Oh, I forgot to tell everyone what I got for Xmas... shame on me.
My dear loving sister got me something Ive always wanted....a GIANT PEZ DISPENSER!!!
WOO HOO!!!
She got me the Elmo one. Its like 12 inches tall and when you lean his head back, he sings the Sesame Street song.
Love it. BUt wouldnt you think that PEZ would make extra large pez candies for the xtra big PEZ dispensers? They dont and I think thats really odd.
So somehow, someway, Im supposed to put this half inch PEZ into the neck of Elmo even though Elmo is like 20 Times the size of a regular PEZ dispenser.
Isnt that odd? Maybe I should write to PEZ and ask them if they plan on doing something about it. Does any one have a mold for an XTRA BIG PeZ candy, because I need one. There's some money to be made for the person who can make the XTRA big PEZ candy that will fit into the XTRA big dispensers. I know Im not the only person in America with this problem. Why should I buy the regular size PEz for my xtra big dispenser? Thats like buying an xtra big car and putting the tires from your smaller car on them. It doesnt make any sense.
Ok, next.
Guess what else I got..just guess....guess.
I got..........a ......... POPPLE!!!
Yes, I nearly cried. The POPPPLES were OFF THE HOOK in the eighties. You could kick them, through them, whatever. Me and my sister would fight over Popples when I was a kid.WE were poor, but we hadPopples. Who needs money, and gifts, when you have a Popple. She even had a Popple sleeping bag. I never had one. Anyways, the Popples are back...HOORAY!! There was even a POPPLE TV Show. The POPPLES need to come back. they just have too. So I got a Popple and I sleep with it every night cuz I love it. HInt hint, they have them at Target. Who manufactures Poppples.. I think its Mattel right? Im pretty sure it is/was.
Anyways, so I got a Popple anda Xtra Large Pez Dispenser and im soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo happy. that with my Lego ice cubes, what more do i need? NOTHING!!!! My world is complete !!!
Update: I sent a letter to Mr. verrecchia and he hasnt responded yet. Its okay. I still love him and his company anyway. HASBRO has never sent me a mean, disappointing, discouraging letter. Now Mattel on the other hand.... well, thats a whole different blog.
Im still waiting to hear news regarding my census data regarding the US population and how that affects the toy economy. If anyone would like a copy of that, please let me know. Its a VERY Good report. Im an Economist, so the analysis is quite concise.
Friday, February 22, 2008
FUN GADGETS ONLINE
Im back everyone!!!
Last week I ordered some gadgets from a website referred to as PERPETUAL KID. I found it out because I was checking out Play dOH ON LINE (cuz i used to eat that stuff, and yes, I still do every now and then). So I was looking for Playdoh and then I found Play Doh cologne andI was like,"How cool". Then i was like,"what else does this site have?? This website sells uncommon gadgets, such as toast stamps and things your probably havent thought of. Things I have thought of, but things the common non-toy oriented person would not think of. This is why this blog exists, to make you aware of the world you are missing : the toy world.
So I ordered 4 really big pens ( for my co workers- it will be their Xmas gifts, yeah I know, Im kind of late. But who says you cant celebrate Xmas in March??), the I LOVE YOU and HOLY toast stamp, and 2 Cassette Bags.
i really wanted the Cassette bags. As a child of the 80's, I actually know what a cassette is. Ahh, memories. Am I the only one who had the "get in Shape girl" physical fitness announcements on tape? I still have it. Oh, and all of my bootleg Mariah Carey songs straight off of the radio.... I had a vision of love ....... After youd record it, youd rewind and pause it right where the song ended. And if the tape got caught up, youd put it between your lips because you thought your lips had the same power as an ironing board...certainly your lips would be able to straighten out that tape.
Ok, sorry for the tangent.. lets talk about my products:
The Cassete Bags: On the website, there is a girl holding it and the bag looks really big. Now I know that the girl was just really skinny. I got my bag and it was quite small, in width. I wish it was like 2x the size.
You know what? This bag is cool and I love it but you know how it could be made to be even cooler.
1) Make it from more studier material. Put a cut in the side of the bad, so that the "tape" can be dispensed, so the "tape" can be written on, like a note pad. Make it a secret cover. Then, make the bag from a sturdy plastic so that on the bag , I could write with a special eraseable pen " Going to the gym" where the Side A line is. ha,ha,ha, that would be so hot. I could put different messages on the "tape bag".
I love the bag but I can see it breaking real easily if Im not careful with it.
i wish it had an internal zipper on it.
The toast things: I havent tried them yet, but they look neat. I think the company needs to get bridal companies to put the I LOVE YOU toast stamp on their sites.Like websites like knot, wedding channel, etc. They would make great wedding gifts. Thats why I bought it, I bought one for my sister and the other one is for my future huband who is out there somewhere drooling over his cassette tapes as well.Ha,ha,ha.
The big pens: they are wrapped up, they are for co workers, they seem neat too.
So those are my latest purchases my friends.
Last week I ordered some gadgets from a website referred to as PERPETUAL KID. I found it out because I was checking out Play dOH ON LINE (cuz i used to eat that stuff, and yes, I still do every now and then). So I was looking for Playdoh and then I found Play Doh cologne andI was like,"How cool". Then i was like,"what else does this site have?? This website sells uncommon gadgets, such as toast stamps and things your probably havent thought of. Things I have thought of, but things the common non-toy oriented person would not think of. This is why this blog exists, to make you aware of the world you are missing : the toy world.
So I ordered 4 really big pens ( for my co workers- it will be their Xmas gifts, yeah I know, Im kind of late. But who says you cant celebrate Xmas in March??), the I LOVE YOU and HOLY toast stamp, and 2 Cassette Bags.
i really wanted the Cassette bags. As a child of the 80's, I actually know what a cassette is. Ahh, memories. Am I the only one who had the "get in Shape girl" physical fitness announcements on tape? I still have it. Oh, and all of my bootleg Mariah Carey songs straight off of the radio.... I had a vision of love ....... After youd record it, youd rewind and pause it right where the song ended. And if the tape got caught up, youd put it between your lips because you thought your lips had the same power as an ironing board...certainly your lips would be able to straighten out that tape.
Ok, sorry for the tangent.. lets talk about my products:
The Cassete Bags: On the website, there is a girl holding it and the bag looks really big. Now I know that the girl was just really skinny. I got my bag and it was quite small, in width. I wish it was like 2x the size.
You know what? This bag is cool and I love it but you know how it could be made to be even cooler.
1) Make it from more studier material. Put a cut in the side of the bad, so that the "tape" can be dispensed, so the "tape" can be written on, like a note pad. Make it a secret cover. Then, make the bag from a sturdy plastic so that on the bag , I could write with a special eraseable pen " Going to the gym" where the Side A line is. ha,ha,ha, that would be so hot. I could put different messages on the "tape bag".
I love the bag but I can see it breaking real easily if Im not careful with it.
i wish it had an internal zipper on it.
The toast things: I havent tried them yet, but they look neat. I think the company needs to get bridal companies to put the I LOVE YOU toast stamp on their sites.Like websites like knot, wedding channel, etc. They would make great wedding gifts. Thats why I bought it, I bought one for my sister and the other one is for my future huband who is out there somewhere drooling over his cassette tapes as well.Ha,ha,ha.
The big pens: they are wrapped up, they are for co workers, they seem neat too.
So those are my latest purchases my friends.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Wii- Have you bought one yet? Eventually you will !!
Has anyone noticed the latest phenomenon? If not, you're out of the loop. The Nintendo WII is by far the hottest ticket on the market right now. The Nintendo Wii, which has been around for approximately a year, is gaining national attention. Yesterday I asked my boss what he planned on buying for his kids for Xmas. His kids are 7 and 10, so I was expecting him to say "Barbie", "Transformers". Instead, he informed me that he had purchased a WII. A Wii? Little 7 year olds are getting Wii's??? WOW !!I have to admit that I first interacted with a Wii three months ago. I didn't even play a game, I simply chose a character and selected features to make her look like me. That was it. But gosh that was a lot of fun. I probably would have had more fun if I had actually played a game !!!This is why the Wii is causing a lot of people to say "WIIIIIIIIIIIIIII !!!": The Wii is interactive. In todays society, children are overweight and adults are overweight. Many of the Wii games can't be played without the player moving some part of their body. What does this tell America?? That people DO like to exercise. However, poeple like to exercise without realizing that they are exercising. It has to be fun, which the WII is. It's even more fun when the WII is played with a partner. Don't scientists say that you are more likely to lose weight if you exercise with a partner? Same concept can be applied to the Wii.When I was growing up, I had a Nintendo, the original Nintendo.Amazingly, I was saved from Carpel Tunnel even though I played my game system for 12 hours straight every weekend. Back then, hand-eye coordination was vital. With the Wii, every body movement is important.The Wii is a great system. It keeps kids involved and it keeps them excited. But most importantly, it keeps them moving. I believe that the Wii is an answer to the public health epidemic concerning obesity. Don't be surprised if schools start ordering these systems for their P.E classes. Senior Citizens are enjoying the Wii's too because it gets them off of their feet and gets their blood flowing.Schools, retirement centers, and nursing homes, will all start ordering Wii's by the bulk. Mark my word !!Finally, we have a game system that both parents and children can enjoy. This Xmas everyone will be asking for a Wii, so when you call your grandmother to ask her what she would like for Xmas,be prepared to stand in line for a WII. With that said, I hope everyone has a Wii-Ful Holiday season.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Recalled Toys: How to Buy One
Today, Aqua Dots were officially recalled. They were one of 2007's hottest toys but they were recalled today due to the fact that they contain the components of a date rape drug. How a toy gets made with date rape drugs, I dont know, but they were. Being that the recall is so fresh, I decided to go to the store to see if I could get my hands on some Aqua Dots.
I went to a Target in Northern Virginia. I went to the toy section and the big Aqua Dots toy maker was gone. There was no sign, they were just gone, so it looked like they were sold out. Ok. But yet they had little Aqua Dot sets that you could buy, take home, and make one Aqua Dot piece. They had like 6 hanging. So I grabbed one. Yes, I got my hands on a recalled toy!!!
Then I picked up the red phone at Target and asked for assistance in the toy department. When the assistant came, I asked him if he knew anything about the Aqua Dots toys. He said he had heard something but he wasnt too sure. I informed him that the toy contained a form of a date rape drug and that if I were him, I would take every single Aqua Dot product off of the shelf before the store got into trouble.
So I watched him as he gathered the Aqua Dot mini sets and took them off of the store shelf.
I still wanted to see if I would be able to buy them though. I took one Aqua Dot set and took it up to the cashier, along with the rest of my items. Everything was going great- the cashier scanned my CDs, my scarves, my gloves, my uh oh, uh oh, she couldnt scan the Aqua Dots.
'Whats wrong' I asked her.
She informed me that the product had been recalled.
'If its been recalled then why do you still have it on your shelves?', I asked her.
She said she didnt know, but the cash register would NOT let her ring it up. I could see the computerized register and it said," This product has been recalled. DO NOT sell this product to customers".
I asked her if I could buy it anyway. She said no. Then the manager came out to inform me that I could not buy the product and that it was being recalled. The manager had come to my register because she had to punch something in the computer in order to let the cashier get rid of that recall screen.
So folks, I was NOT able to buy Aqua Dots, which is great!! Target has a great system set up.
Know that you should feel somewhat safe buying products from Target. Now I need to go test other toy retailers.
Just yesterday, I copied an article about a toy being recalled in Australia that looked like Aqua Dots. It is one of the blog entries. Gosh I'm good- who knew that they WERE Aqua Dots going by another name!!! Who needs CNN for toy news when you have me!!!
I went to a Target in Northern Virginia. I went to the toy section and the big Aqua Dots toy maker was gone. There was no sign, they were just gone, so it looked like they were sold out. Ok. But yet they had little Aqua Dot sets that you could buy, take home, and make one Aqua Dot piece. They had like 6 hanging. So I grabbed one. Yes, I got my hands on a recalled toy!!!
Then I picked up the red phone at Target and asked for assistance in the toy department. When the assistant came, I asked him if he knew anything about the Aqua Dots toys. He said he had heard something but he wasnt too sure. I informed him that the toy contained a form of a date rape drug and that if I were him, I would take every single Aqua Dot product off of the shelf before the store got into trouble.
So I watched him as he gathered the Aqua Dot mini sets and took them off of the store shelf.
I still wanted to see if I would be able to buy them though. I took one Aqua Dot set and took it up to the cashier, along with the rest of my items. Everything was going great- the cashier scanned my CDs, my scarves, my gloves, my uh oh, uh oh, she couldnt scan the Aqua Dots.
'Whats wrong' I asked her.
She informed me that the product had been recalled.
'If its been recalled then why do you still have it on your shelves?', I asked her.
She said she didnt know, but the cash register would NOT let her ring it up. I could see the computerized register and it said," This product has been recalled. DO NOT sell this product to customers".
I asked her if I could buy it anyway. She said no. Then the manager came out to inform me that I could not buy the product and that it was being recalled. The manager had come to my register because she had to punch something in the computer in order to let the cashier get rid of that recall screen.
So folks, I was NOT able to buy Aqua Dots, which is great!! Target has a great system set up.
Know that you should feel somewhat safe buying products from Target. Now I need to go test other toy retailers.
Just yesterday, I copied an article about a toy being recalled in Australia that looked like Aqua Dots. It is one of the blog entries. Gosh I'm good- who knew that they WERE Aqua Dots going by another name!!! Who needs CNN for toy news when you have me!!!
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Toy Catalogues and the WoW Factor
Last week I got my toy catalogue from Fisher -Price. Yep, Im on their mailing list. I got the catalogue and I was quite impressed. It was nice and big and colorful. Then in the Sunday newspaper, I saw Target's Toy catalogue. And I must say: Target's toy catalogue was WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY better than Fisher-Price's catalogue. I don't know who made the catalogue for Target, but that person deserves a payraise- I absolutely love it.
As I sit here going through both catalogues, I want to give you a first hand experience of what its like to go thru the catalogue and pick the seasons hottest toys. Ive already told you what the hottest toys were going to be (check the earlier blog entry: F-P Arts and Crafts Studio, remember????)
Ok, lets flip through these catalogues:
I like the cover of the Target catalogue, because it has a real person on it. The FP catlge has the little people on the cover.
You know what I saw in the Target catlg: a toy puppy that grows and says your name.Now if you have a kid below the age of 8, thats kind of cool having a toy dog that can say your name and sing songs. F-P is really capitalizing on that "KNOW YOUR NAME" technology. I have the Elmo Says your Name toy and I love it ( my sister got it for me ). This puppy costs $40.
Sparkle and Twirl mERMAID dORA: $30 thru F-P ctlg and $25 at Target.
Vtech KidiZoom Camera- Because I hated the F-P Digital Camera so much, I'm thinking of getting the VTECH camera this year. Im going to call F-P to see if I can return the F-P camera I bought last year which was such a disappointment.
You know why the Target catalogue was better-Becaue it has a wider selection of toys in it.
BAsed on the catalogue, apart from my top ten list , these other toys look cool too:
- F-P King Car-NIVORE: which is an EXACT COPY OF HASBRO's TRANSFORMERS!! In this case, the truck turns into an animal, instead of turning into a Transformer type robot. This is SUCH A copycat of Hasbro's Transformers. Hasbro should sue over this, if its possible.How would Mattel feel if Hasbro created a doll named Maria who sang and spoke in English and Spanish, just like their Dora?
-Playskool's Bounce N GO Inch along toy looks neat. I might buy this and just keep it for when I have kids or someone I know has a kid.
--Lil Luvables Doll Factory: This is great for a rainy day when your kid wants to go to Build A Bear but you dont feel like going. This allows you to build- a -doll right in your own living room.
--This toy should be on my top 10: the Eye Clops Bionic Eye- its a magnifying gadget that allows you to see your objects on tv. So if you put a bug in your handand shine the eyeclops eye on it, you can see it magnified on your TV. This is a great toy for all of you who know little wanna be scientists. Can you imagine pointing this in your mouth and seeing a close up of your teeth and cavities-- YUCKY!!!! But cool!!! This is $45 at Target.
-I tried out this toy the other day: the I CAn play guitar system. The concept is cool but the guitar doesnt have strings. Arent guitars supposed to have strings?? I couldnt get over that fact, that why I wont buy it. But I would love to learn how to play the guitar and Ido think that this would work, but I would feel comfortable if it had strings.
For those of you who never read the copy of my Census analysis report dealing with the country's demographics and how that relates to the toy market- please let me know and Ill send you a copy.
As I sit here going through both catalogues, I want to give you a first hand experience of what its like to go thru the catalogue and pick the seasons hottest toys. Ive already told you what the hottest toys were going to be (check the earlier blog entry: F-P Arts and Crafts Studio, remember????)
Ok, lets flip through these catalogues:
I like the cover of the Target catalogue, because it has a real person on it. The FP catlge has the little people on the cover.
You know what I saw in the Target catlg: a toy puppy that grows and says your name.Now if you have a kid below the age of 8, thats kind of cool having a toy dog that can say your name and sing songs. F-P is really capitalizing on that "KNOW YOUR NAME" technology. I have the Elmo Says your Name toy and I love it ( my sister got it for me ). This puppy costs $40.
Sparkle and Twirl mERMAID dORA: $30 thru F-P ctlg and $25 at Target.
Vtech KidiZoom Camera- Because I hated the F-P Digital Camera so much, I'm thinking of getting the VTECH camera this year. Im going to call F-P to see if I can return the F-P camera I bought last year which was such a disappointment.
You know why the Target catalogue was better-Becaue it has a wider selection of toys in it.
BAsed on the catalogue, apart from my top ten list , these other toys look cool too:
- F-P King Car-NIVORE: which is an EXACT COPY OF HASBRO's TRANSFORMERS!! In this case, the truck turns into an animal, instead of turning into a Transformer type robot. This is SUCH A copycat of Hasbro's Transformers. Hasbro should sue over this, if its possible.How would Mattel feel if Hasbro created a doll named Maria who sang and spoke in English and Spanish, just like their Dora?
-Playskool's Bounce N GO Inch along toy looks neat. I might buy this and just keep it for when I have kids or someone I know has a kid.
--Lil Luvables Doll Factory: This is great for a rainy day when your kid wants to go to Build A Bear but you dont feel like going. This allows you to build- a -doll right in your own living room.
--This toy should be on my top 10: the Eye Clops Bionic Eye- its a magnifying gadget that allows you to see your objects on tv. So if you put a bug in your handand shine the eyeclops eye on it, you can see it magnified on your TV. This is a great toy for all of you who know little wanna be scientists. Can you imagine pointing this in your mouth and seeing a close up of your teeth and cavities-- YUCKY!!!! But cool!!! This is $45 at Target.
-I tried out this toy the other day: the I CAn play guitar system. The concept is cool but the guitar doesnt have strings. Arent guitars supposed to have strings?? I couldnt get over that fact, that why I wont buy it. But I would love to learn how to play the guitar and Ido think that this would work, but I would feel comfortable if it had strings.
For those of you who never read the copy of my Census analysis report dealing with the country's demographics and how that relates to the toy market- please let me know and Ill send you a copy.
Recalled Items and the U.S Reaction
An advisory committee wants to goive more power to the FDA to regulate items that may be dangerous. Well, isnt that what the FDA was supposed to be doing all along? If they werent doing that, then what have they been doing?
An official report is scheduled to come out next week.
Articles and news reports Ive been reading have stated that recalls are up to the manufacturers/companies, not the government. Thats why Mattel recalled their toys, not the government. Thats why Dole recalls their lettuce. So does this mean that if a company decides that they dont want to put out a "voluntary" recall, that they dont have to? Is that why the word "voluntary" is used? Does this mean there is no such thing as a "mandatory" recall?
The committee reportedly wants to give the CPSC the power to make it illegal for companies to "knowingly" distribute a product that has been recalled. Ok, so does this mean that it will be legal to sell a product if you dont know that the product is bad? So if Im Mattel, its legal for me to sell products that I dont know are bad but illegal to sell products I know are bad. So when something bad happens, I can simply say " oh, Im sorry, I didnt know the product was bad" and that alone will make the accident legal??
This doesnt make sense: if the committee wants to give the CPSC the power to make it illegal to sell known recalled items, then the panel should also give a government entity the power to make recalls, and not leave it up to the companies to make the "voluntary recalls."
The panel also wants CPSC and government officials to be in foreign lands inspecting vthe goods. So will all of the inspectors have lead inspection gadgets at the ports?? The issue of inspections needs to be dealt with by the toy companies and not the US inspectors. The Us inspectors can only do so much. And bribery will dilute the US inspectors roles. Dont think that all of the US Inspectors inspecting the cargo will be immune to take bribes- there are always a corrupt few. And those corrupt few will circumvent the system the US is trying to establish now.
Seal- there is the whole idea of having a certification type of seal on products so that people will know the products have been inspected. Fact of the matter is, no one is going to care. Doesnt our meat have a USDA stamp on it, but look at how many times meat has been recalled. And what exactly will the stamp prove- that its been thoroughly inspected, that its been inspected by US Customs, that the cargo was seen with the eye, what? So if Nixe Co has the seal, then am I supposed to trust everything they make because they are now a "trustworthy" company?? Give me a break!! People will know that Nixe Co is a "stamped " company and they will buy all of their products because they trust the stamp. But then there will be another recall and people will be put on the edge and wonder if the stamped goods are really safe. You kow whats going to happen, let me tell you. Our products will be stamped right? Then someone is going to find a way to steal the stamp, reproduce the stamp, and it will show up on products that were not truly meant to be stamped. Then we will run into the problem of real stamp vs. fake stamp.
And how will the stamping procedure work- how long does a company have to be in compliance before they are recognized as a certified company? And how long does that certification last? And will this mean that executives will no longer be able to go on trips sponsored by these companies that are all striving to receive the stamp of approval??
I dont think that the CPSC exec, Nancy Nord, should resign. Everyone needs to leave her alone.She was not the one ordering the toys to be made, she was not the one telling the Chinese companies what type of paint to use, she was not the one giving the orders. People always want to fire someone over something, but they are looking at the wrong person to fire. Noone was fired when drugs were recalled because the side effects were deadly (wasnt it the same FDA that was supposed to protect the consumers?? Its this same FDA that may be getting more power to regulate toys. OK, you think about it....its the same FDA that approved VIAGARA but then later asked the manufacturers to edit the labels because they failed to warn its customers about potential hearing loss that can occur ). So hopefully the FDA wont be approving toys and then later say, "oops, we messed up, can we please have all those toys back!" Thats not what the world needs. Toys need to be made and regulators have to know whether or not the toys are bad BEFORE it gets shipped out for mass consumption. Regulators have to be PRO ACTIVE rather than reactive. No one was fired when the bridge collapsed in Minnesota. No one was arrested for those wild fires in California even though they know EXACTLY who set the main one. So everyone needs to leave Nancy alone and let her do her job. Firing someone is not going to solve the problem.
Lets see what the future holds:)
An official report is scheduled to come out next week.
Articles and news reports Ive been reading have stated that recalls are up to the manufacturers/companies, not the government. Thats why Mattel recalled their toys, not the government. Thats why Dole recalls their lettuce. So does this mean that if a company decides that they dont want to put out a "voluntary" recall, that they dont have to? Is that why the word "voluntary" is used? Does this mean there is no such thing as a "mandatory" recall?
The committee reportedly wants to give the CPSC the power to make it illegal for companies to "knowingly" distribute a product that has been recalled. Ok, so does this mean that it will be legal to sell a product if you dont know that the product is bad? So if Im Mattel, its legal for me to sell products that I dont know are bad but illegal to sell products I know are bad. So when something bad happens, I can simply say " oh, Im sorry, I didnt know the product was bad" and that alone will make the accident legal??
This doesnt make sense: if the committee wants to give the CPSC the power to make it illegal to sell known recalled items, then the panel should also give a government entity the power to make recalls, and not leave it up to the companies to make the "voluntary recalls."
The panel also wants CPSC and government officials to be in foreign lands inspecting vthe goods. So will all of the inspectors have lead inspection gadgets at the ports?? The issue of inspections needs to be dealt with by the toy companies and not the US inspectors. The Us inspectors can only do so much. And bribery will dilute the US inspectors roles. Dont think that all of the US Inspectors inspecting the cargo will be immune to take bribes- there are always a corrupt few. And those corrupt few will circumvent the system the US is trying to establish now.
Seal- there is the whole idea of having a certification type of seal on products so that people will know the products have been inspected. Fact of the matter is, no one is going to care. Doesnt our meat have a USDA stamp on it, but look at how many times meat has been recalled. And what exactly will the stamp prove- that its been thoroughly inspected, that its been inspected by US Customs, that the cargo was seen with the eye, what? So if Nixe Co has the seal, then am I supposed to trust everything they make because they are now a "trustworthy" company?? Give me a break!! People will know that Nixe Co is a "stamped " company and they will buy all of their products because they trust the stamp. But then there will be another recall and people will be put on the edge and wonder if the stamped goods are really safe. You kow whats going to happen, let me tell you. Our products will be stamped right? Then someone is going to find a way to steal the stamp, reproduce the stamp, and it will show up on products that were not truly meant to be stamped. Then we will run into the problem of real stamp vs. fake stamp.
And how will the stamping procedure work- how long does a company have to be in compliance before they are recognized as a certified company? And how long does that certification last? And will this mean that executives will no longer be able to go on trips sponsored by these companies that are all striving to receive the stamp of approval??
I dont think that the CPSC exec, Nancy Nord, should resign. Everyone needs to leave her alone.She was not the one ordering the toys to be made, she was not the one telling the Chinese companies what type of paint to use, she was not the one giving the orders. People always want to fire someone over something, but they are looking at the wrong person to fire. Noone was fired when drugs were recalled because the side effects were deadly (wasnt it the same FDA that was supposed to protect the consumers?? Its this same FDA that may be getting more power to regulate toys. OK, you think about it....its the same FDA that approved VIAGARA but then later asked the manufacturers to edit the labels because they failed to warn its customers about potential hearing loss that can occur ). So hopefully the FDA wont be approving toys and then later say, "oops, we messed up, can we please have all those toys back!" Thats not what the world needs. Toys need to be made and regulators have to know whether or not the toys are bad BEFORE it gets shipped out for mass consumption. Regulators have to be PRO ACTIVE rather than reactive. No one was fired when the bridge collapsed in Minnesota. No one was arrested for those wild fires in California even though they know EXACTLY who set the main one. So everyone needs to leave Nancy alone and let her do her job. Firing someone is not going to solve the problem.
Lets see what the future holds:)
"Date Rape Drug in Childrens toy"- CNN
The following story was taken from CNN's site. These toys remind me of Aqua dots:
'Date rape' drug in children's toy
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/11/07/australia.toys/index.html?iref=newssearch
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Australian officials ordered a popular children's toy to be pulled from shelves Tuesday after scientists found it contained a chemical that converts into a powerful "date rape" drug when ingested.
Bindeez, which were named Australia's toy of the year, contain the "date rape" drug GHB.
Three children have been hospitalized over the past 10 days after swallowing beads from Bindeez, a craft toy sold by Australia-based Moose Enterprises.
The beads in the toy -- named Australia's toy of the year at an industry function earlier this year -- are arranged into designs and then fuse together when sprayed with water.
Scientists say the beads contain a chemical that the human body metabolizes into the so-called "date rape" drug gamma hydroxy butyrate (GHB), also known as Fantasy. When eaten, the compound -- made from common and easily available ingredients -- can induce seizures, drowsiness, coma and death.
The New South Wales state minister for fair trading, Linda Burney, ordered the toys pulled from store shelves Tuesday after a 2-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl were admitted to a Sydney hospital in recent days after swallowing large quantities of the beads.
A 19-month-old toddler from Queensland also was receiving medical help after eating the beads, the state's chief health officer, Jeannette Young, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
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Naren Gunja from Australia's Poisons Information Center said the drug's effect on children was "quite serious ... and potentially life-threatening."
A statement from the New South Wales Fair Trading Department said the product was supposed to use a nontoxic compound used in glue, but contained the harmful chemical instead.
Burney said officials were investigating the Hong Kong-manufactured product.
"I am treating this matter very seriously," Burney said. "One of the considerations is how, in fact, such a substance, such a toxic substance, is actually used in a children's toy."
Moose Enterprises could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday, a public holiday in Victoria state, where the company is based.
The product was not immediately recalled, but officials ordered stores to pull Bindeez off their shelves and urged parents to hide the toys from their children. E-mail to a friend
'Date rape' drug in children's toy
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/11/07/australia.toys/index.html?iref=newssearch
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Australian officials ordered a popular children's toy to be pulled from shelves Tuesday after scientists found it contained a chemical that converts into a powerful "date rape" drug when ingested.
Bindeez, which were named Australia's toy of the year, contain the "date rape" drug GHB.
Three children have been hospitalized over the past 10 days after swallowing beads from Bindeez, a craft toy sold by Australia-based Moose Enterprises.
The beads in the toy -- named Australia's toy of the year at an industry function earlier this year -- are arranged into designs and then fuse together when sprayed with water.
Scientists say the beads contain a chemical that the human body metabolizes into the so-called "date rape" drug gamma hydroxy butyrate (GHB), also known as Fantasy. When eaten, the compound -- made from common and easily available ingredients -- can induce seizures, drowsiness, coma and death.
The New South Wales state minister for fair trading, Linda Burney, ordered the toys pulled from store shelves Tuesday after a 2-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl were admitted to a Sydney hospital in recent days after swallowing large quantities of the beads.
A 19-month-old toddler from Queensland also was receiving medical help after eating the beads, the state's chief health officer, Jeannette Young, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
Don't Miss
Panel: FDA needs clout to mandate recalls
China cracks down on toy factories
More lead-paint toy recalls coming, source says
Naren Gunja from Australia's Poisons Information Center said the drug's effect on children was "quite serious ... and potentially life-threatening."
A statement from the New South Wales Fair Trading Department said the product was supposed to use a nontoxic compound used in glue, but contained the harmful chemical instead.
Burney said officials were investigating the Hong Kong-manufactured product.
"I am treating this matter very seriously," Burney said. "One of the considerations is how, in fact, such a substance, such a toxic substance, is actually used in a children's toy."
Moose Enterprises could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday, a public holiday in Victoria state, where the company is based.
The product was not immediately recalled, but officials ordered stores to pull Bindeez off their shelves and urged parents to hide the toys from their children. E-mail to a friend
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