Local Toy Makers Story on MPR

We were very pleased to to be featured on Minnesota Public Radio's Midmorning show on "Black Friday", the day after Thanksgiving. The story featured two of our long-time partners, BEKA toys and Fairy Finery, both of whom make toys here in the Twin Cities. Each of us has also been featured on the WCCO Morning Show, which ran a series on alternatives to Chinese-made toys.

It's exciting to see many of our manufacturers getting so much attention now, after years where we were all struggling uphill, trying to sell higher-quality toys against cheap imports. Most have dramatically ramped up production and we should be able to maintain inventory. (It makes it easier that they don't have to load containers and cross an ocean to get to us.) Some, however, are totally swamped. It's a good problem to have, really.

Do you have more of this?

So--as Dan said, it was a very busy good day today.
Our store, and a lot of our vendors, have gotten some very good, positive attention with all the toy recalls. So our store, and a lot of our vendors, are getting a lot more business than we projected for this year.
I hate to say this, because it seems like such a hard sell technique. But we are running out of some things. And in many cases, we can't get more because our vendors are already out. US made toys don't have to cross an ocean to get to us, which speeds things up. But many of our US suppliers are one or two people puttering away in the wood shop, and they are thrilled but also blown away by the sudden demand for their toys.
Of course we have lots of wonderful toys, and we will have lots of toys through Christmas Eve. But if you or your child have your heart set on a specific toy, please shop early.
Thank you to all the happy and patient people in today.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Millie

Yikes!

Today we had our busiest day ever. The day went really well for us--we had plenty of staff and plenty of inventory and the computers worked all day. It was a really smooth day. I think more and more people are looking for better quality toys and it was great to meet so many new folks today.

In past years, our busiest days have been the two Saturdays just before Christmas. So, we're wondering about where we're going from here....

Wherever we're headed, let us take a moment in this week of Thanksgiving to say thank you to all of our customers. Our family appreciates your business and all the positive energy you bring into the store everyday. We look forward to celebrating this holiday season with you. Best wishes, Millie and Dan.

Chemistry + Toys = ???

OK, we were a bit taken aback by the Aquadots recall. We hadn't heard of this toy before all this, but it's apparently a popular craft toy where chemically-coated beads are arranged in a predetermined design and then sprayed with water, causing the beads to stick together. Apparently, the chemical formula was changed by the Chinese factory into something that metabolizes into a compound similar to the drug ecstasy. Not good.

So, what to give crafty kids who want to make mosaics this holiday season instead? We suggest lentils and elmer's glue.

On a related note, we've been hit with our first lead paint recall on Schylling's wind-up Duck Family Toy, which we sold 6 units of last spring. This was actually labeled as a collector's item, not a toy, if that makes any difference. If you have this toy, call Schylling at (800) 767-8697 to get an exchange or refund.

Also, a related recall was issued on Schylling's Dizzy Duck Music Box, which we have sold for several years. This recall, however, did not affect the batches of toys we sold. If you bought Dizzy Ducks from us, they are not being recalled. Full details on both toys are on our website.

This week at the CPSC

Monday: CPSC Director Nancy Nord, a former industry lawyer, testified before a Senate committee that her agency did not need more funding or greater capabilities or greater penalties for manufacturers who make unsafe products.

Tuesday: The Senate Committee passed legislation beefing up the CPSC and banning lead in toys over the objections of Nord and the Bush Administration.

Wednesday: In the late afternoon of Halloween, when parents weren't likely be watching the news or checking the CPSC website, the CPSC quietly recalled 380,000 "Ugly Teeth" for lead paint violations. These toys were intended to be put in the mouth as part of a Halloween costume. A few hours before trick or treating time seemed like a good time for the CPSC to recall this cheap, poisonous crap.

Friday: the Washington Post reported that "Nancy Nord and her predecessor, Hal Stratton, took nearly 30 trips since 2002 that were partially or fully paid for by trade associations, manufacturers or corporate lawyers, at a cost of nearly $60,000". These included a $11,000 trip to China sponsored by fireworks manufacturers and trips to New York and San Francisco paid for by the Toy Industry Association.

All this adds up to what we've been saying here: The CPSC is nothing more that a PR firm for manufacturers. The agency has been imbued by the Bush Administration with weakness and conflicting interests. And their lack of oversight in the past 7 years has enabled greedy toy manufacturers seeking to reduce costs and outsource oversight.

California bans phthatlates in toys

This week, California became the first state to ban phthatlates in toys. Phthatlates are used in plastic toys to make them softer and more pliable. They have also been implicated as false estrogens, capable of causing long term hormonal changes in humans.

We applaud California for taking the lead on keeping phthatlates out of toys. As with their efforts on global warming, California is leading the way while the Federal Government in missing in action.

Tellingly, the Toy Industry Association (TIA), a trade group to which we do not belong that represents toy manufacturers, criticized California's action. Playthings Magazine reports that, despite being banned by the European Union and at least 14 other countries, TIA's official position on phthatlates is that “there is simply no solid, scientific evidence that any person has ever been harmed by the presence of phthalates in toys." Yes, even the toy industry has its trade group lobbying against making their products better.

We hope that the Federal Government will someday follow suit and get phthatlates out of toys.

Another perspective on toy safety and China

From Dan: Our fellow toy store owner, Mary Sisson of Kazoodles in Vancouver, WA, wrote this piece about lead poisoning and Chinese toys. To date, it's the most thoughtful writing we've read on the subject:

"The key to a toy’s safety isn’t where it was made, but how it was made, the standards for its production, and the testing done throughout manufacture to ensure that those standards are met.

The United States and Europe have the highest toy safety standards in the world. In today’s global economy, the majority of manufacturers find they have to go to factories overseas to stay competitive. Those factories are expected to conform to the American or European standards, but it has been the responsibility of the manufacturer to be sure they do. Reputable manufacturers will clearly spell out regulations up front for the factory to avoid problems later.

The Chinese government, responding to the spate of recalls, on Aug. 20 began requiring all Chinese factories that export toys overseas to pass strict inspections and sample testing before a permit is given to export. This process is expected to cause backlogs in manufacturing and possible toy shortages for the holiday season.

Meanwhile, the toy industry in the U.S. is working to strengthen safety standards even more and encouraging Congress to bolster the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which has half the staff it started with when it was founded in 1973.

Lead paint on toys was the cause of most of the recent toy recalls. High levels of lead in children’s bodies can cause physical illness and harm children’s intellectual development.

Visiting China this summer, I saw another kind of poisoning — the pollution spewing out of Chinese factories that makes Los Angeles look pristine in contrast. The developed world’s thirst for cheap goods has sent manufacturers to developing countries, where pollution standards are nowhere near those we expect in the U.S. Chinese children have no choice but to breathe this thick, brown air.

'I have written against the pollution relocation within China and also from the developed to the underdeveloped world,' said Chinese journalist Chen Weihua, whom I met in Shanghai. 'Sadly, for poor countries desperate for development, environment protection is always put in the second place and sacrificed.'

So how can you ensure your children’s safety this year? Don’t shun toys based on where they were made, but find out how the manufacturer makes certain that strict American safety standards are met. A reputable toy store will have that information or try to get it for you."

Indeed, product safety is only one side of the mirror. It's time we all look across the wide oceans that more and more of our consumer products sail and make global commerce safer for everyone.

Mary's comments belong to her and are used by permission.