Melissa & Doug®
Sept 2007
Yes, we definitely appreciate and understand your concern. Please be assured, we test for lead VERY frequently.
It's quite possible to make great quality children's items in China, which meet all safety regulations, but the key point is that you have to test and inspect very frequently to be sure that your factories are always following your instructions explicitly. I assure you that's exactly what we do.
From our experience, the key to doing this correctly is not simply to insist that your factories follow your instructions, but then to go one step further and to AUDIT, INSPECT, AND TEST very frequently. That is the most important part of the process, and it's something our company has always taken VERY seriously.
Thanks again for asking, and for your support also.
Your Dedicated Customer Service Team
Melissa & Doug, Inc.
800-284-3948
203-762-4500
Monday-Friday 8:00-5:00 EST

Guidecraft USA
Oct 2007
Guidecraft Inc. prides itself on 40 years of manufacturing quality products that put children and safety first. We take safety very seriously and adhere to a strict testing regimen, which consists of both regular and periodic testing of our products to affirm compliance with standards that meet or exceed safety regulations mandated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, as outline is ASTM F963. While conducting those tests we uncovered a problem with our Floor Puppet Theater (G51054) that has caused us to issue a voluntary recall. Please note that this recall only involves Floor Puppet Theaters sold from June 2006 through August 2007.
(Fine Wooden Toys has not sold this particular item.)
Moving forward, we now require batch paint testing by purchase order, performed by Bureau Veritas Hong Kong, prior to shipping any products from the factory involved in this recall. Additionally, we are performing ongoing testing on our products and we will advise you should we uncover any additional problems.
I assure you that we will continue to make it our mission to put children and safety first.
Regards,
Jason Fein
Jason L. Fein
President
GUIDECRAFT USA
66 Grand Avenue, Suite 207
Englewood, NJ 07631
(800) 544-6526 or (201) 894-5401, ext 111

ImagiPLAY
Nov 2007
Where are your toys made?
We are asked this question almost every day by parents concerned about their child’s safety. I am always thrilled to answer this question. Parents asking questions about a product’s integrity is something we have encouraged from the beginning of our 9 years in the toy industry. However, to guarantee a toy is safe, the more important question is not where it’s made, but how it’s made and of what materials. Determining the country of origin is no guarantee of a toy’s safety. It’s important to ask specifically what the manufacturer is doing to ensure their toys are safe. THAT is the REAL question.
Our toys have been made in America, Sri Lanka, China, Chile and Vietnam. Although the factories and countries vary, one thing stays consistent; our involvement in every aspect of production and our commitment to the safety, quality and integrity of each toy. ImagiPLAY was founded with the mission to make high quality toys that inspire young imaginations and introduce children to the natural world, that are safe for the child, their planet and all the people and creatures upon it. I firmly believe that a commitment to a child’s safety extends to the well-being of their planet and all the communities involved in the making of that toy. Toys with Integrity.
That is why we use only all-natural, chemical and preservative-free, sustainable materials, colored with tested and confirmed, non-toxic paints. The materials we use are not only safe for children, but are earth friendly and socially responsible. To us, these concepts go hand in hand. How could we in good conscience produce a product that is safe for a child to play with, but devastates precious forestland, or leaves workers in perpetual poverty? How could anyone call that a “safe” toy?
We work exclusively with small, family-run factories or cooperatives. By developing a close relationship with each small factory, we can control every aspect of our toy making – from the materials used to the way workers are treated. We develop relationships with EVERYONE involved and ALL are included in our mission. At our factories, all workers are paid a fair, living wage and are treated with respect. Every worker is given authority to stop production whenever they detect a safety or quality issue. Our experienced craftsmen and women take pride in their work, and it shows in our toys.
The wonderful, brightly colored paints we use for our toys come from a very reputable paint company, with a division devoted entirely to producing non-toxic paints for children’s toys. None of their paints have ever been recalled. Our paints are tested by a third party testing agency, SGS International, before they are applied to the toys and again by the Chinese Government, who has mandated that every toy made for export be tested for lead and other heavy metals before it can leave the country. To leave no stone unturned, once we receive the toys in America, we test the paints yet again.
As a grandmother, I take children’s safety very seriously. That is why I founded ImagiPLAY. To ensure that my grandchildren and their children will grow up healthy and strong in a world with blue skies, dense forests and oceans teaming with life, experiencing fully all that I’ve been blessed with in my lifetime and more.
Barbera Aimes
Founder/President
www.imagiplay.com
6395 Gunpark Dr., Unit K Boulder, CO 80301
phone (303) 530-4103 or (800) 882-0217
fax (303) 530-4188 or (866) 882-0217