Another Recall Because of Lead
Children’s toys are big business as manufacturers try their best to guess what will be the next big thing that all the kids want. They perform their market research and take polls to see who is playing with what and what is starting to fall out of favor so that they can make whatever adjustments are necessary for the Christmas season, which is their most important time, regardless of the year. When toy companies hit the nail on the head, they can do very well that year and set themselves up with more research for the next year to keep up with their overall success. Other companies are forced to follow in the footsteps and cannot often get the product developed and released quickly enough to ride that wave of success. Although many companies are doing well, there are others who are struggling and have sent their manufacturing facilities over to China. While that has certainly saved money, there have been some issues with the way China manufacturer’s goods; they simply do not have the same kind of safety standards as we do here in the United States.
The major culprit in all of the problems with toys made in China has been the paint that they have been using on these toys. Lead based paints are considered dangerous and hazardous to children, so its use has been highly regulated in the United States for years. Sometimes, toys get through that have too much lead and it often takes years for the toys to be taken off the market. This paint, if ingested can cause a multitude of health problems. Recently a jewelry making kit was found to have too much lead and has now been recalled. The American Girl Crafts Pearly Beads & Ribbon Bracelet kit, which is essentially a jewelry making set, was sold at Michael’s and other retailers, but now 75,000 of them have been recalled. If you own this set, you should contact Michael’s about it and keep it away from children for the time being until you find out exactly what you should do with it and what recourse you have for the money you paid out for the kit. They went out on the market in September 2009 and were just recalled, so if you think you may have purchased the item, check your children’s room or their closet to see if it is still being played with and take the appropriate action.
Although no incidents have been reported in conjunction with this toy, it is wise to make sure that you check the recall boards regarding any dangerous items that you may have bought that are being recalled. You don’t want to take any chances with your children and you want to buy lead-free toys to keep them safe. Make sure to read all of the safety information that is written on the box and watch the news and check online for any recent recalls, you never know what they may find after the fact as evidenced with the jewelry making kit from Michaels’s. It took more than a year to realize that the lead was just too high in these kits.
