It’s hard to tell what you need to take off the shelf when you buy your product by the pound and aren’t really sure what you’re getting. That’s the problem thrift stores are facing now that so many toys have been recalled.

Store manager Jeremy Lamb said recalls are nothing new to him and his employees. They regularly receive them from their Seattle-based corporate office and they’ll handle the Mattel recall like any other: The recalled toys will be pulled from the shelves and tossed in the trash compactor, he said.

“I think our company does a pretty good job of it,” he said.

Lamb received a detailed e-mail Tuesday with the list of Mattel toys to keep an eye out for. His employees will likely go through the inventory today. The e-mail also will be posted at an employee station close to where the toys are stocked.

Recalls like Mattel’s pose a unique problem for Value Village stores because they buy their stock by the pound from wholesalers, not knowing exactly what they’re buying, Lamb said. Then they sort through the products to decide which ones will go on shelves and which ones will be donated overseas, he said.

It’s good to know their checking, but wow—what a huge pain in the ass.

Toy recall prompts thrift stores to comb through inventories [Seattle Times]
(Photo:Bent and Marilynn)

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.