toys

China Revokes 750 Export Licenses, Orders 690 Toy Factories To Renovate

China Revokes 750 Export Licenses, Orders 690 Toy Factories To Renovate

By consumeristcarey 11.3.07

Worried that the whole tainted export thing might further poison their image, China this week revoked the export licenses of 750 toy factories citing quality control problems. The move came just as the Senate Commerce Committee passed the CPSC Reform Act, which would strengthen domestic toy safety standards and impose penalties of up to $100 million on companies that sell dangerous toys.

Despite the announcement of the license suspensions, Chinese regulators said 99 percent of toy exports in southern Guangdong Province, near Hong Kong, met quality standards.

CPSC Tells Companies, "Don't Recall Products On Your Own"

CPSC Tells Companies, "Don't Recall Products On Your Own"

By cwalters 11.1.07

A CPSC spokeswoman said this week that Wal-Mart’s independent recall of lead-tainted toy animals on October 19th was all well and good, but that they should have included more information that consumers need in order to act quickly—including how many products were sold, when they were sold and at what other retailers, and the name of the manufacturer. Said the spokeswoman, “We are not big fans of when companies handle recall announcements independently of the agency. It can cause confusion and doesn’t always provide consumers with the information they need.”

Consumer Reports Finds "Troubling" Levels Of Lead In Unrecalled Fisher-Price Toy

Consumer Reports Finds "Troubling" Levels Of Lead In Unrecalled Fisher-Price Toy

By 10.29.07

Consumer Reports is busy testing lead levels in children’s toys that are not on any recall list just to see if they are safe. They’re nice like that.

Liveblogging The Senate Commerce Committee Hearing On Toys, Children's Products, And The Chinese Sweatshops In Which They're Made

Liveblogging The Senate Commerce Committee Hearing On Toys, Children's Products, And The Chinese Sweatshops In Which They're Made

By consumeristcarey 10.25.07

Starting today at 9:30 a.m., the Senate Commerce Committee will examine the lives of the young Chinese workers who assemble our Barbies and Tiggers without the workforce protections or social safety nets enjoyed by western workers.

See All CPSC Toy Recalls On One Page

See All CPSC Toy Recalls On One Page

By consumerist.com 10.25.07

So the CPSC is always recalling all sorts of crap, like the surprising candles which could lead to fire, or the snowboards which could lead to falling, but as a concerned parent, all you care about is the toys. The freakin’ toys. The ones with the lead and the chokey parts. Well, even though their website coder probably doubles as the meatloaf server at lunchtime, they’ve got a catchall page that is your go-to spot for all the toy hazard related recalls. Just memorize the simple URL: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/category/toy.html.

By cwalters 10.24.07

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If you’re doing holiday shopping online but want to know where your toys are made before you buy them, check out the list at FatBrainToys. They don’t sell things like Bratz or Hot Wheels, but if you’re in the market for unique (sometimes even “educational”) toys, it’s a good place to start. [FatBrainToys.com]

Walmart Recalls "Realistic Animals" Tainted With Lead

Walmart Recalls "Realistic Animals" Tainted With Lead

By consumeristcarey 10.21.07

A plague of lead has stricken Walmart’s stock of “realistic animals”. Affected animals include farm animals, jungle animals, and even the feared dinosaur. The animals are currently trapped in chinsy cellophane bags clad shut by a brandless cardboard strip that proudly boasts: 88 Cents!

“Wal-Mart said independent testing revealed excessive levels of lead in the base material, not the surface coating.”

California's Ban On Phthalates May Spread To Other States

California's Ban On Phthalates May Spread To Other States

By cwalters 10.16.07

Yesterday’s legal action in California against Apple over its use of phthalates may be the opening shot in a nation-wide battle between consumer advocates, health agencies, state and federal entities, and manufacturers of everything from teething rings to consumer electronics to sex toys. Although the ban (which will go into effect Jan. 1, 2009) is limited to California, “lawmakers in Texas, Illinois, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, Washington, Maine, Connecticut and New York are expected to introduce similar legislation in the coming months, according to environmental and breast cancer groups that sponsored the California measure.”

Environmental Group Says Curious George Doll Is Tainted With Lead

Environmental Group Says Curious George Doll Is Tainted With Lead

By 10.11.07

The Center for Environmental Health says they’ve tested a Curious George doll that is currently on stores shelves and found that it contains more than “ten times the legal lead limit”, prompting Marvel Entertainment Group to stop new shipments from China.

Shareholders File Lawsuit Against Mattel Over Toy Recalls

Shareholders File Lawsuit Against Mattel Over Toy Recalls

By 10.10.07

Mattel’s shareholders are upset. A pension fund in Michigan has filed a shareholder lawsuit against the company, claiming that they mishandled product safety procedures and were therefor responsible for 3 toy recalls this summer. The lawsuit also alleges that executives with knowledge of the defects sold $33 million in stock before the recalls were announced.

Do Consumers Actually Participate In Recalls? (No.)

Do Consumers Actually Participate In Recalls? (No.)

By cwalters 10.10.07

Despite all the hand-wringing on our part, we consumers don’t actually participate in recalls at a very high level. This leaves both manufacturers and the CPSC in the dark about whether their warnings are reaching the right people—which is why the House approved a bill this Tuesday that would require manufacturers of certain infant and toddler products to keep registration info on their customers.

Buy All The Toys You Need Now, Because Prices Are Going Up

Buy All The Toys You Need Now, Because Prices Are Going Up

By cwalters 10.10.07

Just buy ’em and scrape off the lead paint. Why? Because toy makers will be passing the cost of higher-quality and better-made toys on to you next year. Says one analyst, “Anything that’s a new introduction, you can make that price point $19.99 rather than $14.99.”

Barbie Teaches Credit Cards 101: "You Never Run Out Of Money!"

Barbie Teaches Credit Cards 101: "You Never Run Out Of Money!"

By cwalters 10.8.07

Fashion Fever Shopping Boutique, the correctly named Barbie toy, features a built-in credit card swiper and a life-size credit card for young children to use when buying outfits for their dolls. According to the Amazon website, “Once the balance hits zero, it will reset so you can continue to shop.”

FlyJumper Ad Promises To Make You Awesome, Then Rich, Then Dead

FlyJumper Ad Promises To Make You Awesome, Then Rich, Then Dead

By cwalters 10.4.07

In the U.S. they’re called PoweriZers, but in the U.K. those springy pogo-boot things are called FlyJumpers, and the company that sells them has come up with a bizarre ad that appeals to… materialistic and amoral fame-seekers who are suicidal, we guess? The commercial—which is available on the Amazon.co.uk product info page—shows a bank robber making an amazing escape on his FlyJumpers, and getting away with thousands of pound notes. Then, inexplicably, it turns into a scene from “Final Destination.”

5 Marketing Tricks That Unleash Shopping Frenzies

5 Marketing Tricks That Unleash Shopping Frenzies

By consumerist.com 10.4.07

  • Artificially limit supply. They had a giant warehouse full of Beanie Babies, but released them in squirts to prolong the buying orgy.
  • Issue press releases about limited supply so news van show up
  • Aggressively market to children. Daddy may not play with his kids as much as he should but one morning he can get up at the crack of dawn, get a Teddy Ruxpin, and be a hero.
  • Make a line of minute variations on the same theme to create the “collect them all” effect.
  • Make it only have one highly specialized function so you can sell one that laughs, one that sings, one that skydives, etc, ad nauseum.
By consumerist.com 10.3.07

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After independent tests show lead in Walmart pet toys, Instead of solving the problem or even fulfilling a pledge to test the toys, Walmart summoned one of its PR minions from a pile of feces located under a cesspool in Chernobyl to try to bully ConsumerAffairs.com with legal threats and disinformation. [ConsumerAffairs]

Thomas & Friends Customers Sent Lead Tainted Toys As Apology For Lead Tainted Toys

Thomas & Friends Customers Sent Lead Tainted Toys As Apology For Lead Tainted Toys

By 10.2.07

If you returned a recalled Thomas & Friends toy to RC2, you probably received an apology and a “bonus gift.” We hope you didn’t give the toy to your kid, because some of the “bonus gifts” have been recalled for lead contamination.

Walmart Begins Holiday Toy Price War In October

Walmart Begins Holiday Toy Price War In October

By 10.1.07

It’s October, the new official start to the holiday shopping season. At least according to Walmart. They’re already discounting toys.

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