Cheap Dog Toys

[IrishAyes]

I'm lucky enough to live where they have a church-sponsored Clothes Closet. Nice stuff, 10 cents apiece. The only downside is the lack of a dressing room, so you pay your $ and take your chances. Twice now I've brought home several pairs of jeans that NEVER will fit.

This evening I had an epiphany of sorts. I cut off the jeans legs, rolled each into a tube which I tied in a knot in the middle. When my two young and extremely destructive dogs next went outdoors, I threw one of these jean-leg tug toys out there with them and they had a ball. They seem too submissive or something to play tug with me - even the tallish JRT - but between themselves they roll around like a couple of battling cats, making the most savage noises imaginable but doing no harm since they love each other.

You don't want to know the fortune I've spent trying to find toys they'll like but can't destroy in 5 minutes. The big squeaky chicken got beheaded in 5 minutes. Etc. I've even seen them destroy some Kong toys. Doubtless they'll eventually destroy the jean leg tug toy as well - but at least those are 5 cents apiece and easily available. And after all, denim is pretty tough.

[Curmudgeoness]

1. Great idea for used up jeans.

I use clothes that are just worn out for cat toys (since I don't have dogs). I also roll them up, with catnip in the middle, and do a quick sew up of the seam. With cats, they last a lot longer.

Another thing you can do if you have too many jeans that don't fit is donate some of them. Unless the dog toys work out too well and you need more and more.

[IrishAyes]

2. Well, this is a tiny bump-in-the-road town but it is the official seat of the most sparsely

populated county in the state. Only place for decent shopping is 60 miles away. So county residents consider this a 'big' town. There are a few quite wealthy families here, but mostly they're well below the poverty line. So the clothes closet serves a great need.

However, for some reason there are always lots of jeans, so I don't feel guilty cutting up a few for dog toys. And I always try to find something first in the reject bin where the volunteers toss unacceptably worn items. The dogs don't care.

I really like the place. It would almost be cheaper to buy a new wardrobe there every week than to wash the clothes I've worn at home. But it would look tacky. Everyone would be convinced I was selling stuff on eBay. They did have to limit the purchase of children's clothing and keep records, because as you might imagine, some people would come in, clear out the racks, and sell stuff at yard sales. Quite the scandal when they got caught, and rightfully so. But for some reason they've never had a problem with adults' wear, and I'm not about to stir up unwarranted suspicions.

Because of the few wealthy families, I've even found good brand new designer clothing there with the tags still on. Still 10 cents. Everything used to be free, but operating costs required a donation request. They'd let you have stuff for free if you asked.

[Kaleva]

3. I have a couple of really worn out jeans which I'll use to make dog toys with.

A really good idea! Thank you for posting it.

[IrishAyes]

4. Well, only after you have made all the purses and backpacks you can use.

[No Vested Interest]

5. This is such a good idea you may be able to make a little money

buying cheap (10cents for two toys) and selling for a bit more -maybe $1.00,2.00, or 3.00 each.
You could go into business and sell online.
Perhaps in the DU marketplace. Sell in pkgs of 4, 5, or 6 to make the mailing worthwhile.
Half serious - if you don't do it, someone else will.
Only I don't know of anywhere else where a pair of jeans could be purchased for 10 cents.

[IrishAyes]

6. Well, it's a great idea but if I did that in any quantity to be worthwhile, the Clothes Closet

would definitely notice and put a stop to it. Their goal is not to make $ but rather to serve the needs of an impoverished community. I don't see a heck of a whole lot of altruism around here or concern for suffering of the poor, so I don't even want to interfere with that mission. If it was even the Salvation Army where they charged $2-3 for a pair of jeans, I'd have done so a long time ago. But at 10 cents, I can't bring myself to do that.