Yes, it's made in China, no it's not chock full of poison

Many people have developed an aversion to Chinese made toys in the past couple of years.
The news reports of unsafe toys almost always refer to toys that are made in China, so why wouldn't people put two and two together and come to the conclusion that Chinese made toys are unsafe?
Well, let's look into that a bit. Here at YoYo Joe's Toys & Fun, safety of the toy is one of the primary things we look for when checking out a new toy. We get e-mails from the Consumer Products Safety Comission anytime there is a recall of any toy, and we keep on top of it. Since we've opened in November, we've had no toys that we carry been subject to recall. We also seek out toys made in the USA, and have some awesome items we carry that are made in the USA (Most of our books, Yo-Yo Jam yo-yos, Lunastix juggling sticks, KEVA wooden planks, Melissa & Doug cardboard puzzles, Gamewright games, Briarpatch games, Make-A-Plate kits, Flying Turtles & more) as well as toys made in the EU (Bruder, Playmobil, etc) - but the vast majority of what we sell are made in China.
Don't make the mistake of assuming that all toys made in China are subject to the same conditions of manufacture. Most of the bigger toy companies, companies like Melissa & Doug, send employees to live in China and keep tabs on the manufacturing of toys. The mistakes that have been made in China generally occur when a company farms out the manufacture of a product with little or no controls on how it's made.
There's also a wide variety of factories in China - some of the best made toys we sell come from China. Take Blue-Orange Games as an example. Their games are made in China - many of them from wood. In addition to making sure all their games are safe - they are extremely active in protecting our environment. They are the only toy company that I'm aware of with a plan to replant trees they use for production. For each tree they use to produce games, they replant two. Read their policy here. They won the first "Green Toy Company" Award from Dr. Toy in 2007 in recognition of their environmental awareness. It would be a shame to completely ignore their products based on country of manufacture. The miYim soft organic toys we just got in stock are made in China, but you'd be hard pressed to find a plush company with a bigger dedication to the safety and quality of it's materials.
The simple fact is that companies feel pressure to move manufacturing to China in order to maintain competitiveness in terms of price. Things are changing in China - both because of the safety concerns that have arisen over the past couple of years and by the staggering growth their economy has seen over the past ten years. Will that just cause a move in manufacturing to another country? Possibly - I've seen more "Made in Vietnam" tags on my clothes over the past couple years. Will it cause a reversal and move manufacturing back to the USA? I certainly hope so, as part of our mission here is to shop local - keeping money as close to home as possible - but we also have a responsibility to make sure that the toys we sell are also fun and within the price range of our customers.
So, when shopping for good, quality toys, don't dismiss 'made in China' out of hand - use it as one of the factors when considering your purchases.

Happy National Bankruptcy Day!

If you're a fan of toys, or have read my blog for a while, you'll be aware of the whole brouhaha that erupted last year for toy safety. Millions of toys were recalled due to a variety of safety isses - most famously due to lead content. People were rightfully outraged that toys were available in the US with two, three and even four times the legal limit of lead in them. This lead to the passage of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) in August, 2008. Among other things, the CPSIA bans lead and phthalates in toys, mandates third-party testing and certification for all toys and requires toy makers to permanently label each toy with a date and batch number.
There seems be some unintended (well, at least I'd like to say they were unintended) consequences to this act. The cost to test toys to comply with the CPSIA has been reported at $4,000 per toy, with toy manufacturer Learning Resources has been quoted a fee of over $24,000 to test one of their children's telescopes. Check out the quote here.
For toy giants like Mattel and Hasbro, this represents a relatively small amount per toy imported. It seems to reason that if you make a million of one Barbie doll, dividing $4,000 by a million will lead to a small incremental cost. But, what about small companies? What about people who still make toys by hand by the dozens, not the millions? $4,000 divided by 100 is $40 per toy. Dolls that are handmade to sell at $30 each can now over double to $70.
These small companies will face a decision, in a little over a month, of whether to increase their prices drastically, cease operations or operate illegally. Just to make toys in the US.
A group has popped up to try to save these handmade toys, it's the Handmade Toy Alliance. You can check out their website here. Or their facebook page here.
In this Wall Street Journal article about the pending law, Learning Resources chairman Rick Woldenberg has dubbed the day the CPSIA takes effect as "National Bankruptcy Day" due to the number of handmade toy makers, toy retailers and other companies that may be forced to close their doors due to the new laws. A website has popped up with that name that urges changes to the act. You can also click the cute image above to see what you can do to help.
I've been vocal about the need to increase toy safety, and I recognize that something had to be done, but it feels like in the rush to get something done, the US Congress has overlooked some significant details. The huge concern over foreign made toys last year has led to legislation that could all but eliminate small companies that want to make toys in the United States.

Toy Safety Bill overwhelmingly passed by US House

The bill on Toy Safety passed in the US House by an overwhelming margin yesterday. The final vote was 424-1.

The bill would limit lead in products for children aged 12 and under to minute levels - making it the toughest lead standards in the world. The bill also bans children's products containing six different types of phthalates (a chemical used to soften plastics). The bill also requires third-party testing for many children's products before they are sold in the United States and gives a hefty raise in the budget for the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC). Check out this article in the New York Times (registration required). Ron Paul of Texas was the only Congressperson to vote against this bill.

The bill moves on the Senate, where, in the immortal words of 'Bill:'

"I'm just a bill
Yes, I'm only a bill
And if they vote for me on Capitol Hill
Well, then I'm off to the White House
Where I'll wait in a line
With a lot of other bills
For the president to sign
And if he signs me, then I'll be a law.
How I hope and pray that he will,
But today I am still just a bill."

My take: As I've stated since this became an issue, we need a Federal law that legislates what can and cannot be in a toy. Passing state laws seem to be silly, in that each state will inevitably be different and it would make it near impossible for toy manufacturers to make toys that comply with each and every state's laws. It seems very likely that this will pass the Senate and that President Bush will sign it.

Breaking News! Congress agrees on toy safety bill

Members of the US House of Representatives and the US Senate have come to agreement on a bill that would severely limit the amount of lead and phthalates that can be in children's toys. The bill now goes on to vote on the floor of the House, then the Senate, then to the President. What's not clear (to me at least) is how this would affect the existing laws on the books for individual states. It seems that this law should supersede any state laws including the laws passed in Michigan and Washington state. Regardless, we need a uniform law to make it feasible for manufacturers to be able to sell their products throughout the United States. Me? I'm all for new laws on lead and phthalates, I just want them to be uniform. I'm familiar with the argument that all this talk about lead and phthalates in toys is much ado about nothing, but I don't buy it. Regardless of how much lead or phthalates are in a toy, there's plenty of proof that these things are very bad things to ingest, so why on earth would we want our kids playing with toys with these in them if we could prevent it?

Check out this article in the New York Times (registration required)

If loving these is illegal...

...throw me in jail. I'm guilty. These are Kinder Eggs. If you're never heard of them, you probably live in the United States. Why? Because they're illegal in the United States.
What they are is a chocolate egg with a large capsule inside them (I'd say about two inches). The capsule has a toy inside it, usually requiring construction. They are aimed at kids (Kinder is German for 'child).
About ten years ago, I was lucky enough to go to the International Toy Fair in Nuremberg, Germany. One of the things I remember best about this trip was that these Kinder Eggs were everywhere. At grocery stores, at convenience stores, train stations, everywhere!
The eggs, made by Italian candy manufacturer Ferrero, are delicious. The toys are usually ingenious in their design and are often quite quirky.
I remember thinking that, despite the thousands of toys I ran across at the Nuremberg toy fair, my big discovery was the Kinder Eggs and how we would sell them at our store, especially around Easter. They were a sure-fire hit. Except for that whole illegal thing.
I found out that thanks to a 1938 F.D.A. law specifically prohibits embedding "non-nutritive items" in confections. The Consumer Product Safety Commission have frequently warned consumers about this product and have stressed how 'dangerous' they are. They issued a recall in 1997 for some that made their way into the United States.
It just seems ironic that here is a candy/toy product that has no lead, no phlatates, no issue at all regarding what's in the product, except that it contains a capsule that could produce a 'choking hazard.'
I'm usually all for enhanced safety with toys and children, but this seems a bit ridiculous. The capsule is so big that I can't imaging a child aged three and over could possibly accidentally swallow it. The parts of the toy can be small, but certainly no smaller than millions of other toys that are legally sold to kids in the US. I dunno, maybe it's just me.

Washington state lowers the boom

Washington state Governor Chris Gregoire signed into law a measure that requires that toys sold in Washington state be free of toxins like lead. While doing so, she also opened the door to significant changes to the law before it's implemented in July of 2009.

The measure states that any product made for children that contains more than .009 percent of lead, .004 percent of cadmium and .10 percent of phthalates cannot be made, sold or distributed in Washington state beginning in July 2009.

Ouch.

I've been all for laws the set the current federal standards much lower all along. What I've been afraid of is individual laws for each state that would make it nearly impossible for toy manufacturers to hit a moving target. Washington clearly wasn't going to wait for a new Federal law to stop them from taking matters into their own hands.

I think this could be a crushing blow to little independent toy stores in Washington state, as if independently owned stores weren't already at a severe disadvantage against big box retailers like Walmart and Toys R Us.

Read the story from the Seattle Times here.

ASTRA meets with co-sponsor of toy reform bill

According to an e-mail sent out to ASTRA (American Specialty Toy Retailers Association), ASTRA Prez Kathleen McHugh met with Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) to talk about the new federal Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) Reform Act of 2007. The act was passed by the US Senate and, according to ASTRA, "is expected to be signed into law in April following some minor changes that will happen in conference when the House and Senate meet to iron out the difference between their two versions. This is the bill that is most friendly to the toy industry, and one that attempts to establish federal standards that will supersede any state standards that are legislated around the country. "

McHugh met with Senator Durbin following a news conference he held at an ASTRA member store - 'The Toy Connection' in Crystal Lake, Illinois.

According to McHugh:
"Our meeting was productive and accomplished these things:

1) Senator Durbin promised to make sure that the language in the final federal law makes it clear that retailers cannot be held liable for safety violations committed by manufacturers. He agreed that this is an important distinction and he appears sincere in his support of our position on it.
2) Senator Durbin committed to making a strong case for strong language that will establish the federal law as pre-emptive of all state laws on standards. Surprisingly, he was unaware that there is legislation on toy safety standards pending in thirty states. It seemed clear that the information I gave him about the various state efforts was of considerable concern to him and underscored the urgency in making the pre-emptive language clear and effective. "

This is great news for the consumer, the manufacturer and the retailer. We need federal standards that protect our children from potentially dangerous toys and also to make it feasible for small companies to comply with one standard - instead of 30 different laws. Kudos to Kathleen McHugh, Senator Durbin and the hosts of the event, Dan and Ulla Koenig of The Toy Connection. Let's hope this gets done the way it sounds like it should.

How much lead is safe in your toys?

Well, obviously, none would be nice but none is a tricky concept. 600 parts per million is the current US legal limit. That sure doesn't sound like much, does it? 600 out of a million?

According to an article in today's Baltimore Sun, Maryland is one of 25 states that is currently considering tainted toy measures in response to the 2007 recallpalooza of tainted toys. According to the article, the manufacturing, processing, packaging, storing or selling of such toys can result in a fine of no more $1,000 per day for each violation.

The bill lumps everyone who is involved in the production and sale of such products as potentially liable entities. While I'm as big a fan of making safer toys as anyone, this troubles me. With each of these states considering their own legislation to combat tainted toys, it would make it very difficult for toy manufacturers to meet the demands of each separate bill passed in the various states. Toys that are perfectly legal in states that have not adopted new legislation would be illegal across the border in the next state. As a toy buyer, I can certainly look at the histories of companies we deal with to determine how safe their toys have been in the past, but until companies catalogs or websites list the lead content of each toy, how am I supposed to know whether a toy is going to pass my state's laws?

Also interesting is how these laws will apply to the secondary market for toys. What about buying stuff off ebay? What about old antique toys?

What we really need are new federal laws that address the issue - make a standard law that manufacturers can deal with and retailers can depend upon when making buying decisions.

You can download the entire text of the bill on it's website here.

Is a green wave coming? AKA "What's all the hub bub, bub?"

I've written about green toys before here and here, and certainly with all the recalls last year and the awareness of lead paint, there's been a new crop of toys coming out that, at the least, stress their safety and, at most, have gone above and beyond by making their toys from recycled material and natural finishes. But, is it a trend? Is it backlash against the safety issues from last year. OR will people demand safer toys until they see the pricetag on something completely safe then sneak back to Walmart to buy their $6.72 Barbie and figure "eh, I ate toy paint when I was a kid and feel OK?"

Consider the lastest in all natural toys. The Swedish company Playsam has introduced their latest to their line of 'executive toys,' the 'miljöbil' (above) - a 'green' wooden toy car that will set you back $50. If you're not aware of Playsam's products, they are absolutely gorgeous wooden toys made in Sweden and aimed squarely at the adult market. I've always had a dilemma about this kind of stuff. It looks cool, but will people really part with $50 for a wooden toy car?

Green Toys

I have to say, these toys look pretty cool. They're from a company called Green Toys, Inc. The main ingredient in the production of these toys are recycled milk jugs. They're also made entirely in the United States.

According to their website, each pound of recycled milk jugs saves energy of the equivalent of 3000 AA batteries, saves enough electricity to power your TV set for three weeks or saves enough electricity to power your laptop for a month.

And they don't forget the packaging. The packaging is made of 100% recycled cardboard with no plastic and no annoying twist ties.

Are we ready for green toys? Members of ASTRA (The American Specialty Toy Retailer Association - we're a member!) voted the tea set (above) one of the top 20 toys at Toy Fair. My only hesitation is the price tag - the tea set will retail for about $35. Otherwise, I'm sold...

Healthy Toys tests 17 new toys

Back in December, I told you about HealthyToys.org, a website that is going to test toys for unsafe toxins. They just released a list of 17 toys they've tested. You can see the entire list here. Of the 17, none came out as high levels - with seven showing up as medium risks. Interestingly, it has been rumored that the impossible to find Webkinz charms were impossible to find due to the lead paint scare - but both charms tested by Healthy Toys came out 'low.'

Zero emission toys...

OK, if you recall my earlier post about how my guess as to what's gonna be the big thing at Toy Fair would be safe toys and organic toys....how about a zero emission radio controlled car? Well, Corgi is debuting one this week at the German Toy Fair in Nuremberg where it won the 2008 ToyAward in the Electronics & Technology category, according to a Corgi press release.

The H2Go is a hydrogen powered vehicle. It has no batteries, it is made of wheat-based plastics. It's solar panels both power the vehicle and help create electricity.

"We are delighted about the great trust placed in our H2Go. The H2Go is not just a radio-controlled car featuring new technology but also a symbol of the toy industry's impending adjustment to a future powered by clean energy," said Michael Cookson, CEO of Corgi International.

Hopefully, this will be available to check out at the New York Toy Fair, cause it sounds realy cool!

Check out this video from YouTube:

Toy Fair is coming...t-minus 19 days and counting. The 2008 American International Toy Fair is the largest gathering of toy manufacturers and sellers in the US.
I can assure you what the big topic at Toy Fair will be - toy safety. Clearly, 2007 was a year like no other in toy history and, despite the thinking of some in the toy industry, I don't think toy safety is an issue that will pass quickly from the minds of consumers. I get the impression from the 2008 catalogs that are slowly arriving that toy manufacturers are jumping into the topic of toy safety. (The HaPe catalog arrived today with two children on the cover with "HaPe celebrates" and "being eco-friendly" signs.) I am sure that we will see many manufacturers introducing hundreds of products that are certifiably safe, or eco-friendly or guaranteed to be lead-free. I can tell you that products that will instill confidence in my customers as far as their safely is one of the big things I will be looking for at Toy Fair. Quality matters today more than ever before. People want to make sure that the toys they buy will be safe for their children to play with.
An interesting aside about Toy Fair is that it is an industry trade show. Every kid I've ever told about Toy Fair is shocked (shocked!) to hear that you have to be 18 to get in. My son's opinion is "well, that's stupid." I'm sure they imagine a vast array of toys waiting to be played with. While it is fun, it's a lot of work and a lot of walking. I think I read somewhere that walking the floor of Toy Fair is akin to walking something like three miles. Plus, there's tons of vendors that have products you have no interest in.
Also, my internet radio side project, YoYoRadio, will again attempt to do a live broadcast from Toy Fair on Monday night, February 18th at 9:30 pm - East Coast time. It will be the third year we have attempted to do a live broadcast from Toy Fair and, if successful, the first to actually go live. Worst case scenario, we tape the show for future broadcast. The show will be broadcast from the location (as yet T.B.D) of the annual YoYoNation Toy Fair party. It's always a blast, so if you're in the area, you should try to make it.

Very interesting article in the New York Times

Jonathan Dee has written an extensive article about toymaker Mattel and it's quest to be a better global citizen in it's manufacture of toys. It's an eye-opening article about the steps they have taken to make it's factories better places to work. It also talks about Mattel's recent recalls. Check it out

New website tests for healthy toys

HealthyToys.org is a new website that has been organized by The Ecology Center, but presents data collected by over a dozen watch groups throughout the USA.

The site presents data on hundreds of toys, which is listed in a searchable database. They test specifically for the chemicals lead, cadmium, chlorine/PVC, arsenic and mercury, but will also list other chemicals that appear in their tests. Each toy is listed as low, medium or high in toxic material content.

You have to join the website in order to view the data, and right now the amount of listings is somewhat sparse, but this is a site I've bookmarked, and if you're concerned with toy safety, you might want to consider it as well.