BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com BloggingStocks http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/media/feedlogo.gif BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Mattel's third toy recall: Parents response ho-hum, could Barbie survive?]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/09/05/mattels-third-toy-recall-parents-response-ho-hum-could-barbie/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/09/05/mattels-third-toy-recall-parents-response-ho-hum-could-barbie/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/09/05/mattels-third-toy-recall-parents-response-ho-hum-could-barbie/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

After Mattel (NYSE: MAT) announced its first huge lead-based paint recall spanning dozens of my children's favorite toys, from Diego to Elmo (how could you?), my initial response was something along the lines of: no more Chinese toys, ever! After the second recall, largely focused on Polly Pocket dolls (I have boys but still, Polly Pocket is hard to resist) and choking hazards, I went even further and darkly considered removing the plastics from my family's consumption altogether -- more than one friend made that decision, too, putting plastic toys and Tupperware in garbage bags and divesting entirely.

Late last night, Mattel announced yet another recall, this one not quite so big as the others and focused largely on small parts of Barbie accessories -- the dog from the Barbie Dream Puppy House; the cat from the Barbie Dream Kitty Condo; the dog and dinner plates from the table and chairs kitchen playset -- as well as a few toddler toys, two GeoTrax trains and the lid from a bongo drum in a Big, Big World playset. And I? Had almost no reaction. I didn't frantically root through my children's toy boxes, searching for toxic toys. I didn't email all my friends, using a subject line with several exclamation points. I didn't call my pediatrician's office to schedule a blood lead test (ok, so I've already done that). Mattel, I've decided, isn't the bad guy here; nor am I quite as angry at China (even though I'll admit to a greatly heightened blood pressure when I heard that a Chinese government official objected to lead limits in children's jewelry).

The thing is, while I've decided to severely limit my consumption of plastic children's toys, this isn't about them anymore.

Continue reading Mattel's third toy recall: Parents response ho-hum, could Barbie survive?

Mattel's third toy recall: Parents response ho-hum, could Barbie survive? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 05 Sep 2007 13:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Earlier this month, Mattel Inc. (NYSE: MAT) was forced to recall 967,000 toys produced in China due to high levels of lead in the paint used on the toys. This was just another in a string of recent product recalls involving Chinese products, but the end result is a sad story, as Zhang Shuhong, who co-owned Lee Der Industrial Co. Ltd., which manufactured the recalled toys, took his own life at the company's warehouse over the weekend.

According to reports, Shuhong hung himself this past Saturday. Earlier in the day he had greeted workers and briefly talked with some of them before taking his own life later in the day.

One of the company's managers, Liu, said that Zhang Shuhong was fooled into using the harmful paint and had bought the bad paint from one of his best friends. While all reports that I have seen have all stated that Mr. Shuhong did not willingly use harmful products in the company's toys, the damage was done, and the company has been placed under a temporary export ban of its goods.

Continue reading Chinese executive found hanged following Mattel (MAT) toy recalls

Chinese executive found hanged following Mattel (MAT) toy recalls originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 13 Aug 2007 09:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>China suicideChinaSuicideChinese suicideChineseSuicidecorporate suicideCorporateSuicideFisher Price recallFisherPriceRecallLee Der Industrial Co. LtdLeeDerIndustrialCo.LtdMattel recallMattelRecalltoy recallToyRecallZhang ShuhongZhangShuhongMon, 13 Aug 2007 09:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Before the bell: BX, BRCM, NOK, AAPL, MAT]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/08/08/before-the-bell-brcm-nok-aapl-msft/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/08/08/before-the-bell-brcm-nok-aapl-msft/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/08/08/before-the-bell-brcm-nok-aapl-msft/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Main market news here: Before the bell: Cisco (CSCO) earnings boost futures.

The Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX) announced Wednesday morning that it has closed its latest fund, Blackstone Capital Partners V. The $21.7 billion fund is the largest buyout fund ever.

Broadcom Corp. (NASDAQ: BRCM) has added insult to injury in its rivalry with Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ: QCOM), following up a legal victory with news of a deal to supply chips to cell phone maker Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK), which is currently squabbling with Qualcomm.

In addition to the Broadcom deal and its continuing contract with Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN), Nokia has also announced two new chip suppliers: Infineon Technologies (NYSE: IFX) and STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM).

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) unveiled its new iMac on Tuesday, which features a slimmer, aluminum casing and a suite of software targeted at winning over users of Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT)'s Windows.

Mattel Inc. (NYSE: MAT) has named the Chinese manufacturer of almost 1 million Fisher-Price toys that it had to recall last week for possible lead paint.

Before the bell: BX, BRCM, NOK, AAPL, MAT originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 08 Aug 2007 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AAPLAppleBRCMBroadcom CorpBroadcomCorpBXFisher Price recallFisherPriceRecallIFXInfineon TechnologiesInfineonTechnologiesMATMattel Inc.Mattel recallMattelInc.MattelRecallMicrosoftMSFTNOKNokia CorpNokiaCorpQCOMQualcomm IncQualcommIncSTMSTMicroelectronicsThe Blackstone GroupTheBlackstoneGrouptoy recallToyRecallWed, 08 Aug 2007 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Fisher-Price to recall one million toys made in China]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/08/02/total-recall-fisher-price-to-recall-one-million-toys-made-in-ch/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/08/02/total-recall-fisher-price-to-recall-one-million-toys-made-in-ch/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/08/02/total-recall-fisher-price-to-recall-one-million-toys-made-in-ch/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Maybe it's time to look under your kids' beds.

Fisher-Price, a division of toy-maker Mattel, Inc. (NYSE: MAT), is recalling nearly one million plastic pre-school toys because of unsafe levels of lead paint. The toys were painted by a Chinese vendor with whom the company has a long association.

The recall, the second-largest this year involving toys, involves 83 different products made from April 19 through July 6. Toy characters parents (and their pre-school children) will certainly recognize include Elmo, Dora the Explorer, and her pal Diego.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has a full list of the recalled toys here.

Gallery: Mattel toy recall

Everett and his Diego toysGo Diego Go Antartic RescueDiego figures and Ernie truckDora Fairytale CastleGo Diego Go Talking Rescue 4x4



Continue reading Fisher-Price to recall one million toys made in China

Fisher-Price to recall one million toys made in China originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 02 Aug 2007 08:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Chinese manufacturingChineseManufacturingconsumer product safety commissionConsumerProductSafetyCommissionCSPCDora The ExplorerDoraTheExplorerElmo recallElmoRecallfeaturedFisher PriceFisher Price recallFisherPriceFisherPriceRecalllead paintLeadPaintMATmattelMattel recallMattelRecallrecallToy Industry Associationtoy recallToy recallsToyIndustryAssociationToyRecallToyRecallswww.service.mattel.comThu, 02 Aug 2007 08:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Mattel dogged by China problem]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/08/02/mattel-dogged-by-china-problem/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/08/02/mattel-dogged-by-china-problem/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/08/02/mattel-dogged-by-china-problem/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Mattel's (NYSE: MAT) Fisher division is recalling about a million toys. The products contain (subscription required) high levels of lead.

Oh, and the products were made in China. Mattel says it did not catch the problem earlier because they were made by a "trusted" manufacturer.

Most of the toys have not been shipped from warehouses.

Mattel's problems raise the issue of whether US companies are going to have to spend increasing sums of money to audit Chinese manufacturing processes and inspect products from that country as they come to the US market. The current recall is part of an emerging epidemic of serious concerns about items manufactured in the world's most populated country.

That brings up the P&L question of whether out-sourcing manufacturing to Chinese companies is really less expensive over time. If Chinese work quality is too low for most US companies. the cost of monitoring and inspecting these products could sky-rocket. And, this could off-set the advantage of China's cheap labor force.

Made in China may come to mean too much cost and too much risk for many US firms.

Douglas A. McIntyre is a partner at 24/7 Wall St.

Click here for Mattel toy recall coverage

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Douglas McIntyre: Mattel (MAT) toy recall: More to come?
Michael Fowlkes: Chinese executive found hanged following Mattel (MAT) toy recalls
Hilary Kramer: Mattel, Inc. (MAT): Buy or sell after recall?
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Julie Tilsner: Fisher-Price to recall one million toys made in China
Douglas McIntyre: Mattel dogged by China problem

Mattel dogged by China problem originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 02 Aug 2007 07:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ChinaFisher Price recallFisherPriceRecallMATMattel recallMattelRecalltoy recallToyRecallThu, 02 Aug 2007 07:40:00 EST