So, this is a side comment and not a criticism at all. The comic above this post is funny…except it’s not really accurate. Sure, we’ve been hearing about recalls of dangerous toys at the dollar store–usually cheep and plastic, often blinkie–for a long, long time now. But that’s not where the whole lead scare started. If you remember, it was the Thomas the Tank Engine line of wooden trains that was the first major lead recall that started the scare: wooden, sturdy, expensive, with a lifetime guarantee. While not hand-made by someone’s grandmother, most parents who bought them thought they were being responsible buying them, and few realized that they were produced in China. Next was Fisher Price–a company known for having sturdy and safe toys–one that’s been around since I was a kid playing with their toys. A company most parents thought of as reputable.
That’s why while I really want them to change the law (allow componant testing and make exceptions on batch labeling for hand made crafts, etc.), I really do want a law to regulate toys–just a better more thought out one.