After 2 months of testing toys and other household goods for lead, No Strings Attached Toys has finally loaded some preliminary test results on it’s new website (still in BETA): UnleadedToyList.com.  Currently the majority of the nearly 400 initial products on the website are either products for sale at No Strings Attached Toys or products that have been recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.  There are hundreds of results of past tests that still need to be loaded over the next week.

Right now, the selection of test results for many categories is very limited.  During this BETA phase, we encourage users to email requests for additional lead tests for a particular product, brand, or category of products.  We will test products that have been requested before testing random items.  If a product contains no lead, we want you to know about it.  If a product hasn’t been recalled, but contains lead, we want you to know about it. 

We will be conducting numerous product lead tests at major retail chains and will report the results in our lead test database.  If you take a look at the website, please send us your feedback to let us know how we’re doing.

Another backpack at Target tested positive for high lead content.

This High School Musical backpack tested between 3000-4000 ppm lead.  It is added to our list of Unofficial Recalls.

The black part of the wheel on this tricycle by Parents tested at more than 1500 ppm lead.

Because of the high lead content, this tricycle, found at Target, is added to our list of Unofficial Recalls.

The mouth on this Go Diego Go Card Game backpack was several thousand parts per million lead.

This is another product added to our Unofficial Recalls due to high lead content.

While at Target tonight, I noticed a recall notice posted about Curious George plush dolls.

I picked one of the Curious George plush toys up and tested it in the store.  The yellow jacket instantly lit up with more than 10,000 parts per million lead.

This particular model was not included in the recall so I will add it to my Unofficial Recalls.  A yellow jacket with more than 10,000 ppm is ridiculous.

Responding to recent inquiries for testing toys at home for lead, we have decided to offer in home lead paint testing for a fee.  We will always offer free testing for products brought into our store.  For travel expense and 15 minutes of testing, we will travel up to 10 miles from LaFayette for $25, up to 25 miles for $50, 50 miles for $100.  Testing fees beyond the first 15 minutes are $75 per hour.  For any location farther than 50 miles away, special arrangements may need to be made.  For any questions, call 315-677-9070 or 1-877-522-TOYS.

We are always happy to test your toys or other household goods for unsafe levels of lead for free in our store.  We recommend that you call ahead of time to make sure that we can accomodate you before you come in.

After finding toys with lead at a local church, we decided that we would travel to preschools, daycares and churches to test toys for lead.  We would even go to waiting rooms at doctor and dentist offices to test toys in waiting rooms.  Parents are able to keep safe toys at home, but they don’t have much control once outside the home.  In an effort to rid the area of lead tainted toys, we will test as many toys as possible in the community.  We will bring our portable X-Ray Fluorescence equipment to these organizations and businesses.  Parents, patients, and customers will have peace of mind, knowing that their children are only exposed to lead safe toys while at daycare, preschool, or in waiting rooms.

This lead testing service is offered for free within the Syracuse area for up to 30 minutes of testing.  For large quantities of toys requiring more than 30 minutes to test or for distances greater than 25 miles from LaFayette, we will have to charge for travel and testing time.  To schedule this service or for additional information, send us an email or call us at 315-677-9070 or 1-877-522-TOYS.

We purchased this Go Diego Go Backpack from Target in November.  When we tested it in the store, we found that virtually every component tested positive for lead.  Even the yellow canvas tested very high for lead content.  For this reason we are adding this to our Unofficial Recalls.

The vinyl material throughout has between 4,000 and 5,000 parts per million lead in it.  Different parts of the canvas material test between 1% and 2% lead (10,000 - 20,000 ppm).  This is far beyond the 600 ppm (.06%) allowable lead content.  Even the black plastic contains more than 1000 ppm lead.  We are requesting that the manufacturer, Global Design Concepts and Target stop selling this product immediately until it can be manufactured without lead.  Since the lead content is part of the material and not part of surface paint it may not technically fail federal safety standards but that certainly doesn’t mean that it should be allowed to remain on the shelves.

Test results are from a portable X-Ray Fluorescence device.

This piggy bank was brought into the store after Christmas to be lead tested as part of our free lead paint testing.  This pig not only tested positive for lead, it was extremely leaded.

It measured more than 1% lead when we tested the pig.  Then today I retested the pig and found that the yellow paint tested in excess of 22,000 ppm lead (2.2%).  Even the black stopper on the bottom was more than 1000 ppm lead.  I couldn’t find a single square inch that passed our lead test.  There is no labeling or other information to help find out where it came from so if you have a pig that looks like this one, don’t chew on it and wash your hands after touching it.  The only safe place for this toy is on top of my wall of shame in the land of misfit toys.  If you want a great piggy bank, try the decorate your own piggy bank that we sell in our store.