About Character Online

Character Online is the shop run by Character Options, the British toy company behind a long list of licensed ranges, so this is the maker selling direct rather than a reseller.

What you will find

The catalogue is built around licences: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Doctor Who, Power Rangers, Peppa Pig, Bluey, Fingerlings, Goo Jit Zu and MonsterVerse among many others, alongside the company's own lines. By type that means action figures and playsets, collectables and blind bags, electronic and interactive toys, arts and crafts, games and preschool toys. There is a section of items at ten pounds and under, which is the place to look for party bags and small gifts.

Shopping by age

The site sorts by age band — under three, three to five, five to seven, six to eight, and nine and over — and it is worth using rather than skipping. Age marking on toys is a safety judgement, not a difficulty rating: a toy marked three and over generally carries that mark because it contains small parts, which are a choking risk for a younger child regardless of how advanced that child is. If there is a toddler in the house, that applies to the older sibling's toys left on the floor too.

Buying for a collector

Licensed figures come and go with the broadcast schedule, and a wave that sells out often does not return, so if a specific figure completes a set it is worth taking when you see it. Check the scale before ordering if the figure needs to stand alongside others — the same licence is frequently made in more than one size, and a six-inch figure next to a three-inch one looks wrong on a shelf. Battery requirements are listed on the product page, and the electronic toys rarely include them.

Timing matters through the autumn. The licensed lines that appear in Christmas advertising tend to sell through by early December and reappear only after the new year, so a specific figure on a list is worth ordering in October rather than hoping. The under-ten-pound section is also where the stocking fillers live, and it thins out fastest.

Using a Character Online discount code

Fill the basket, paste the code into the discount box before payment, and make sure the reduction appears on the summary.