September 26th, 2007
Well, I thought we were going to make it through the month of September with only 3 recalls for lead paint affecting children’s products. Not so.
A host of new recalls have been announced today for children’s toys affected by excess levels of lead paint (gotta love the “excess” phrase). Among them some respected toy sellers such as Guidecraft and more Thomas the Train recalls. Here are the newest recalls. You can also find a comprehensive list that I have compiled here. For a list of toys made in America go here.
Thomas The Train Wooden Railway Toys: recall here
Toby N.Y.C. Children’s Metal Jewelry: recall here
Guidecraft Puppet Theatre: recall here
Children’s Spinning Wheel Metal Necklaces: recall here
Jo-Ann’s Children’s Toy Rakes: recall here
Target’s Toy Gardening Tools & Chairs: recall here
Knights of the Sword Toys: recall here
Journey To Here 
Has anyone heard of a recall for thomas the train table and chairs???
Ecomum you do make very good points. All things which I have considered myself. It would be quite silly to imagine that all factories in China are bad and all factories in America are good. But there is little possibility of me researching each factory that a particular company utilizes in China for daily purchases. It can be done but I don’t have the patience or time for it. Instead I am attempting to focus on purchasing from smaller mom and pop style shops around America that do their own manufacturing.
And I wholeheartedly agree with you about corruption in every country. There are many practices used in America in everyday life that I truly despise. Issues such as this are typically quite complex. There are a lot of factors contributing to these recalls including politics. For simplicity sake, however, I am thinning down my purchases and sticking to buying local whenever possible and preferably from families that I can impact directly.
It is easy to blame the Chinese government, but it isn’t as if the United States government does not know there are factories there that will cut corners, just as their are still sweat shops here in the United States.
There are many trustworthy factories in China just as there are here. I would look at each company and see how many recalls they have had. If it was one and they have changed their practices, then you should consider dealing with them. If it is ongoing or they try to cover up, like Mattel did, then you would consider not doing it.
There is corruption in every country. Think of this. Our cosmetics and personal care products are tainted with high levels of toxins. What is legal here is not in Europe. You can not sell these products or ship many of them over to other countries and they feel the same way about our practices as we do the Chinese.
Don’t blame the entire country, blame the individuals responsible.
It seems like everything they sell here in the good ol USA is made in China these days.
Now that we are all more aware… perhaps more of us, I hope will buy made in USA!
I now look where the item is made before I buy and try my best to buy from the USA.
No, Melissa & Doug toys are made in China. They have pretty strenuous testing but we’ve decided to ditch them anyway.
Looks like we are going to have a China-free x-mas if possible. Wood and cloth toys. Are Melissa & Doug made in the US?
So scary!