Unnecessarily Hard to Buy Toys
December 4th, 2007 · Notebook ·
There have been a massive amount of recalls on all kinds of toys lately. For example, the lead paint in several toys, including the Thomas the Tank Engine toys. I had to throw away all of my sons trains because of it. He misses them badly, but I’m afraid to buy him any more because I don’t know if the ones sitting at B&N are lead soaked or not. But he wants them. And it breaks my heart to know that I can’t buy them without worrying about his safety.
Now I have one more thing to worry about before I buy toys for him or even my niece. They’re (whether they know or not I don’t care) hiding date rape drugs in toys now. How sick can people get? And there have been instances where men have used bought them to give to women!! What the hell is going on? Why aren’t these companies being shut down, or having their products replaced with safe, untainted ones? I guess the gov’t would like to spend their money on better things like useless politics, hookers and un-necessary wars.
It’s getting bad. And I don’t know how much longer people are gonna put up with it. Eventually toy companies are going to go out of business because so many products are harmful and people just aren’t gonna bother anymore. It’s a shame really.
I'm Jen, and I'm a twenty-five year old WAHM and freelance web designer. This is my personal weblog and mini online collective. Welcome! 
December 4th, 2007 at 6:00 pm
Unfortunately many of these toys are coming from outside companies and it also doesn’t help that toy companies insist on using cheap labor so they’re letting this stuff fall through the cracks of the paperwork pile on their desk just so they can continue with their ritzy lifestyle.
I’m truly convinced that, when it comes to corporations, no one really cares about the consumer beyond how much money they can make off of them.
December 4th, 2007 at 6:16 pm
The irony is, the Bindeez weren’t recalled collectively across all states here in Australia. So while one state had them recalled, teenagers stormed in and bought up all Bindeez in other states, ready to be used on Schoolies (the equivalent of Cancun vacations at the end of high school in America I think?).
So yeah, they were buying up the toys to use as drugs whilst on their celebrations…
December 4th, 2007 at 7:02 pm
I saw this story at Yahoo News and couldn’t believe it. What’s next? I can’t imagine anything worse than having a date rape drug in a toy. I think it’s time to start buying toys manufactured in the U.S. only.
December 4th, 2007 at 8:34 pm
It’s sad that parents can’t even buy a toy for their child without worrying about whether or not it’s toxic. I guess that’s what happens when manufacturing is outsourced to countries that have more lenient laws.
Still, it’s scary to look at a toy and wonder if it’s made with lead or a date rape drug! It’s so hard to believe that something made for little kids could possibly hurt them so much!
December 5th, 2007 at 2:44 am
It’s gotten so crazy that I can’t keep up with what’s being recalled. Scary!
December 5th, 2007 at 2:56 am
I don’t understand this surge of endangering children with their toys. I hadn’t heard about the date-rape drug laced ones before, but that is REALLY disturbing. I don’t have children yet, but when I do I hope that this ridiculousness has come to an end.
December 5th, 2007 at 4:02 am
i have had to throw out alot of my sons toys also.i think it is ridiculous that these toys are made with lead.they should make the laws way stricter.
December 5th, 2007 at 8:57 am
What is worse is not only do you have to worry about you have to triple check all the birthday gifts a kid recieves which means that fabulous gift s/he has been waiting for may just get taken away!
December 5th, 2007 at 9:36 am
…I don’t get it, what good do they get out of putting drugs in children’s toys. Geez.
December 5th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
I bought my daughter the Imaginarium train set at Toys R Us. No paint — only wood.
December 5th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
That’s very shocking to hear. Why would anyone really want to poison children with drugs and lead? Pretty idiotic to include both in the making and crafting of children’s toys!
December 5th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
Sickening! Our parents never had to worry about that stuff when we were growing up. And nothing is really being done about it. It’s turning into normal everyday life.
December 6th, 2007 at 2:33 am
I totally agree..now I worry whenever I buy toys for my cousins, nieces & nephews..*faint*
December 6th, 2007 at 4:49 am
The massive amount of recalls on all kinds of toys is because some of them are in poor quality such asthe date-rape drug laced. These bad toys are produced by some small factory from China, so you have better buy a brand product not noname.
December 6th, 2007 at 8:29 am
Not just toys though, all kinds of things, including those Nintendo Wii systems which are flying out in flaming hot storms right now… It’s crazy!
Those people are sick though, really, twisted.
Thanks for a great post!
Marty.
December 6th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
Its a shame that corporations can’t compete with China in manufacturing these toys. But, I see what companies are trying to do by having them made in other countries. Drive down cost. But while driving down cost they are not taking care of our children. If the government will just step in and find some way to have labor cost brought down to compete then I don’t think we would have any of these problems.
December 6th, 2007 at 9:49 pm
The scary thing is some of those dangerous toys are still being advertised in newspaper inserts. Because they print those things so far in advance, dangerous toys are still being promoted.
December 8th, 2007 at 3:33 pm
Jennifer:
Thanks for hosting the Carnival of Family Life this week! This post is a welcome addition to the Carnival, too.
If any of your readers are interested in hosting the Carnival, the schedule is posted at Colloquium.
December 10th, 2007 at 11:35 am
It’s scary, the things we have to worry about. Makes you want to just give them a stick and a couple rocks. At least they’d be safer and have some room to use their imagination.
Thanks for submitting to the Carnival of SAHMs!
December 18th, 2007 at 1:32 pm
Does it break your heart to think of the Chinese children who make the toys?
December 20th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
Almost everything is made from china, clothes, toys, porcelains, kitchenwares. What are we going to buy now?
December 29th, 2007 at 1:15 am
Those recalls sucked. I still noticed several Thomas toys still on shelves when christmas shopping, yes, even the ones that have been recalled!
March 8th, 2008 at 5:29 am
I have read about Dynacraft bikes with the front wheel falling off. One child got one of these bikes for Christmas, and six weeks later, the front wheel fell off, causing severe road rash, and is too scared to ride bikes.