No one knows the abuse Barbie and Ken dolls take in the hands of resourceful kids. Well, maybe no one but the dolls. My trolls all had buzz cuts and ballpoint tattoos which, I believe, they enjoyed.
Chatterbox International does childhood inventiveness one better -- at the Altered Barbie Show. The exhibit will showcase visions of 80 artists who have turned Barbie into eco-friendly art. The emphasis of the show is on environmental consciousness, reusing and recycling. The works include various interpretations of plastic as well as photography, mixed media, performance and film.
Health Canada issued recall notices yesterday for three children's toys made in China. Disney Makit & Bakit Charm Bracelets are being recalled because the clasps contain high levels of lead. The Toyhouse Brand Plush White Dog with Striped Scarf and the Craft Fun Sound Puppet were recalled because parts of the toys pose a choking hazard.
Toymaker Hasbro's second-quarter profit is up, helped by demand for products related to movies including Iron Man and Star Wars.
But shares fell yesterday as the company said it would increase prices for the second time this year on September 1 to offset the rising cost of oil and commodities.
"Clearly the current economic situation in the US and around the globe makes it a much more challenging environment than we would like," said Brian Goldner, president and chief executive.
But he said the company had performed well in previous economic downturns and was "well positioned to have a strong 2008".
Profit rose to US$37.5 million ($49.3 million), or US25c a share, from US$4.8 million, or US3c a share, a year earlier. Excluding a one-time expense from a year ago related to repurchasing some warrants, net income fell 9 per cent, but results beat the US22c a share that analysts polled by Thomson Financial, predicted on average.
Sales jumped 13 per cent to US$784.3 million from US$691.4 million. United States and Canada sales rose 11 per cent and international sales rose 15 per cent.
Analysts expected sales of US$675.4 million.
Hasbro said its boys' business sales rose 13 per cent, boosted by sales of products from Star Wars, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Iron Man and The Hulk.
Most Star Wars products were tied to an animated Star Wars movie, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which is set to open on August 15.
Transformers products also continued to sell well, Hasbro said.
Mattel Inc's recent recalls involved toys that had nearly 200 times the amount of lead in paint as allowed by U.S. law, the company said in a letter released to a congressional subcommittee on Tuesday.
The largest U.S. toymaker recalled millions of Chinese-made toys in August and September due to hazards from small powerful magnets and lead paint. Mattel's Fisher-Price unit recalled about 1.5 million toys because of excessive lead paint on the products based on popular characters from 'Sesame Street' and 'Dora the Explorer.'
'The reported noncompliant lead levels in paint, so far, range from just over the applicable standard to about eleven (11) percent or 110,000 parts per million,' Mattel's letter to the U.S. House subcommittee on commerce, trade and consumer Protection.
Lead in paint is legally limited to 600 parts per million, or 0.06 percent in the United States. If ingested, lead paint can cause irritability and lethargy. Higher doses can lead to learning disabilities and death. Dr. Dana Best, a lead expert with Children's National Medical Center, gasped when she saw Mattel's lead figures. 'Wow, that's amazing,' she said. 'We don't see children die very often any more (from lead poisoning). That's great. But what we are finding is ... harms persist at what used to be considered"
King Kong Toys
King Kong Toys: As with any major kid’s movie hit, there’s a whole new line of King Kong toys and gadgets for children to choose from. Most of these are miniatures of the mighty Kong. Kids love them as they can recreate scenes from their favorite movie. What can be more rewarding than showing your friends what the king of beasts can do?
But there are also toys based on the other characters in the movie and the beasts on Skull Island, the fabulous place where the oversized gorilla originates from. They are just as extraordinary, guaranteed to make youngsters play for hours in a row.
Selecting Safe Toys for Your Child
Selecting Safe Toys for Your Child:The medical experts at HealthAmerica offer parents these simple shopping guidelines for choosing child toys:
-- Always read labels to make sure that the toy is appropriate for your child's age.
-- The age-appropriate level for a toy is determined by safety factors, and even though your child may seem mature for his age, he may not be able to safely handle a toy that was meant for an older child.
-- Always look for toys that appear to be well constructed and ones that clearly include age recommendations on the labels.
-- Toys made of fabric should say flame resistant or flame retardant on their labels.
-- Stuffed toys should be washable.
-- All toys should be painted with lead-free paint. (This can be a concern with older toys that may be hand-me-downs.)
-- Art materials (including crayons) should say nontoxic somewhere on their packaging.
-- If a new toy is shrink-wrapped, be sure to immediately discard the plastic wrapping after opening the toy for the first time. (Younger children, especially toddlers, may look at plastic wrap as something new and fun to play with, put it into their mouths, and choke.)
-- Regularly inspect your child's toys to make sure they are not broken and do not have broken seams where small removable parts (such as squeakers in squeeze toys) could be exposed.
-- Avoid toys with cords or long strings. These present a strangulation hazard to very young children.
-- Don't give your child uninflated or broken balloons. These present a choking hazard.
-- Avoid marbles, coins, balls, and games with balls that are 1.75 inches (4.4 centimeters) in diameter or less.
Safe Toys for Christmas
Safe Toys for Christmas: Children under age three can be injured by toys that are meant for their older siblings. So use caution when giving child toys to older kids. If Santa brings your child a stuffed animal, check it and make sure the nose and the eyes are securely fastened so they can't be easily pulled out and become a choking hazard. Also watch for strings or rope, that can get wrapped around a child's neck.
By the way if you buy sporting equipment for older kids, make sure you also get the appropriate protective gear. For example if you buy a bicycle, don't forget a safety helmet. And a gift of roller skates should also include elbow and knee pads.
Finding the hottest gift is not child's play
Early shoppers strip the shelves bare of the new Xbox 360. Grandma might buy a 'pentop' computer.
By Andrew Edwards, Daily Pilot
It might be best to cross one gift off the kids' holiday gift list already -- either that or get ready to play a real game of patience.
Microsoft's new Xbox 360 video game system went on -- and just about off -- the market a week ago.
At the Target on Harbor Boulevard, a sign informs customers that the store has already sold out of the consoles, which go for $300 and up. Electronics Boutique and the Circuit City store at Fashion Island were also sold out of the video game system as of Sunday.
At Circuit City, store general manager Robbie Claeys said there has been no word on when his store will get another shipment of the scarce video game console.
'There's been nothing from our headquarters,' he said.
Those who managed to snag a coveted Xbox 360 from Circuit City had to work fast.
'They had about five minutes to get them,' said Keith Sanders, a manager at the Fashion Island store.
In addition to the video game system, Sanders is expecting Apple's iPod to continue to be popular this holiday season. He also sees a lot of demand for Sirius Satellite Radio products. Sirius is soon to be the new on-air home of radio talk show host Howard Stern.
Of course, children's gift requests tend to be longer than one item, even if that one item is the pricey and rare Xbox 360. At Puzzle Zoo, a specialty toy store at South Coast Plaza, general manager Debi Tsuchiyama is expecting this season's popular child toys to include standards including Star Wars toys and other movie tie-ins.
More unique items that Tsuchiyama's store is banking on include
Trains aren’t just boys’ toys
Trains aren’t just boys’ toys: When Aline Bergemann was a child, she got “boring” dolls for Christmas, while her three older brothers got model trains.
“They wouldn’t let me play with them. Trains weren’t for girls,” she said.
Now the 60-year-old Salem woman gets to play with toy trains as much as she likes as the only female member of the Corvallis Society of Model Engineers in Adair Village.
On Saturday and Sunday, the group held its annual Train Layout Open House at its clubhouse in Adair Village. The event will continue next weekend as well.
The organization’s president, Patrick Sloma of Corvallis, didn’t know why more women weren’t interested in model trains, but he added that it was an interesting nature-versus-nurture question.
Scott Huiskens of Corvallis, who had a model train set as a child, said trains appealed more to boys.
Huiskens attended the event with his 6-year-old daughter Alyssa, who likes trains, and his 4-year-old son Gabriel, who helps his dad play with the Microsoft train simulator on their computer.
“My son’s really into trains. … I think it’s the whole mechanical thing. They’re big. Guys like trains, they like planes, they like automobiles. I think it’s genetic, they chromosome,” he said.
‘Hot’ toys go cold fast
‘Hot’ toys go cold fast
: Dr. Toy isn’t too much for “hot” child toys lists. Her recommendations for gift selections are as likely to include a jump rope as an electronic gizmo.
Dr. Toy, whose real name is Stevanne Auerbach, is director of the Center for Childhood Resources in San Francisco and author of 15 books on play, toys, children's products, education, parent education, child development, child advocacy, child psychology, child care and special education.
And her guide at www.drtoy.com was the first site to provide toy information on the Internet. Her lists often include toys that aren’t on big advertising budgets, and, rather than “hot” toys, you’ll find categories like “smart,” “vacation,” “classic” and “best.”
In fact, playing is probably more important than toy, she said.
“I think hot gets cold really fast,” Auerbach said. “Kids still like to play with boxes.”
