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Made in USA Toys

Toy Category Items

You should also know:
     We make our selections at Turnertoys

based primarily on the play value of the toys.

Our toys have lasting value for kids, helping

them to learn and grow, and to be happy and

have fun in the process. We have actually play-tested many of our toys with children, and

have carefully inspected all of them for

appropriate design and reliable quality. 
     There are many toys that fit our very stringent criteria that are made outside of the U.S., and for which we have just not been able to find American-made versions. We sell some of these toys. 
     Sometimes our decisions have been made

on price. Were we wrong? Would you spend 50% more for an American block set identical to a Chinese set, if neither we nor you could tell the difference in the product? 
(Let us know: peter@turnertoys.com )
     There are a number of children's products, both domestic and imported, that our competitors sell but we do not, because we think they are not made well enough, or just don't provide an engaging play experience. And you should know that safety-related recalls are issued by the US CPSC for toys made in all countries, including the U.S. China is special because they are (apparently) the only ones using toxic paints and plastics. 
     We stress that there are no safety-related reasons to throw out all Chinese-made toys indiscriminately. Toxic lead is likely to be found only in paints or inks, colored PVC (not clear), and cheap cast metal toys, especially cheap jewelry. Rather, we are trying to help parents make informed decisions about which toys are likely to present a hazard, and which are not. The only reasons to discard all imported toys, or restrict all buying to USA products, are economic or ideological.

Is it safe?
     Turnertoys began publishing in-depth articles about toy safety back in 1998, when the hazards of PVC teethers were the latest bad news about toy safety.  We have some knowledge and expertise in this area. In response to the current concerns about Chinese toys, we have written an in-depth article on the real nature of the hazard, how you can tell safe from not-so-safe toys, and how we are approaching it. You can make informed decisions.

     There is good news about toy safety. In September, 2008, the CPSC significantly reduced the permissible lead content of children's products.  Our latest article, published in October, 2008, provides details about the new regulations.

     We have also listed all of our toys and their countries of origin, and our estimate of any threat they may pose to children, along with our reasoning. If you have any questions about specific products, please email me at ed@turnertoys.com .  We can respond to questions better if you can refrain from phoning with questions on this topic.
Ed Loewenton 
8/19/07 Update 10/22/2007
Infant My Very Own® Rattle  (Made in Vermont by Turnertoys)
Wooden Toy Blocks Alphabet Blocks  
Ages 2 up
Unit Blocks sets T5 & T10, Individual blocks  
Ages 2 up
Trains Maple Landmark,
Whittle Shortline
 Ages 3 up
Traditional wood toys Jacobs ladder
Ages 4 up
Spinning (toss) tops Trompo Tops
Ages 10 up
Blizzard & Sidewinder 
Ages 7 up
Wooden Spinning tops

American Classics

Ages 3 up
Still made the by the same manufacturers who were making them when we were kids!
Slinky
Gyroscope
Roytoy Log Sets
YoYo's
Puzzles Wooden Puzzles for toddlers & Preschoolers ages 3 +
Made in Vermont
by Maple Landmark
Wood Rocking toys Vermont Dory Rocking boat - Classic made in Warren, Vermont
Sleds, wagons Royal Flyer, Elegant Flyer
made in Colorado, USA
(More expensive models)
Furniture & Kitchens  
by Little Colorado
Ages 2 - 7		 All Little Colorado Play kitchen items & Table/chair sets 
(Furniture; Kitchens)
Activity Furniture Easel, Art Table
by Beka
Flying Toys

Ages 6 up

These are everybody's favorites,
still made by the same company who made them when we were kids! Nobody doesn't like balsa airplanes!

 Balsa model airplanes: Ready-to-Fly Gliders and wind-ups Samplers & Single Models
Easy-to-Build introductory level balsa airplane kits
Scale model flying Balsa airplane kits
Competition Indoor Endurance Flying kits
Balsa supplies

 
Did you see anything on Turnertoys.com
that we didn't list?  
Let us know at contact@turnertoys.com

Countries of Origin of all Turnertoys products 
  
Using commercially available lead test kits
   The new, more restrictive CPSC regulations governing lead content in toys are very welcome news and long overdue. However, swab-type tests will no longer be useful for detecting the new lower legal limits. But when lead is deliberately added as pigment to paint or as stabilizer for PVC (vinyl), it is almost always in concentrations that can easily be detected by swab tests such as Lead Check.
     We suggest that the available lead test kits are still one tool that can be used effectively in the effort to keep kids safe, if used according to all manufacturer's directions, and interpreted conservatively. Swab-type tests will detect lead concentration as low as 600 ppm. False positives are unlikely; if the swab  turns color, lead is present in quantities of concern. False negatives are possible, since the test results using the swab kits do not absolutely rule out the presence of any lead. However, in general lead will either be present in detectable quantities, or present only in trace amounts as contaminants, not as intentionally added pigments or stabilizers. Thus, a negative result can be interpreted with reasonable reliability. Furthermore, sensitivity of the swab-type home kits can be increased by swabbing a larger surface area, thus exposing the swab to more lead if any is present.

   In 2007, we started testing surfaces of our painted toys for the presence of lead, regardless of the country of origin. We are using LeadCheck® Professional Test Kits, made by Hybrivet Systems (Natick, MA: 800-262-5323 / http://www.leadcheck.com  ). These tests indicate the presence of lead in surfaces with a concentration of more than 2µ (micrograms) per 1 cm2 surface area. We score the painted surface down to the substrate to expose as much of the coating as possible, so we are not just testing the exposed surface. This is a qualitative test that does not rule out the presence of lead in lower concentrations. Any positive result using this test indicates a toy clearly not suitable for children of any age. 
     Admittedly, it is very difficult to translate results in content per unit surface area into numbers relevant to known health effects in children, which are calibrated in micrograms (µ) per deciliter (dl) of blood. 10µ/dl is considered a very rigorous standard of safety; blood levels below this are regarded by almost all scientists as not of concern. 
     However, neither the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) nor the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) have been helpful in providing a translation formula from surface concentration to blood level, and in fact, it may not be so easy.  Surface lead (which our tests detect) indicates only available lead, not ingested lead, which will necessarily be a much smaller amount, depending on frequency, duration, and manner in which the child handles the toy. A toy not placed in the mouth is much less of a hazard than one that is. Furthermore, a toy in which lead is bound in a paint film will release it at a rate slower than our testing indicates, since we scratch the surface in order to release as much as possible. In PVC toys, on the other hand, lead, if present, and other substances of concern, are emitted steadily by the plastic.  Turnertoys does not sell toys made with PVC.