Observations at a recent birthday party...

[germandolls]

So my daughter just turned 8 and had a party last week. About half of the gifts were "The littlest Petshop" items bought at Walmart, I believe.
I kept turning the boxes over and looking for a statement about safety and the certification and law.
THERE WAS NOTHING! What am I missing?

I really detest those toys. All the small plastic parts that will end up in my vaccuum. The giant mountain of trash from the wrapping. Twist-tied in a box. And really, they look quite hideous...

I don't get it. Here we are fretting and worrying about this stupid law - but the toymakers from China are doing the same old same old. I don't get it. =(

[Former_Member]

I love those little Petshop toys. I think they are cute. I know I went shopping last week for kids birthday presents and there were plenty of toys to choose from.

[Former_Member]

But I was always a fan of Polly Pocket, too, lol.

[Former_Member]

I think they are adorable! I have some and I'm 29, no kids either to pretend they are theirs. I don't think I would want kids playing with them though it they don't say they were tested.

[germandolls]

You think they are cute? Really? Hmm I beg to disagree. But it is all a matter of taste...
Cute or not. My daugher got a set last year. She played with it for one day. After that all the little pieces were spread out and lost all over the house. I am afraid this will be the fate of the new sets she received.

But my original question was:
How do I know they are safe and have been tested for lead? Why don't they have to show it on the box?

[Former_Member]

I would email the company and ask them. I don't know when they started having to have that on the box, perhaps it was backstock that Walmart had before they had to have the certificate? Just email the toy company with the item number and barcode number, they should be able to tell you.

[Former_Member]

CPSIA labeling doesn't take effect until August this year so there is no current requirement for any company to have the testing certificate number on the product or the packaging, yet.
If you really detest them talk to your daughter about returning them, you keep the store credit for househlod items like paper towels & cleaning supplies and give her the cash equivalent to do with as she pleases.

[Former_Member]

And next time I had a party for my kid I would specify what kind of gifts I expected to receive.

[LaurieRyan]

PD!!!!!!! I love your avatar! how cute, sorry to get off the topic but had to jump in here

[Former_Member]

Thanks, Laurie!

[BeneathTheRowanTree]

Wow.
I would definitely write some letters!
And I totally hear you on the hard poky plastic junk ;)
Makes b-day and Christmas a challenge, doesn't it?

[Former_Member]

I love My little Pony and now they're back. I have a whole box of orginals that have puppy teeth marks....

[Former_Member]

I like My Little Ponies, too!

[Former_Member]

I agree the regulations are all confusing. I bought a plastic Disney Dish set for my two nieces, one was marked BPA free the other was not. I called the company and could only get a recording. When I returned the one that was not marked to the store the girl was clueless. (I know this is not the exact same thing but relevant none the less)

[Candejo]

Actually, WalMart has probably been the most agressive about requiring certs since 11/08 on incoming inventory being compliant with what had been passed in legislation for the last phase of CPSIA guidelines. If incoming merchandise didn't arrive at their warehouses with certs it was returned. All existing inventory was returned to manufacturers if possible for refund/credit or for compliance testing..anything left is coded into their computer register program to be taken from the customer when scanned there. That's compliance for phalates, lead, small parts etc. Labeling for phalates and lead isn't required until August and I'm fairly certain it can't be on the box...it's actually got to be on the item somewhere. And I'm not certain they've even really decided exactly what has to be on it, while they do have the guidelines already nothing seems to be set in stone.

[thedreamygiraffe]

The original Littlest Pet Shop critters were cute. They were a lot smaller, though. I collected them when I was in high school (which, yes, I admit without shame!). I actually still have some of them somewhere.

I think the current ones look kind of alienish but my niece loves them.

No offense to aliens!

& Sorry for aiding in the thread hijack.

[germandolls]

Candejo, how in the world would they fit the information on those tiny pieces? I don't get it...
No offence, you petshop lovers. I don't mind if you collect them. I just don't like having to pick them up around the house...

[urbanprairiegirl]

I love those little petshop things, they are so cute. BUt I hate the twisty ties and plastic and the boxes. I wish you could just buy them loose, out of the pkgs.

I once saw an article, and this was many years ago before toys came superbondaged, that what you can do to protest is to first buy the toy, then at checkstand, break out your scissors and even wire cutters, free the toy, and hand the pkging back to the cashier, saying, "here you can keep this stuff".
I havent ever done that with toys, but in the grocery store when I buy "cuties" which are tiny tangerines, I hand them back the heavy cardboard box that they come in, and I do say, "here, you can keep this, please recycle it."
Could take some time to unbondage a doll but it would make a good point.
Did you know that the reason a lot of toys are strapped in so tightly is because collectors never take them out of the box and want to make sure they stay put. Weird, I know....

♥

[urbanprairiegirl]

Now as for that birthday party, I would have taken ALL the packaging that came from same company, boxed it up, mailed it back to them. That would cost a couple bucks but would be worth making a point.
Imagine them opening the pkg and finding a small mountain of their crappy plastic, twist ties, cardboard stuff that poses as part of the purchase!
(Oh wow, Barbie got a cardboard bunny in her plastic easter basket! What a bonus!) ACK

[Former_Member]

I am not sure some toys keep well just sitting on a shelf in no package. A doll's hair would become a mess, and those little parts would get lost. And though everyone would like to think otherwise, the world is not full of kids who relish receiving a stuffed worm made out of socks, or a doll made out of yarn for their birthday.

[Former_Member]

urbanprairiegirl says:
Now as for that birthday party, I would have taken ALL the packaging that came from same company, boxed it up, mailed it back to them. That would cost a couple bucks but would be worth making a point.
Imagine them opening the pkg and finding a small mountain of their crappy plastic, twist ties, cardboard stuff that poses as part of the purchase!
(Oh wow, Barbie got a cardboard bunny in her plastic easter basket! What a bonus!) ACK
------------------------
I love this idea!

[Former_Member]

PussDaddy says:
...the world is not full of kids who relish receiving a stuffed worm made out of socks...
_________________________________________

Puss! Like... there is more than sock critters? No way!

As for Little Petshop - I think I have a ferret somewhere. Looks very kawaii. And mostly way cuter than the real thing trashing my place.

As for the testing - I expect they will become creative with adding that info on the packaging as of August?

[Former_Member]

I love it, too. How many of you will actually do it? Considering so many people post that they have money problems, I can't see them wasting money on stuff like this when they need it for other things.

[Former_Member]

I love to re-use the packaging items when I give a gift from my shop to another child, somehow makes them like it more......... the time it takes to get it out of the box!

[Former_Member]

Sock monkies are exempt. Even I wanted a sock monkey for my birthday. :-)