Recycling Advice Needed

I'm stumped.  I have three or four bags of baby toys and other toddler toys that are in reasonably good shape. These bags have set down roots in my house because I don't know where to responsibly get rid of them.  They are made of plastic and wood.  They should not be in the trash and in a landfill - but I don't know how to get rid of them. What have you found that works? I've tried: 

• Goodwill - doesn't take toys.  Safety issues.
• Shelter Network - has enough toys - out of space to store all the donations.
• Toys for Tots - only new toys.  After all, these are for holiday presents.
• Allied Waste - doesn't recycle hard plastic or wood toys.  Frustrating because my husband's old company made railroad ties out of recycled toys (and other recycled plastic, fiberglass and rubber) - so someone is taking them and recycling them - just not here.
• eBay - I don't want to sell and ship them.  
• The pre-school/daycare - they have enough (overflowing actually).
• Our housekeeper and her neighbors - they are full on toys too.

I want to do the responsible thing - we teach our children to both donate and recycle.  I want to drop off the bags and have the toys either used or recycled.  I've searched for solutions online - perhaps I just missed something obvious.  I'm open to suggestion - we'll even go through the bags and do a sort.  

If you have the solution in the Bay Area - please send over a comment as these bags just have to go.

Comments

[Maureen]

What about shelters? Churches? Freecycle websites? Mothers of Multiples hold yearly sales? What about a garage sale at your temple and use the proceeds to donate to the temple? Others could join in and donate their stuff too. Good luck. You are amazing to try despite your schedule.

[Lisa]

What about selling them on Craigslist, with the caveat that the buyer must pick them up from you?

Or advertise on Craigslist for anyone who wants a donation of toys?

[Joelle - a Practical Parent]

Craigslist is a great idea - I can organize and post. Probably could try the Burlingame Mother's Club too...

What should I do with the ones that aren't donation worthy and just need to be responsibly discarded?

[Regina]

You can always try Freecycle. I'm on the Foster City group but I'm sure there's one for Burlingame. www.freecycle.org. Or you can just search for a Burlingame (or whatever neighborhood you live in) freecycle group on Yahoo. The main proviso is that whatever you're getting rid of has to be free.

[Heidi Carson]

The Craigslist free section is great for getting rid of that stuff where you say, someone must want this, I just don't know who. I've gotten rid of a bunch of stuff that way, including several boxes of random stuff we cleared out of our garage when we redid it recently. I take a picture and post it with a description of the item(s). Then I invite people to call me directly because it goes faster that way than exchanging emails. First come, first serve, and usually whatever it is gets taken in a day or two. In the past I've seen people leave their house address and say, it's on the front step, come get it, which is even easier if you are willing to post your home address on Craigslist.

I've also donated toys to Goodwill in Mountain View and Sunnyvale in the past and they've never told me they won't take them. Strange.

[Joelle - a Practical Parent]

So - what do I do with the toys that need to be thrown out. I need help there - ideas?