Nov 19, 2007

Safety first with toysBy Meredith GardnerTheIndependent.com

As children make out their Christmas lists this year, parents may add a request of their own: toys without lead paint, harmful chemicals or hazardous parts.

The Christmas shopping season moves into full force this week. With an ever-growing list of toy recalls, many parents are exercising more caution as they pick out gifts for their children.

Instead of reaching for dolls and action figures, some are looking for less-traditional options, while others are simply in search of toys that are safe.

At Hobby Town USA in the Conestoga Mall, owner Ed Conroy said customers ask questions relating to toy safety at least once or twice per day.

Some don’t want anything with a “Made in China” label, he said.

The problem is, he said, “About everything is made in China.”

Issues with toy safety aren’t caused by a particular country, Conroy said, but by toy companies that cut corners in their production processes.

The popular Melissa and Doug toy company, which puts labels on its products certifying they are randomly tested and nontoxic, manufactures many of its toys in China, Conroy said.

Of all the stock he carries, Conroy said, the only products he’s had a problem with are the popular Thomas and Friends toys, which were recalled earlier this year because some contained lead paint.

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