U.S.-made toys benefit from China recall

Louisiana, Mo. -- U.S.-made toys are enjoying a resurgence as more than 20 million Chinese-made toys with lead in their paint are recalled, the U.S. companies say.

"We are little bitty, but we are taking some leaps and bounds here," Mike Whitworth, president of Whittle Shortline Railroad toy-train company in Louisiana, Mo., told The New York Times.

"Actually, we have seen about a 40 percent jump since late June."

In June, Illinois toy manufacturer RC2 Corp. recalled 1.5 million Thomas & Friends toy train sets manufactured in China that were contaminated with lead paint.
Whittle now has a placard on its Web site reading, "100 percent kid-safe, with lead-free paints."

After struggling for years to compete against cheaper Chinese imports, several U.S. toy manufacturers told the newspaper they were inundated with calls, now that Chinese-made toys were being recalled.

Matel Inc nearly 19 million Chinese-made toys Tuesday -- the biggest recall in its history and its second major recall in two weeks. Mattel earlier recalled more than a million toys possibly tainted with lead paint.

"Our brand is clearly made in Vermont," said Mike Rainville, owner of Maple Landmark toys in Middlebury, Vt. "So people understand almost inherently that what is going on in China is different from what we're doing."

Copyright 2007 by United Press International.