Is it time to start selling your Mattel, Inc., (NYSE: MAT) stock? In Yet Another incidence of Fisher Price toys being tainted (figuratively and literally) with lead, Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) has pulled the Fisher Price Medical Kit from its web site after a Consumer Reports article that questioned the lead content in the kit's toy blood pressure cuff. Mattel has insisted that children can play doctor safely because the toy "meets the requirements set forth in the federal regulations and international consumer product safety standards, including the existing standards for lead content." Note Mattel did not claim that the toy was free from lead.As I've mentioned before, these toy recalls have lead (har!) me to the conclusion that it's just not worth buying plastic toys for my children any more. I've been flipping through the Nova Natural catalog to plan for holiday buying and regularly carting off boxes of my boys' plastic toys to Goodwill.
Judging by the excitement over leaked Black Friday ads, it seems as if I'm a rarity. This news does bring out a couple of questions, however:
- Will we soon start seeing vigilante recalls like this one from Amazon.com as retailers work to minimize their risk in toy recalls?
- Does it cost enough to effect a recall that it might make sense to anger a major supplier like Mattel?
- Isn't this recall just a little bit too ironic? My blood pressure is rising, too!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-06-2007 @ 6:06PM
Alex Esguerra said...
Amazon and it's third party sellers wants to be in compliance with Safety standards.
I do like the Medical Kit as a favorite. Will miss it.......
11-06-2007 @ 7:11PM
R Vigilant said...
re: "and regularly carting off boxes of questionable plastic toys to Goodwill."
If they're questionable, why are you giving them to Goodwill!!!
11-07-2007 @ 10:43AM
Jeff said...
I remember having a medical kit very similar to that when I was a child. I remember those good old days. Sad to think children won't be able to enjoy the same lead content I once did.
11-07-2007 @ 6:37PM
asilhal said...
Why give them to Goodwill if they aren't good enough for your children. That is just irresponisible.
11-21-2007 @ 2:51PM
sarah gilbert said...
asilhal: the great thing about Goodwill is that they don't force anyone to buy things! if parents believe that plastic toys are o.k. for their kids -- everyone has their own beliefs w/r/t playthings -- they can buy them.
12-25-2007 @ 10:30PM
brandon said...
You're still assuming parents know enough to buy something safe for their kids. Goodwill, being named GOODWILL, has an even higher standard to deliver safe toys. You're doing nothing to protect the random kid who may not have smart enough or motivated enough parents to research every single toy they get from a goodwill.
12-08-2007 @ 6:51PM
Kathy said...
Bought Fisher Price Medical Kit for grandson for Christmas. Have already returned it after hearing that the state of Illinois(which has the most stringent lead regulations) had the medical kit removed from the shelves of toy stores. Called Fisher Price and the representative said the lead on blood pressure cuff met federal standards. I feel that if the product is not good enough for the children of Illinois, it is not good enough for my grandson!