Melissa & Doug boycott?

[Genesis]

I have a heard a few people say that they boycott Melissa & Doug products. I am just wondering why?

[bjorker]

Well, I personally will no longer be buying Melissa & Doug products, because all of their stuff is made in China. I can't speak for anybody else, and know nothing about a call to boycott. I was just surprised to see that a wooden toy company was just as evil and cheap as the rest of 'em. I wandered into Toys-R-Us one night just to check out their wooden toy section, and see where the brands were manufactured, and every last one of them was made in China. I'm done with that. I'm happy to pay a little more for good quality toys that I can trust, although I'm sad that it has come to that. I'm not sure that there's a single product left in a Toys-R-Us that I will actually buy. It's all complete junk, it's ridiculous.

[bjorker]

I just stumbled upon this site, and now I might have to eat my words:
http://www.kidtoysusa.com/ (read the info on that first page, there)

I haven't verified any of that info, though. I will look into it more later.

[dancebaraka]

Yes... this is a good example, in my mind, of how incriminating anything "Made in China" is unfair, and not only damaging to good companies but also our economics and relationships with any people who also happen to have been "Made in China"....

[*Aimee*]

There is a link here somewhere about a Mama finding lead in her M&D toys.

Also they chip and break very easily.

[bjorker]

Argh, now I don't know what to believe:
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=794140

[gingerbane]

Originally Posted by dancebaraka

Yes... this is a good example, in my mind, of how incriminating anything "Made in China" is unfair, and not only damaging to good companies but also our economics and relationships with any people who also happen to have been "Made in China"....

Thank you for saying this.

[Black Orchid]

Originally Posted by dancebaraka

Yes... this is a good example, in my mind, of how incriminating anything "Made in China" is unfair, and not only damaging to good companies but also our economics and relationships with any people who also happen to have been "Made in China"....

this is so very true. our very good friends and neighbors are from China and I know it embarasses them deeply that so many people are generalizing that anything made in china is bad. they have given us many gifts from china and we accepted them gratefully. i think you need to research the specifics of each brand by talking with the company about their individual standards before crying for a boycott. There are many ethical manufacturers in China (I used to work in purchasing for a US company who bought components from there), wouldn't it be a shame to punish an ethical company for the sins of another one?

[PiePie]

i agree. i think we are scared and want to have a bright-line rule to cling to, but made in china vs. made elsewhere is over- and under-inclusive. not only are there MANY perfectly safe products from china, there are unsafe products made in the usa. little tikes had a death from a made in the usa crib toy that was ingested and contained lead (1992??). i wish we could draw a line in the sand and say some companies are good and some are evil and know whom to avoid, but anyone who does that is kidding themselves. what we need is actual testing of each batch of toys and real govt regulation. eu and cal are good on pthlatates; ill is good on embedded lead; but all of our kids deserve safety. there is a nice piece on why avoiding mic won't do it here www.toyportfolio.com

[Periwinkle]

Personally, I think boycotting M&D is a bad idea. People boycotting M&D are invariably buying gazillions of other things made in China that are actually made in horribly run factories etc etc. and meanwhile a company with amazing goals, that has TOTALLY and COMPLETELY changed the face of children's toys (wood, no electronics, no characters, etc.) and has taken wooden, naturally-minded toys into the mainstream is the one that gets screwed. M&D is actually a very well run company and they now do frequent (unannounced) checks on their Chinese factories. They don't just accept certain standards they try to have their own standards put in place. I mean, they have the right goals and objectives, they're trying to do the right thing... as opposed to say, cranking out dolls that make 7 year-olds hate their bodies, or making licensed character crap that turns 4 year-olds into thing-obsessed consumers, or mass-producing plastic electronic noisy overstimulating junk.

IMO, if you're going to go to the effort and expense of boycotting a beloved brand, at least stick with the REAL bad guys, kwim? Otherwise, boycotting has no power.

[stickywicket67]

Originally Posted by Periwinkle

Personally, I think boycotting M&D is a bad idea. People boycotting M&D are invariably buying gazillions of other things made in China that are actually made in horribly run factories etc etc. and meanwhile a company with amazing goals, that has TOTALLY and COMPLETELY changed the face of children's toys (wood, no electronics, no characters, etc.) and has taken wooden, naturally-minded toys into the mainstream is the one that gets screwed. M&D is actually a very well run company and they now do frequent (unannounced) checks on their Chinese factories. They don't just accept certain standards they try to have their own standards put in place. I mean, they have the right goals and objectives, they're trying to do the right thing... as opposed to say, cranking out dolls that make 7 year-olds hate their bodies, or making licensed character crap that turns 4 year-olds into thing-obsessed consumers, or mass-producing plastic electronic noisy overstimulating junk.

IMO, if you're going to go to the effort and expense of boycotting a beloved brand, at least stick with the REAL bad guys, kwim? Otherwise, boycotting has no power.

:

i deal with melissa and doug on a monthly basis at the shop i manage- we carry their toys. they are one of the nicest, most decent companies out there. there are very good people running that company.
there are many many many people out there who are looking for nice but not expensive wooden toys for their kids. m and d fills that niche. i know the majority of our customers are not going to spend the money for HABA or villac toys-as much i would like them to! it's just not the reality of our economy. doing business with China is a "necessary evil" so to speak. i think it's wrong to punish all companies that do business with China just because some are unscrupulous.

[SageR]

I can't say I officially "boycott" them. I agree that big statements like that don't really help people to be informed consumers. Which is why, rather than saying I boycott them I tell people I know I don't buy M&D anymore because I think they are crap toys. Everything we've had from this company has fallen apart or had chipped paint within days of being new.

I don't think their claim to fame as wood therefore safer than plastic is valid either. Most of the stuff I've seen is not solid wood, it's particle board or plywood, little tiny pieces of junk wood held together with lots and lots of unhealthy adhesives. Add on the finishes and I don't think they're particularly natural at all. I will concede that design wise they are way ahead of most mainstream toys. But that's not enough to get me to continue to buy them.

It's nice to read that they are such a good company, but I'd rather spend a little more money and get a couple less, much higher quality toys from equally ethically responsible manufacturers. It can be done. The alternative to M&D does not have to be cheap plastic. I haven't had any problems finding nice things for my kids over the years and we have very little disposable income.

[monkey's mom]

nak

It's not that M&D is made in China, it's that there is lead in the paint. See the thread in Family Safety for more info.

[beka1977]

Originally Posted by SageR

I can't say I officially "boycott" them. I agree that big statements like that don't really help people to be informed consumers. Which is why, rather than saying I boycott them I tell people I know I don't buy M&D anymore because I think they are crap toys. Everything we've had from this company has fallen apart or had chipped paint within days of being new.

:

[KindRedSpirit]

pp said M&D don't have electronics in their toys-What do you mean?All ours do!

[laohaire]

Originally Posted by KindRedSpirit

pp said M&D don't have electronics in their toys-What do you mean?All ours do!

Yeah, we have two of their toys. One with no electronics, and one with. (The one with is a puzzle that makes a sound - fire engine, train, car, boat, etc. - when the piece is put into place).

I am the kind of person who feels that the US does not/should not have a corner on the world market. And I don't feel we have some sort of god-given right to have all our jobs, manufacturing, etc. here. Though on the other hand, I don't support the REASON for exporting the jobs (greed) and do feel it will affect our country negatively as we lose jobs. But anyway, I don't fault Chinese, Mexicans, Indians, whatever - they are trying to survive, like all of us.

But I've been inclined to consider a MIC boycott as a temporary measure. I do believe conditions there are appalling and the products are often subpar. I do not wish to punish the workers at all. But I do wish to send a message to US corporations and the Chinese government who are all exploiting Chinese workers and US consumers, for nothing but pure greed. Just appalling.

And more appalling that China is supposedly communist - and thus for the workers - and they are subject to these conditions. And no government health care, no government protections. It's just crap.

So I have been considering joining this movement and making a statement, with the hope that the Chinese government will clean up its act - I don't have much hope for US corporations. Maybe the minimum effort they will have to make to keep their profits will be worth it.

[Black Orchid]

Originally Posted by monkey's mom

nak

It's not that M&D is made in China, it's that there is lead in the paint. See the thread in Family Safety for more info.

I read the entire thread a few days ago (after seeing this one) and it looked like there was one toy in Europe that had one color of paint that tested positive for lead. I didn't see any widescale recalls listed.

[counterGOPI]

Originally Posted by Periwinkle

Personally, I think boycotting M&D is a bad idea. People boycotting M&D are invariably buying gazillions of other things made in China that are actually made in horribly run factories etc etc. and meanwhile a company with amazing goals, that has TOTALLY and COMPLETELY changed the face of children's toys (wood, no electronics, no characters, etc.) and has taken wooden, naturally-minded toys into the mainstream is the one that gets screwed. M&D is actually a very well run company and they now do frequent (unannounced) checks on their Chinese factories. They don't just accept certain standards they try to have their own standards put in place. I mean, they have the right goals and objectives, they're trying to do the right thing... as opposed to say, cranking out dolls that make 7 year-olds hate their bodies, or making licensed character crap that turns 4 year-olds into thing-obsessed consumers, or mass-producing plastic electronic noisy overstimulating junk.

IMO, if you're going to go to the effort and expense of boycotting a beloved brand, at least stick with the REAL bad guys, kwim? Otherwise, boycotting has no power.

ok i don't mean to sound snarky( i am hormonal and preggo ) but I feel a bit attacked by your post.

I have BOYCOTT M&D in my siggie to draw attention to them for mamas on MDC b/c i know a lot support them and I want them to contact me to see why I will never again give them a penny.

actually NO! we don't buy MIC products (unless they are fair trade) and only buy handmade toys for my DD (or toys that can be trusted like kinderkram,speil and holz etc).
and yes PLEASE see my thread as to why I personally am boycotting this horrible company besides the facts they are MIC NOT FAIR TRADE, have horrible business practices and customer service. (trust me i've been dealign with them and have close friends they USED to sell their items) If your child had high lead levels and your best friends child had the same thing ( and trust me this is way before the whole lead toy scare thing happened) from playing with toys from the company I think you would be seeing things a lot differently.Thank you!

[counterGOPI]

Originally Posted by SageR

I can't say I officially "boycott" them. I agree that big statements like that don't really help people to be informed consumers. Which is why, rather than saying I boycott them I tell people I know I don't buy M&D anymore because I think they are crap toys. Everything we've had from this company has fallen apart or had chipped paint within days of being new.

I don't think their claim to fame as wood therefore safer than plastic is valid either. Most of the stuff I've seen is not solid wood, it's particle board or plywood, little tiny pieces of junk wood held together with lots and lots of unhealthy adhesives. Add on the finishes and I don't think they're particularly natural at all. I will concede that design wise they are way ahead of most mainstream toys. But that's not enough to get me to continue to buy them.

It's nice to read that they are such a good company, but I'd rather spend a little more money and get a couple less, much higher quality toys from equally ethically responsible manufacturers. It can be done. The alternative to M&D does not have to be cheap plastic. I haven't had any problems finding nice things for my kids over the years and we have very little disposable income.

: : well said!

[jadasmom]

Wow! My friends and I just purchased through my natural living co-op(very large order of M&D products and toys) I myself purchased the Cutting Food Box, The Cutting Fruit Crate, and the Play Food set. Does anyone know if any of these have been tested for lead amounts? They are for my dd's Christmas, and I was so excited to get them and still am excited just have alittle wonder about them. I have heard lots of good things about this company and their toys, I also have lots of friends in the natural living community whom have toys from M&D and love them and had no problems with lead amounts. It is very possible some batches of things could have had trace amounts of lead, but I wish there were none. I did call the company tonight and left a message with them to call me back, I told them I had heard conflicting stories about their lead safety and that I would like to know the test levels done on the toys I have just purchased to ensure they are safe. I will post back on what they say as soon as I hear back from them! I am trying to have a open mind, because they seem to be trying to do what's right and I myself have not had a reason to rag on them! get dizzy from all this unsafe toys commotion! I'm so tired of it!