apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

there is a company based in tribeca in nyc that just started called jades toy box http://jadestoybox.com/. they specialize in toys made europe and the us. they dont have a full running website as of yet.

I know it sounds silly, but why don't kids play with old fashioned toys anymore? Lincoln logs were great and they made kids use thier imaginations (as opposed to some toys today that have everything planned out).

A lot of "classic" toys are not what they used to be. The standard Lincoln Log product is now made of plastic, not wood. You have to find a special (more expensive) edition if you want wood.

And yes, they are made in China.

I have a feeling that Lincoln Logs may be a bit advanced for seven-month-olds.

The "made in China" issue has been fascinating me (for obvious reasons). From the bit of reading I've done, it seems like the issue isn't so much the fact that items are made in China as it is the fact that some of the Western companies who commission the manufacture of these goods aren't stringent enough about their specifications and inspections. So it's possible to buy quality products that are made in China, provided the company behind the product is stringent and ethical.

A lot of people assume that Melissa & Doug products, because they're made of wood and look old-fashioned, are made in the USA, but in fact many of them are made in China. And yet they're not on any of the recall lists, assumedly because Melissa & Doug have more stringent manufacturing requirements than other Western toy manufacturers. And I'll still happily buy Melissa & Doug toys.

Obviously, as parents we have to exercise caution and stay on top of recall lists and whatnot. To that end, much as I LOVE Etsy, bear in mind that toy artisans who sell their crafts through independent channels are not, to my knowledge, required to have their toys pass any kind of inspection. That doesn't stop me from buying handmade toys from Etsy, but you know, buyer beware.

i really don't understand this whole "if it's made in china, it must not be a safe toy" stance that people are taking nowadays. just because a few toys (commissioned by LARGE western corporations who are more interested in the bottom line than producing quality toys) showed up from china with lead in them doesn't mean that all toys made in china are bad. get your children what they want to play with and buy yourself a lead test kit. that's the only way to be sure they are "safe".

gleek, parents shouldn't be buying lead testing kits in the first place. these are toys, not furniture, not dishware. and not all things from china are going to be poisonous, but it's not a good surprise to find out that the block your kid has been gnawing on was painted with lead to make the color brighter.

To further ung's point, try petitioning your government representatives to change the rules set an "allowable lead level" for toys.

of course parents shouldn't HAVE to buy lead test kits but it's that's just the state of things nowadays. parents would be better off testing their own toys if "safe" toys is what they are looking for. as long as manufacturers continue to skimp on costs dangerous chemicals and low-quality materials used to make toys (or furniture or dinnerware) can come from anywhere, not just china. this is why a "boycott china" approach makes no sense. boycott the manufacturer not the country of origin.

i agree with you ung but i'm not going to sit and wait for the manufacturer or my country's government to do something about it. buying the lead test kit is best way to take the situation into my own hands. i strongly suggest to the letter writer that she do the same.

Michelle, the issue of toys from China containing lead is not an issue of us "petitioning our government representatives" to change the "allowable lead level" of toys. The issue is that the toys being recalled do not meet existing allowable levels of lead. That is, the toys are unsafe by existing standards, not that the standards are too lax.

I'll be Doppelganger's shadow and say "ditto." Caveat emptor.

We haven't bought made in China for the last few years. We stopped when we started noticing that EVERYTHING that we were shopping for was Made in China. It was kind of eerie.
So, we buy Made in USA whenever possible now, made somewhere other than China when not.
Try this site for toys:
http://www.unclegoose.com/
We like Haba too.

For a TON of links to toys and kid products made here in America, please check out my website, www.toysmadeinamerica.com. I've compiled over 100 clickable links to companies producing toys here in America. We shouldn't necessarily be blaming China for all the recalls (although the lead paint certainly is their fault), but the American corporations who are outsourcing American jobs, not passing the savings on to the American consumer, still charging high prices for junk (Thomas and Friends are not exactly cheap, just cheaply made!), and hurting the American economy while China enjoys the fastest growing economy in the world. I say boycott American companies who outsource American jobs, and make an effort to buy American-made. Maybe then these corporations will brings jobs back to America, and start producing quality stuff for our kids. Thanks for the post! Teresa

By the way... did you see one of the recent recalls... football bobble heads that are used as cake toppers! Imagine how many kids have licked the frosting off of these. And now they're recalled for lead paint! Lovely.

i think this is one of those points where we'll have to agree to disagree, gleek, but something off the shelf should be safe for use. besides, toys aren't the only thing that were recalled. there's no test out there to tell me that the food i'm buying my dog is poisonous.

:) yes, i agree with you. god, all the pet food stuff of the last year was horrible! and it also makes me angry that it's not just toys that are recalled for lead paint issues. kinda makes it hard to make good choices. this is why i'm really into crafts nowadays. i'd like to just make it myself with items that i know are safe for everyone.

I just noticed that someone else mentioned Jade's ToyBox. We started JTB after learning that 3 toys of our daughter Jade were on the lead recall list. We set out to find better quality, SAFE toys that we felt provided learning opportunities and fun for our toddler. We had a pop-up holiday store in Tribeca through the holidays and we hold events and "green toy parties" throughout the year where a portion of sales goes to charity. We hope you will check us out, as our site is up and we sell only quality-made, educational and green toys and books that help parents teach particular themes to young children. We also create custom and bilingual boxes.