It's Above and Beyond, so you can guess how this ends. Tracey writes:

My daughter got this set of toys for her birthday. These are heavy, solid wood toys; only the wheels and airplane propeller are plastic. She dropped the airplane on the floor and the metal pin that holds the wheels on broke and fell apart. We had the set for less than a month when it broke.

So I e-mailed the company one evening explaining what happened. I just wanted to make them aware of it because the wheel and pin could pose a choking hazard.

They got back to me the next morning and wanted me to call. I called and spoke to Chris, who told me I could choose another toy or replace this one.

I asked him if he was giving me free reign to shop on their site and he said "within reason" and told me to choose 2 toys in case he couldn't get my first choice.

OK. So her vehicle set retails for $20. So I thought since I'm only sending back 1/3 of the set, the plane is worth about $7.

So I sent them an e-mail back with the following choices:
A picnic basket which retails for $20

And a wooden stacking toy which retails for $7.

I also mentioned that I would be equally as pleased if they just replaced the broken plane.

A few days later a box arrives. It had BOTH the picnic basket and the stacking toy!

They asked me to package the broken airplane in the same box and give them a call so they could arrange UPS to pick it up. I did so, and UPS came the following day.

Needless to say, Melissa & Doug have a customer for life. I was really happy with their customer service and how quickly and easily they dealt with my problem.

Great work, Melissa & Doug!

"It's discriminatory," Peters said. "How do you put an age on a grandparent or a mother or a father, for that matter?"

Toys R Us tells 3 On Your side they always have to set guidelines when they have promotions and for this one, they say establishing an age requirement was appropriate.

But Peters disagrees and says Toys R Us may claim to love grandparents, but what they really mean is that they love "old" grandparents.

"To assume that someone over 50 is a grandparent and that someone under 50 is not a grandparent, it's not fair," Peters said.

We're old fashioned—to us, anyone with a grandkid is a grandparent. What do you think?

Young grandmother feels shortchanged by toy store [AZFamily.com]
(Photo: ThatBeeGirl) (Thanks to Greg!)

• Amazon: 37 new coupon codes for September 2008
• Google: Get Chrome for free, Google's new super-minimal browser (still in beta, read review at Lifehacker)
• Apple: Seven refurbished Apple Aluminum iMac Core 2 Duo Desktops from $949 each + free shipping

• Newegg: Nikon Coolpix P60 8.1MP Camera $150 Shipped
• Amazon: Save Extra $20 off Kellogg's, Keebler & other Grocery Products
• 1-800 Contacts: Save $20 to $80 + Bonus $5 off Contact Lenses with Coupon

• Toys "R" Us: BOGO 50% off all video games up to $19.99
• Proctor & Gamble: Free Tide TotalCare sample
• BuyCostumes.com: Sale: Up to 60% off

• Amazon.com: Get three DVDs for $10 when you add all three to your Shopping Cart
• Golden Gadgets: 2 Pack of 9 LED Aluminum Pocket water resistant Flashlight for $3.99 + Shipping ($2.02)
• Newegg.com: A-DATA 16GB Flash Drive WHITE for $24.99 after $15 rebate!

So far, the mother isn't talking lawsuits or anything:

Pancaro, who bought the toy on Aug. 2, said she sent a letter to Fisher-Price, urging it to either fix the toy so it wouldn’t pick up CB chatter or pull the product from the shelves.

Fisher-Price told the Associated Press they've tried twice to contact her but have been unsuccessful.

You can still buy the magic trucker-talkies from Walmart, but your odds of picking up drive-by chatter are probably slim. It's more likely the truckers were using (illegal?) transmitters to boost their range, or sunspot activity jazzed up the ionosphere and made the signals bounce further.

"Mom says child’s toy had a mouth like a trucker" [MSNBC via The Business Sheet] (Thanks to Hilary!)
(Photo: igb)

If the bill is signed, some voluntary safety standards will become mandatory, and companies who fail to report hazards or violate the new laws will face steep penalties of up to $15 million.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission, currently toothless and underfunded, will see its budget double and its authority increase.

We're happy to report that the bill enjoyed bipartisan support and passed overwhelmingly in both the House (424-1) and the Senate (89 to 3.)

Senate Sends Sweeping Product-Safety Bill On to Bush [Washington Post]
(Photo: Lee Jordan )

Maya asks:

Remember last year the aqua dot toys that had GHB drugs on them? well they returned with a different name, Pixos. The same commercial is being shown on Disney Channel but with the different name. I checked their web site www.buypixos.com but it does not say anything about the ghb. Are these toys safe now?

Well, Maya, if by "safe" you mean, "Did the company stop outsourcing their products to manufacturers who think nothing of sneaking a powerful chemical that turns into a recreational drug when swallowed into a children's toy?" Well, it's hard to say.

The Australian company responsible for the toy, Moose Enterprises, says they've switched factories and changed the name of the toy in order to "protect" consumers from the recalled product.

"Moose's primary focus will continue to be the safety and welfare of children," a spokesperson said.

"By rebranding and re-educating consumers on the differences, we can protect consumers from the recalled product."

I guess it's just up to you to decide whether or not you believe him.

Bindeez are back, but now drug-free

[News.au]

Consumers should take these toy phones away from young children immediately and contact the firm for instructions on obtaining a free replacement.

For more information call Kids Station toll-free at (888) 620-0930 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.kidsstationtoys.com

Kids Station Toys Recalls Little Tikes Toy Cell Phones Due to Choking Hazard [CPSC]

I purchased a toy fire truck for my 2 year old son at Big Lots in Mattydale, NY, the Sunday before Easter. The night before Easter, I am preparing my son's basket by unwrapping the toy. As I was unraveling the many wire ties on the bottom of the toy, a used crack pipe fell out. (I know this was a crack pipe as I am in law enforcement and am very familiar with drug paraphernalia.) The screen was still in the tip and there was crack residue in the pipe. After my initial horror, my husband and I decided that we would call the store first thing in the morning to make them aware of the situation.
On Sunday morning, we called the store and my husband informed the manager, Wayne, what we had found. First he did not believe it and immediately stated that it could not have come from someone in his store. My husband told Wayne that we simply wanted to report the incident and let them deal with it. First he did not believe us, then laughed when my husband told him that I would no longer shop in his store. As his was not the reaction we were hoping for, my husband then called the corporate headquarters. Again the response we received was anything but acceptable. The woman that my husband spoke to assured us that the district manager for the store would be calling us the next day. We did not hear from anyone from corporate as promised and my husband called again. We have still heard nothing. It appears that no one in this company cares that my son's toy came with a free used crack pipe.
Thank you so much for your time. I am just looking for a little recognition that this type of thing is not acceptable from any parent or company.

Sincerely,
Patricia

Sales of Barbie fell 12 percent in the U.S. as the 49-year- old doll faced competition from Hannah Montana and Ganz's Webkinz. Mattel, which recalled more than 21 million Chinese-made products in 2007, expects Chinese manufacturing costs to rise further. The yuan has climbed 10 percent against the dollar over the past 12 months, and inflation in China is near an 11-year high.

Also mentioned were the costs that Mattel incurred due to their lead and magnet recalls:

The recalls of Sesame Street vehicles with paint containing excessive amounts of lead and Polly Pocket dolls with magnets that may detach and get swallowed by children cost Mattel $110 million in 2007 for toy returns and legal, advertising and testing expenses.

Mattel Posts Loss as Chinese Production Costs Rise (Update4) [Bloomberg]
(Photo:Dust Storm)

We like how they're right next to the Hannah Montana and Minnie Mouse stickers.

IN ODDER NEWS: Lower Back Tattoo Stickers FINALLY Available For Kids At Toys 'R Us [Best Week Ever]
Lower Back Tattoos Now Available at Toys R Us [Cockeyed.com]

Significant differences remain between the Senate and House legislation, but compromise seems assured on several key points:

• Funding for the Commission would rise from $63 million to over $100 million.
• The CPSC would be allowed to work without a quorum, but funding would be available for a full slate of 5 Commissioners.
• Lead would effectively be banned from all children's products, not just toys.
• Toy makers would be required to use independent labs to test their products for lead.
• Maximum fines would rise from $1.8 million to at least $10 million.
• 
  

Thirteen Senators think the bills goes too far and that their families are plenty safe without an expanded CPSC, thank you:

Allard (R-CO)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Corker (R-TN)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Vitter (R-LA)
Wicker (R-MS)

The White House has yet to threaten a veto. Stay tuned for updates as the bill heads to conference.

Senate Votes For Safer Products [Washington Post]
Vote Summary [United States Senate]
S. 2663 - A bill to reform the Consumer Product Safety Commission to provide greater protection for children's products, to improve the screening of noncompliant consumer products, to improve the effectiveness of consumer product recall programs, and for other purposes. [THOMAS]
Write Your Representative
PREVIOUSLY: How To Write To Congress

Just got this email from Toys 'R' Us in my inbox and thought you'd be interested. I'm normally pretty skeptical about corporate promises like this, but if they implement these changes I'm going to be pretty impressed.

Keep up the good work!

February 15, 2008

A Message From Gerald L. Storch,
Chairman and CEO, Toys"R"Us, Inc.

Dear Valued Guest,

At Toys"R"Us, Inc., kids are central to who we are and to what we do. Our commitment to their safety is non-negotiable. I wanted to share with you today some of the decisive and proactive changes we have made recently to our already rigorous quality assurance standards:

NOTIFICATION TO MANUFACTURERS OF INCREASED QUALITY ASSURANCE STANDARDS AND OVERSIGHT:

We have instructed all manufacturers who produce items for Toys"R"Us, Inc. that products shipped to the company on or after March 1, 2008 must comply with strict new standards, which include:

Significantly increasing the frequency of third-party testing, including each batch of product imported to the United States by Toys"R"Us, Inc.;

Ensuring all product samples submitted for testing are selected by the company's third-party, certified laboratory;
Date-coding all products;

Applying a more stringent standard of 90 ppm for lead in surface coatings versus the current federal standard of 600 ppm for all products manufactured exclusively for Toys"R"Us, Inc.;

Requiring substrate materials to meet a standard of 250 ppm for lead versus the company's current standard of 600 ppm for all products manufactured exclusively for Toys"R"Us, Inc.; and

Using lead-screening equipment to conduct company auditing of all products at their point of origin and at various points in the supply chain.

REDUCTION OF PHTHALATES AND POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (PVC) USE:
All manufacturers have been notified that by the end of 2008 juvenile products sold in any Toys"R"Us or Babies"R"Us store in the United States must be produced without the addition of phthalates that have raised concerns about infant safety.

Additionally, as we move closer to our goal of offering PVC-free products, we have already begun replacing PVC and phthalates in juvenile products manufactured exclusively for Toys"R"Us, Inc.

ELIMINATION OF NICKEL-CADMIUM BATTERIES FROM ALL PRODUCTS MANUFACTURED EXCLUSIVELY FOR TOYS"R"US, INC.
We have instructed manufacturers to immediately take steps to eliminate the use of nickel-cadmium batteries from all items manufactured exclusively for Toys"R"Us, Inc. This process is expected to be complete by the end of 2008.

We know that you trust and expect that we will always do the right thing when it comes to the safety of children, and we take that responsibility very seriously. At every turn, we will continue to look for ways to provide the safest shopping environment for the children and families we serve. We love kids and babies - and safety in all we do for them, and for you, is an imperative.

Sincerely,

Gerald L. Storch
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Toys"R"Us, Inc.

(Photo:TheBeeGirl)

We encourage you to review your pledge and act accordingly by recalling the red blood pressure cuff. Furthermore, we challenge you to live up to your words and set a standard for the entire industry by completely eliminating the use of lead in all of the children's products manufactured by Mattel. When parents purchase a product from your company, they are not just purchasing a toy—they are putting their trust in an established brand that has historically been believed to provide merchandise that is safe for their children. We urge you to live up to this reputation.

Representative Elijah E. Cummings, Democrat of Maryland, wrote Mr. Eckert in December asking it to stop using lead in its products. He said that Mattel's reply, which arrived last week, and its action on the toy were inadequate and that the company should issue a nationwide recall.

Mr. Cummings said in an interview that if Mr. Eckert "knew his child had one of these toys with this kind of lead in it, I know he would not allow his child to be having such a toy."

Lawmakers Say Mattel Broke Word on Lead [NYT]
Cummings, DeLauro to Mattel: 'Stop Selling Toxic Toys' [Congressman Elijah Cummings]
PREVIOUSLY: Consumer Reports Finds "Troubling" Levels Of Lead In Unrecalled Fisher-Price Toy
Fisher-Price Pulls Lead Tainted Toy In Illinois Only
Fisher-Price Pulls Another Lead-Tainted Product In Illinois Only
(Photo: Getty Images)

Ty takes high-lead doll out of stores [Chicago Tribune]
PREVIOUSLY: Toy Makers Refuse To Recall Leaded Toys

Maker of Thomas toys settles suit on lead paint [Chicago Tribune]

Toymaker fights state recall [Chicago Tribune]

Mattel apologized for the incident, saying:

"We apologize to the family that they found that in the toy. No matter how it got there, or what the cause of the placement of that object in the toy was. So we apologize to the family, and we'd also like to send a replacement toy to make her Christmas happy and bright."

...much of Nord's speech before the National Press Club in Washington was spent discussing 2007, often dubbed "the year of the recall." Nord faulted the press for its "near-hysteria levels" of coverage. And politicians—who have been working on legislation to give the agency more funds and powers—did not escape her criticism either.

We don't agree with that characterization of hysteria or several other of Nord's statements. Here are a few of the key points she made in her speech and in the question and answer period that followed—and our concerns about them:

"The fact is, consumer products are safer today than they have ever been," Nord said in her prepared remarks. And toys, she later added "are safer than they have ever been."

More than 25 million toys were recalled in 2007 because of safety problems. Need we say more? That large number of recalls in a single year certainly suggests there are a lot of unsafe toys on the market and in our homes.

Nancy Nord, the CPSC's acting chairman, looks forward—€”and back [Consumer Reports]
(Photo:)

Bob, our small parts guy, came to the CPSC after he was fired from a chain saw manufacturing company for reporting a safety defect. He became the nation's full time toy tester shortly after writing the regulations that prevent accidental chain saw decapitations.

"I can't have knowledge something is unsafe and not say anything," he said.

What he liked most about working in government was that he could speak his mind.

"When I saw something I didn't like, I could say something," he said. "I could do that without fear of getting my head chopped off."

He also liked being in the business of helping to save lives. He's worked on voluntary standards and regulations that have helped prevent children from getting killed or hurt using baby walkers, cribs and trampolines. He spent his last few weeks at the CPSC investigating the death of an infant in a crib. Almost all the deaths he has investigated over the years stay with him. He can recall in vivid detail autopsy photos he saw 20 years ago.

Preventing deaths and injuries is what kept him and his colleagues going through years of budget cuts.

"We didn't say, 'We don't have any money. We don't give a damn.' We said, 'We don't have any money, how do we do it anyway?' " he said.

Nancy Nord has announced that Bob's responsibilities will be assumed by other Commission staffers, but we think the world's wealthiest nation can afford at least one full-time toy tester. We here at The Consumerist know that Nancy considers the safety of America's children to be her foremost concern, which is why we heartily nominate our own Senior Editor, Meghann Marco (pictured right, inspecting toys,) to fill Bob's lead-detecting shoes. She always takes gravity seriously, even before a toy is dropped. Her sharp eye is eager to protect us from the most dangerous playthings American toy designers can order from China. Watch for her application, Chairwoman Nord.

Goodbye to Bob [Washington Post]
(Photo: Annys Shin/Washington Post)

Rob writes:

BestBuy has a rewardszone coupon for 10% of 1 toy, 15% off 2 toys and 25% off 3 toys. See attached coupon. Went to my local Best Buy in Bridgewater NJ and attempted to use the coupon on a Xbox 360 and 2 games for the system. I was told by multiple rude employees that an Xbox 360 is a video console and not a toy. A search on BestBuy's website for the item "toy" shows Halo 3 as the 1st item. Also further down the list it shows the Xbox 360 unit.

How is a video game not a toy? I called Best Buy corporate office and was told same thing. I was told a doll is a toy. Didn't know Best Buy was in the doll selling business. Then I was told that if it is an electronic game for a child 12 and under it is a toy. Doesn't seem like Best Buy has any clue what a toy is. As you can see from the attached pdf file no were in the exclusions on the coupon does it state Video Game Consoles.

Got to love Best Buy making up rules that only suit themselves.

Game Over.

Underage workers are forced to work overtime in dangerous conditions for little pay, a widespread reality factory owners easily conceal from incompetent inspectors.

A former Huanya employee who was reached by telephone gave a similar account of working conditions, saying many workers suffered from skin rashes after working with gold powders and that others were forced to sign papers "volunteering" to work overtime.

"It's quite noisy, and you stand up all day, 12 hours, and there's no air-conditioning," he said. "We get paid by the piece we make but they never told us how much. Sometimes I got $110, sometimes I got $150 a month."

In its 58-page report, the National Labor Committee scolded Wal-Mart for not doing more to protect workers. The group charged that last July, Huanya recruited about 500 16-year-old high school students to work seven days a week, often 15 hours a day, during peak production months for holiday merchandise.

Several students interviewed at the Guangzhou Technical School, less than two miles from Huanya, confirmed that classmates ages 16 to 18 had spent the summer working at the factory.

Some high school students later went on strike to protest the harsh conditions, the report said. The students also told labor officials that at least seven children, as young as 12 years old, were working in the factory.

"At Wal-Mart, Christmas ornaments are cheap, and so are the lives of the young workers in China who make them," the National Labor Committee report said.

Who is to blame? Economics. Factory owners will do anything to provide goods at everyday low prices. The reward for their productivity vastly outweighs the risk of a crackdown from China's notoriously corrupt regulators.

"The factories have improved immeasurably over the past few years," says Alan Hassenfeld, chairman of the toy maker Hasbro and co-chairman of Care, the ethical-manufacturing program of the International Council of Toy Industries. "But let me be honest: there are some bad factories. We have bribery and corruption occurring but we are doing our best."

Some factories are warned about audits beforehand and some factory owners or managers bribe auditors. Inexperienced inspectors may also be a problem.

Some major Western auditing firms working in China even hire college students from the United States to work during the summer as inspectors, an indication that they are not willing to invest in more expensive or sophisticated auditing programs, critics say.

Chinese suppliers regularly outsource to other suppliers, who may in turn outsource to yet another operation, creating a supply chain that is hard to follow — let alone inspect.

There is little that any Western company can do about those issues, no matter how seriously they take corporate social responsibility — other than leaving China.

Clear Unsightly Blemishes: the Case of the Ballpoint Baby Doll [Baby Toolkit via BoingBoing]

From Consumer Reports:

You may recall that the state's action with the first blood pressure cuff was prompted by Consumer Reports' December investigation "New worries over lead" in which we reported finding high lead levels when we tested samples of the red Fisher-Price toy blood pressure cuff, among other items. Our findings prompted Madigan's office to begin an independent investigation that led to Fisher-Price's decision to pull the product out of the state's stores. The reason: Illinois bans the sale of toys, clothing, jewelry or other children's products that contain lead in excess of 600 parts per million. It is one of the strongest lead laws in the country and more stringent than federal regulations, which place limits on only paint and surface coatings. There are no federal limits on lead in plastics such as PVC.

The current action with the green cuffs was initiated by Fisher-Price, which tested the product and then reported it to Illinois. Fisher-Price spokeswoman Juliette Reashor explained: "Through research, we identified a similar instance with the green cuff, which revealed levels of lead that, though fully compliant with all federal and international standards, exceeded the Illinois statute. We proactively reached out to the State of Illinois to inform them of our findings."

"I am pleased that Fisher-Price took the initiative to test its products, self-report a violation, quickly remove the affected blood pressure cuffs from store shelves, and offer replacements to consumers," Madigan said. "I continue to urge manufacturers and retailers to review and tighten up their quality control procedures so consumers can be confident that the items on store shelves are safe for their children."

Fisher-Price pulls second lead-tainted blood-pressure cuff off shelves in Illinois [Consumer Reports]

PREVIOUSLY: Fisher-Price Pulls Lead Tainted Toy In Illinois Only
Amazon Pulls Fisher-Price Medical Kit After CR Lead Report
Consumer Reports Finds "Troubling" Levels Of Lead In Unrecalled Fisher-Price Toy

The House bill would:

• Increase the CPSC's budget by 30%, its largest increase in 30 years;
• Require manufacturers to place tracking labels on products to improve recalls;
• Provide funds to improve the CPSC's testing facilities;
• Require testing by independent labs approved by the CPSC;
• Effectively ban lead in children's products by reducing the allowable amount to 100 ppm 4 years after the law goes into effect;
• Re-institute the CPSC's full board of 5 commissioners (down to two right now); and
• Raise fines on manufacturers from $1.25 million to $10 million.

"House unanimously endorses toy safety crackdown" [Reuters]
"House Approves Product-Safety Overhaul" [Forbes]
(Photo from "Wild at Heart")

Ultimately, one of NPR's shoppers decided to just buy some fuzzy toys. No paint, no lead. Right?

Holiday Shoppers Weigh In on Toy Safety Service [NPR]
(Photo:videodvdcombo)

Consumer Reports analyzed the full CPSC report:

• Non-motorized scooters: Three deaths occurred when children either hit or were hit by an automobile. The children ranged in age from six to 13 years.
• Toy nails and pegs: Three children died when they choked on or aspirated plastic nails or pegs. One 19-month-old boy died after choking on an oversized plastic nail from a toy workbench. A second boy, 2, died when he fell while running with a toy nail; the nail got wedged in the back of his throat. Another two-year-old suddenly started coughing and stopped breathing. He died at the hospital where an autopsy showed a plastic peg from a toy had become lodged in his left bronchus.
• Rubber balls: Three children died when they either aspirated or choked on small rubber balls. Two of the children who choked on small rubber balls were about one year old while the third child was an autistic eight-year-old who aspirated a rubber ball.
• Powered riding toys: There were three fatalities. A boy, 3, was riding a battery-powered toy four-wheeler unsupervised and fell into a pond. A girl, 2, was riding her battery-powered toy truck as her family walked along on a sidewalk; a speeding car hit and killed her. A 6-year-old died when the cape of his costume became entangled in the axle of the gasoline-powered ATV he was riding and strangled him.
• Tricycles: There were two fatalities. In separate incidents, a three-year-old female and a three-year-old male fell into the family in-ground swimming pool while riding a tricycle and drowned.
• Stuffed toys: There were two deaths associated with stuffed toys . A six-month-old fell off the parents' bed into a pile of stuffed animals and suffocated A three-month-old fell off a bed into a container of stuffed toys and suffocated.
• Other balls: There were two deaths from unspecified types of balls. One struck a girl, 10, while she was playing at school; she died of inter-cerebral hemorrhage. A 17-month-old was run over when he followed the ball with which he was playing as it rolled behind a truck.
• Balloons: A nine-month-old female died of upper airway obstruction caused by an uninflated balloon.
• Rubber darts: A 10-year-old boy died from aspirating a rubber dart. He had been chewing on a toy gun dart when he had trouble breathing and collapsed. At the ER, he was found to have a rubber dart in his right lung.
• Toy organizer: A nine-month-old, found underneath a wooden toy organizer, died of neck compression.
• Unspecified: A seven-year-old boy was chewing on a plastic toy when a small part of the toy broke off and became lodged in his throat. He died of asphyxia.

The CPSC cautions that toys were associated with these incidents, but not necessarily their cause.

Toy-Related Deaths and Injuries, Calendar Year 2006 (pdf) [CPSC]
CPSC: 22 children died in toy-related deaths in 2006 [Consumer Reports]
(Photo: Getty)

Bad news for toy retailers like Toys R Us and electronics retailers like Circuit City, but good news for Walmart:

Wal-Mart plans to keep a steadier flow of customer traffic this year by planning out an early discounting season rather than waiting until mid-December to clear out slow-moving merchandise. Consumers' acceptance of Wal-Mart's flat-screen TVs and other expensive gizmos is a stark contrast to their rejection of its higher-end clothing. No one wants to say they buy their clothes at Wal-Mart, but anyone will get a Sony there.

"That's why Circuit City and Radio Shack are closing so many stores," [Howard Davidowitz, chairman of Davidowitz & Associates, a New York-based retail consultancy], says.

Toy Scare Could Help Wal-Mart [Forbes]
(Photo:bea&tsm)

Hasbro's chief executive, Alfred J. Verrecchia, said yesterday in an online chat

"We believe that our high standards and robust testing and inspection process have allowed Hasbro to avoid any of the lead paint recalls. People should feel good about buying Hasbro products this holiday season. omg lol :)"

According to the Dallas Morning News,

The ad, an open letter to consumers from Hasbro chief executive Alfred Verrecchia, is meant to look like a public-service message, said Bob Chimbel, CEO of [ad agency] Uproar.

"It looks reserved, and that's how we want the message to appear," said Mr. Chimbel, whose firm's main client is Hasbro. "Logos of all our brands will appear since a lot of people know our brands, but not Hasbro."

"Hasbro launches advertising blitz to counter consumer fears" [Providence Journal]
"With Dallas firm's help, Hasbro plans ad to emphasize its toys' safety" [Dallas Morning News]

Certain toys had more than five times the standard safety level, including a Hannah Montana card-game case, which had a lead level of 3,056 parts per million, the Journal said.

"Many toys in test have dangerous chemicals: WSJ" [Reuters]
(Photo: chefjancris)

"It's caused me a lot of lost sleep," says Karen Boyd, who buys toys for the Johnson County Christmas Bureau in the Kansas City metro area. Volunteers helped check whether 3,000 toys she bought on sale last spring and other donated items are on recall lists.

So far, a few dozen toys recalled because of lead content have been found. "We're checking everything," Boyd says. "If it's a child's only toy, I would hate for it to be unsafe."

Delkor Systems, which makes packaging machines in Circle Pines, Minn., is accepting toys made only in the USA and Canada in its Toys for Tots drive.

Owner Dale Andersen made the change when he met a man whose son was hospitalized after swallowing Aqua Dots, a craft set. A chemical on the toy beads turns toxic when ingested.

Recalls keep toy-drive elves busy [USAToday]
(Photo:g-hat)

Though sold in the toy section, the lamp comes with the warning, "THIS IS AN ELECTRIC LAMP - NOT A TOY! TO AVOID RISK OF FIRE, BURNS, PERSONAL INJURY AND ELECTRIC SHOCK, IT SHOULD NOT BE PLAYED WITH OR PLACED WHERE SMALL CHILDREN CAN REACH IT."

First he warned shoppers away from buying it. Then he confronted the manager and urged him to take it off the shelves. Failing that, he bought the floor model, then the next one when they brought out another from the back. Seeing they were just going to keep bringing them out, he took the next lamp outside and smashed it. He was arrested for shoplifting. Welcome to the zeitgeist. People are so fed up with unsafe products for kids that they're being driven to acts of man-on-toy violence.

">A Wal-Mart Christmas Toy Story: Shopper Jailed For Removing Dangerous Baby Toy [Huffington Post] (Thanks to Mike!)

Mr. Stone and his daughter Montana began their testing nine months ago after Montana heard news reports about lead in children's jewelry. She asked her father about the safety of the jewelry she had received as favors at birthday parties.

Mr. Stone, 68, used a lead testing process that he usually uses on deer carcasses to test for bullets in New York. (It is illegal in some circumstances to shoot deer with guns rather than bow and arrow.)

Mr. Stone found that more than half of his daughter's jewelry tested positive. Soon, the Stones bought 75 more pieces of jewelry in stores near their home in Albany. Of those, 56 pieces contained more than 0.06 percent lead, the federal limit, and some were half lead, Mr. Stone said, adding that he plans to continue testing children's jewelry even after the recall.

Mr. Stone works in an agency of New York state government unrelated to the attorney general, but he took his test results to Mr. Cuomo's office last February. Mr. Cuomo then started an investigation of children's jewelry sold in the state, including additional testing.

"As an individual, it's like a voice screaming in the wilderness. It's hard to be heard," said Sally Greenberg, executive director of the National Consumers League, a nonprofit organization in Washington. "Bureaucracies are not really set up to listen to the public."