friday sale.

Interactive Buzz Lightyear

Was: £79.99. Now: £39.99. Saving: £40 (50%) – buy now

Pixar's Toy Story toys are on sale at The Entertainer — Pixar’s Toy Story toys are on sale at The Entertainer

To infinity… and 50% off at The Entertainer.

This Buzz Lightyear toy figure is interactive, with phrases sounds and lights all going on.

It’s suitable for kids aged 4 and over and requires three AA batteries which are not included.

We found this slightly cheaper at Smyths for £34.99 and a similar figures that’s interactive at Disney for £30.

At Smyths, standard shipping is free on orders over £19, £2.99 for orders of between £10 and £19 and £4.99 on orders under £10.

Disney’s online delivery is free on orders over £50 or £3.95.

Nerf guns

Was: £44.99, Now: £14.99. Saving: £30 (66%) – buy now

Two Nerf guns are better than one and Nerf’s Laser Ops Pro Alpha Point 2 Pack has lasers, lights and sound effects.

Competitive kids can even track their scores against others with the wristbands that come with it.

They are suitable for kids aged 8 and over and requires 8 AA batteries which are not included.

You can also get this at Smyths for £14.99, where standard shipping is free on orders over £19, £2.99 for orders of between £10 and £19 and £4.99 on orders under £10.

Barbie noodle maker playset

Was: £27. Now: £20. Saving: £7 (25%) – buy now

This Barbie toy has dough problem making noodles

There’s a range of Barbie toys on sale, including this doll and dough playset to make toy noodles.

It’s suitable for kids ages between 3 and 10 and comes with a little workstation and chopsticks too.

This sale price at The Entertainer is the cheapest we found it online.

Owleez flying baby interactive toy

Was: £59.99. Now: £14.99. Saving: £45. (75%) – buy now

Here’s another interactive toy with a much lower price tag.

Kids will be kept occupied by this owl’s ability to whizz round, react to food and tickles and even change eyecolur.

Owleez come in pink or white. are suitable for ages 6 to 10 and it’s rechargeable so you won’t have to spend more on batteries.

This sale price is also the cheapest we could find it online.

Pieface showdown

Was: £29 Now: £7.25. Saving £21.75 (75%) – buy now

The Pieface game costs less than a tenner

A fun game for all the family, all you have to do is buy the whipped cream!

For anyone not familiar, this hilarious game pits two people against each other and they have to hit the buttons as quickly as possible to avoid getting splatted in the face.

BargainMax is next closest on cost with a sale price of £9.99, where home delivery costs £1.99 for an order under £4.99 and is free for orders above this price.

Starlink Starter set for Xbox

Was: £39.99. Now: £5.99. Saving: £34 (85%) – buy now

With a whopping 85% off, this is one for gaming fans.

Starlink:Battle for Atlas is a computer game for Xbox and this starter kit includes the game itself and a toy starship which you can attach to the Xbox controller while playing the game.

It’s suitable for kids aged 8 and over and there are also sets for PS4 and Nintendo Switch with similar reductions.

This is the cheapest we found the pack online and the next closes was TheWorks where it’s £10 and delivery costs £2.99 or is free on orders over £30.

How to protect yourself while online shopping

GUT FEELING: Stick to popular retailers such as Amazon, Currys and Argos.
If you are looking at less well known sites, trust your instinct. Do not shop anywhere that looks unprofessional, has odd pop-ups or is selling items at prices that seem too good to be true.
FAKE NEWS: Do not reveal any unnecessary personal information. All you need to give is your name, address and payment details.
Avoid clicking on links on emails. Phishing scams can stem from messages that seem legitimate, but send you to bogus sites that collect information to steal your identity.
Instead, type the URL directly into the search bar.
NOT SO SMART: Use your computer instead of your mobile. Most phones do not have anti-virus software, and it is harder to tell whether shortened URLs used on social media are legitimate.
Also, wait until you are home and on a password-protected wifi network as public hotspots do not protect your data. Regularly update your browser to boost your security.
HACKED OFF: Using the same password for every retailer you sign up for may seem like the easy option but it makes hackers’ job easy.
Use complicated passwords, make them different for each site and change them every few months.
ADDRESS IT: Check that the website you are using has HTTPS in the URL, as the “S” indicates that the way your information is being sent is secure. Another sign of a secure site is a small padlock on the screen.

You’ll find all toy stores and other non-essential retailers are closed during the lockdown but you can still get click and collect and delivery from many of them.