Mattel recalls more Chinese-made toys

Marcie Estes isn’t buying many toys for her great-grandchildren these days. The Chandler resident said the dangers posed by lead paint and small magnets found inside some recalled toys scares her so much she’s going to start buying more clothing for five-year-old Tyler, and one-year-old Andrew.

Graphic: See an example of one of the recalled toys

“I just can’t believe it,” she said. “It’s unreal. I mean mistakes happen, but still...”

Mattel said Tuesday it recalled about 9 million Chinese-made toys which may contain lead paint or magnets that children could inhale or swallow. Some of the toys include Barbie accessories, Polly Pocket dolls and Batman action figures.

It’s the second recall by the El Segundo, Calif.-based toy maker this month. On Aug. 2, the company recalled about 1.5 million of its Fisher-Price infant toys, also made in China and posing possible lead-paint hazards for children. That recall involved characters such as Dora the Explorer, Big Bird and Elmo.

Mattel chairman and CEO Bob Eckert said the company was strengthening oversight and testing in its production processes.

“I can’t change what has happened in the past, but I can change how we work in the future,” he said in a taped message posted on the company’s Web site.

Eckert said he didn’t know if more recalls were ahead, but pledged to notify the public quickly.

“I want you to know that I’m as upset and disappointed as anyone,” he said.

Kathleen Waugh, a spokeswoman for Toys “R” Us, which has 11 locations in the Valley, said the company stepped up its safety procedures by including frequent random inspections of products sold at its stores.

“The bar can never be too high,” she said.

Waugh said the company directed its employees to pull any affected products off shelves before stores opened Tuesday. She said customers are welcome to return any recalled products to Toys “R” Us if they were purchased there.

Kate Tanner, owner of Kidstop in Scottsdale, which offers specialty learning toys, said she doesn’t carry any of the recalled merchandise. Tanner said she insulates herself from such recalls by getting to know the manufacturers and checking their histories.

“(When) I see these recalls, I think 'My customers deserve better,’” she said.

The latest recall sparked fresh concerns over whether Mattel should have warned the public sooner.

The federal Consumer Product Safety Commission is looking into whether the Fisher-Price unit let the agency know as quickly as it should have about its lead paint problems. And Mattel was questioned by news media again about the timing of its disclosures on the latest recall.

Company officials said Mattel discovered there may be a potential lead paint issue between the end of July and the beginning of August and notified the CPSC a few days later, after doing more testing.

The problem was discovered as part of a wide-scale investigation into all of its Chinese factories following discovery of the Fisher-Price lead paint problem, the company said.

Mesa resident Katy Cochran was so upset over the new round of recalls she was nearly speechless .

“I’m just really mad,” she said. “I’m just frustrated that you think the world is safe and it’s not.”

Cochran, who previously purchased several Polly Pocket toys and accessories for her seven-year-old daughter, Mary, said she still didn’t know if the dolls were affected and was planning to research it on the Internet.

Nancy A. Nord, acting CPSC chairman, said no injuries had been reported with any of the products involved in Tuesday’s recalls.

Several injuries had been reported in an earlier Polly Pocket recall last November. At least one U.S. child has died and 19 others have needed surgery since 2003 after swallowing magnets used in toys, the government said.

One of the toys recalled Tuesday that may contain lead paint involves 253,000 of Mattel’s die-cast cars modeled after “Sarge” in the cartoon movie “Cars.”

“Why is anything still being made with lead-based paint?” asked Scottsdale resident Elizabeth Day.

Day, mother of a 6-year-old boy and 7-year-old girl, hadn’t checked the latest list of toy recalls. Her kids didn’t have any of the Fisher-Price products in the first list, but she is worried about what her younger nieces and nephews might have been playing with.

Lisa Bayer of Scottsdale checked the latest list, and was relieved to find her 2-year-old and 6-year-old sons didn’t have any recalled products. But she said she and her husband are both worried about what’s not on any list — yet.

“It’s a real concern because so many things are made in China,” Bayer said.

That’s what worries Ligia Pantea of Scottsdale, too.

Her 5-year-old daughter’s toy chest didn’t yield any recalled products. And Pantea tries to be careful about what she buys. But when American brand-name products are made in China and found to be not up to U.S. standards, she’s not sure how to be a savvy shopper.

“It would be nice for parents to know what to look for,” Pantea said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

TOY RECALL LIST

List of product numbers and model names for the nearly 9 million recalled Mattel Inc. toys, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission:

Product # Model Name

B2632 Polly Pocket! Polly Place Hangin' Out House

B3158 Polly Pocket! Polly Place Treetop Clubhouse

B3201 Polly Pocket! Spa Day

B7118 Polly Totally! Polly Place Totally Tiki Diner

G8605 Polly Pocket! Quik-Clik Boutique

H1537 Polly Pocket! Quik-Clik City Pretty Playset

H1538 Polly Pocket! Quik-Clik Sporty Style Playset

H3211 Polly Pocket! Totally Zen Playset

55503 Polly Pocket! Happenin' Pet Station

B2631 Polly Pocket! Polly Place Magnetic Additions Assortment

B3203 Polly Pocket! Activity Lunchbox

B3204 Polly Pocket! Activity Locker

B3207 Polly Pocket! Collectible Lip Gloss

B3209 Polly Pocket! Collectible Make Up Powder Puff

B3210 Polly Pocket! Dip N' Dive Pool

B3396 Polly Pocket! Birthday Surprise

B7078 Polly Pocket! Dazzlin' Pet Show Divine Dogs

B7082 Polly Pocket! Rick's Magic Show

B7125 Polly Pocket! Sweet Treats

B7127 Polly Pocket! Birthday Mailbox

B7128 Polly Pocket! Stretch Polly Disco Lamp

B7129 Polly Pocket! Jewelry Box Purple

B8478 Polly Pocket! Polly Magnet Bus

B9521 Polly Pocket! Collectible Caboodle

B9522 Polly Pocket! Activity Lunch Box Pink

B9523 Polly Pocket! Activity Locker Orange

B9525 Polly Pocket! Polly Glitter Puff

B9578 Polly Pocket! Collectible Caboodle Purple

B9929 Polly Pocket! Fashion Boutique on the Go

C0504 Polly Pocket! Birthday Mailbox Pink

C0505 Polly Pocket! Jewelry Box Yellow

C1341 Polly Pocket! Disco Lamp

C1342 Polly Pocket! Disco Lamp Purple

G8602 Polly Pocket! Mermaid Stars

G8606 Polly Pocket! Quick Click Playset

G8612 Polly Pocket! Snow Cool Hotel

G8614 Polly Pocket! Quick Click House of Style Playset

G8615 Polly Pocket! Polly by Me Totally Beadiful

G8616 Polly Pocket! Quick Click Penthouse

H1553 Polly Pocket! Quick Click Movie Time Playset

J1659 Polly Pocket! Pollywood Limo-Scene Vehicle

J1661 Polly Pocket! Pollywood Dial A Style Lila

J1662 Polly Pocket! Pollywood Dial A Style Lea

J1670 Polly Pocket! Stick N' Style

J1681 Polly Pocket! Pollyworld Rockin' Theme Park Playset

J1687 Polly Pocket! Pollyworld Dress N' Drive Lounge Playset

J1695 Pollyworld Theme Park Party Quick Click Doll and Fashion

J4169 Polly Pocket! Pollyworld Quick Click Polly Doll

J4170 Polly Pocket! Pollyworld Quick Click Crissy Doll

J4171 Polly Pocket! Pollyworld Quick Click Lea Doll

J4172 Polly Pocket! Pollyworld Quick Click Shani Doll

J9305 Polly Pocket! Pollyworld Costume Art Lea

J9306 Polly Pocket! Pollyworld Gift Shop Lila

J9648 Polly Pocket! Twirl and Swirl Beauty Case

J9965 Pollyworld Dial a Song Polly Fashions

J9966 Pollyworld Dial a Song Polly Fashions

K3460 Pollyworld Rockin' Tour Bus

H1554 Polly Pocket! Quick Click Pool Party Playset

H1532 Doggie Day Care Coco

H1533 Doggie Day Care Sparley

G4461 Doggie Day Care Lula and Baby

G4462 Doggie Day Care Crockett and Baby

G4464 Doggie Day Care Taffy and Baby

G4459 Doggie Day Care Snack Time with Cookie

G4460 Doggie Day Care Diaper Change with Ginger

H1530 Doggie Day Care Ice Cream with Ranger

G9703 Doggie Day Care Puppy Park with Dixie

G4457 Doggie Day Care Dream House Nursery with Honey

G4458 Doggie Day Care Bath Time with Beau

J9472 Barbie and Tanner play set

J9560 Barbie and Tanner play set

M1253 "Sarge" toy car sold alone

K5925 "Sarge" toy car sold in a package of two

J1944 Batman Magna Battle Armor Batman figure

J1946 Batman Magna Fight Wing Batman figure

J5114 Batman Secret ID figure

J5115 Batman Flying Fox figure

J4142 One Piece Triple Slash Zolo Roronoa figure

--THE ASSOCIATED PRESS