Plastic Toys

Vintage Radio Shack Phone: 1,850 ppm Lead. Remember these things? [Phones? Radio Shack?!]

February 18, 2019February 18, 2019

This vintage Radio Shack brand phone had the following readings when tested with an XRF instrument: Lead (Pb): 1,850 +/- 43 ppm Cadmium (Cd): Non-Detect (Nd) Arsenic (As): Non-Detect (Nd) Mercury (Hg): Non-Detect (Nd) Antimony (Sb): 190 +/- 28 ppm Barium (Ba): Non-Detect (Nd) Chromium (Cr): Non-Detect (Nd) Selenium (Se): Non-Detect (Nd) People often hold on…

2012 Mardi Gras Beads: 15,800 ppm Lead (Pb) [90 ppm & up is unsafe for kids!] & 2,028 ppm Cadmium (causes cancer).

October 28, 2018February 21, 2020

Blue Metallic Plastic Mardi Gras Beads. When filming for my documentary in New Orleans in February of 2012 we collected quite a few sets of Mardi Gras beads, including this set. When tested with an XRF instrument the blue plastic beads pictured had the following readings: Lead (Pb): 15,800 ppm Cadmium (Cd): 2,028 ppm [This…

2014 Golden Mardi Gras Beads; 1,127 ppm Lead (Pb). 90 ppm & up is unsafe! Please don’t let children play with these.

October 28, 2018February 21, 2020

Gold Plastic Mardi Gras Beads from 2014. In 2014 I did an outreach event at the Charleston Children’s Museum and did XRF testing of consumer goods for folks who came to the museum that day. A nanny came up to my table pushing a toddler in her stroller and I noticed the toddler had these…

XRFTesting: Plastic Doctor Toy Purchased On Amazon in 2018

September 19, 2018

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XRF Test Results for: Plastic Doctor Toys Purchased On Amazon in 2018 Here is my Amazon affiliate link for this toy set.* Words printed on Stethoscope: “Made In China” and “Dongguan”. No other mark or brand info printed on toy. Tests were done without disassembling toy, so results are accurate taking that consideration into account…

#LeadFree: “American Girl” Doll

March 21, 2018March 21, 2018

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I was glad to find out this American Girl doll was lead-free when tested with an XRF instrument! (All accessible components tested!) Here’s my Amazon Affiliate Link* for this doll: http://amzn.to/2u8fTwR Most modern toys that are manufactured as intended to be used by children should be lead-free. To find a modern toy that tests positive for…

#Arsenic: Vintage Popeye & Olive Oyl Baby Rattle

January 22, 2018

When I tested this vintage plastic Popeye and Olive Oyl rattle I was CERTAIN it would be positive for high levels of lead, but I was wrong! No lead at all, not a trace in any component. Unfortunately it does not have a year of manufacture or maker’s mark on it, but based on other…

#LeadFree: 1973 Vintage Fisher Price Circus Train

December 16, 2017August 5, 2018

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Vintage 1973 Plastic Fisher Price Circus Train. Tested with an XRF instrument. All components were non-detect for lead (Pb), arsenic (As) and mercury (Hg.). The white plastic component of this toy is positive for cadmium at 43 +/- 10 ppm. Here’s more info about cadmium. Here is a modern version of a similar toy on…

Vintage Fisher Price Merry_Go_Round Toy: 4,897 ppm Lead (90 is unsafe) + 391 ppm Arsenic. Click to learn more.

December 16, 2017March 30, 2020

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Fisher price merry-go-round-toy When tested with an XRF instrument, this vintage green and yellow plastic Fisher Price playground merry-go-round toy tested positive for Lead and Arsenic. As with most of these vintage plastic toys the variations of toxic heavy metals found in each component of the toy seems to be contingent on the color of…

#Leaded: Vintage Fisher Price Little People Man With Yellow Hat

December 16, 2017September 30, 2018

This vintage Fisher Price man tested positive for lead, cadmium and arsenic. His Blue plastic body was positive for lead at 106 +/- 11 ppm. His yellow hat is positive for lead at 3,213 +/- 71 ppm, cadmium at 23 +/- 12 ppm, and arsenic at 186 +/- 43 ppm. The configuration of the toy…

#LeadSafe; 1980 Fisher Price Airport

December 10, 2017August 5, 2018

1980 Fisher Price Airport. All components tested. The only component on this toy that was positive for lead was (ironically) the black gas valve (on the gas pump at the back of the toy)! This piece was low lead (even safe by today’s standards!) at 28 +/- 7 ppm lead (Pb.) The amount of lead…

#Leaded: 1980 Vintage Fisher Price / Quaker Oats Airport and Plane

December 10, 2017December 10, 2017

Yes it’s hard for some of us to believe that 1980 was 37 years ago! And that 1980 is considered vintage – but let’s set that aside for a moment. 🙂 Each of these items is positive for lead and/or cadmium. Some at very low levels and others at high levels. Because there are so…

#Leaded (Unexpectedly!) Magnet Stick & Ball Toy

December 10, 2017December 27, 2017

This is a yard sale find toy, so the year and brand are not known. Important to note there are two different types of metal balls in this set. The balls are not magnetic (only the sticks are magnetic.) The grayish/dull metal balls are lead-free. The plastic sticks with magnets on each end are lead-free….

#LeadSafe: “Newer” Made In Sweden Brio Train

December 5, 2017

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Brio trains – “Made in Sweden“. Exact year of manufacture unknown, tested in 2015. Yellow = non-detect for lead. Red = 10 ppm lead. Tested with an XRF instrument. Thanks to Peggy Oehl for donating and supporting my advocacy! Each donation helps make a new post possible! For #SaferChoices for your family, click here. If…

Do plastic Mardi Gras beads have an unsafe levels of Lead and Cadmium?

December 2, 2017October 28, 2018

Purple Plastic Mardi Gras Beads from New Orleans Mardi Gras 2012. When tested with an XRF instrument the plastic beads pictured had the following toxicant readings: Lead (Pb): 315 ppm Cadmium (Cd): 132 ppm Arsenic (As): Negative/ Non-Detect Mercury (Hg): Negative/ Non-Detect For more XRF test results of beads I have tested, click here. The…

#AskTamara: Are New Fisher Price Mega Bloks Lead Free?

December 1, 2017December 27, 2020

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Below are the XRF test results for the new (2017) Fisher Price Mega Bloks pictured here. Lead (Pb): Negative / Non-Detect Mercury (Hg): Negative / Non-Detect Arsenic (As): Negative / Non-Detect Cadmium (Cd): Negative / Non-Detect Tested with an XRF Instrument. All components were tested including each color block and all components of bag (zipper,…

#LeadFree: 1978 Fisher Price Toy Tractor

November 30, 2017February 1, 2024

For those new to this website: Tamara Rubin is a multiple-federal-award-winning independent advocate for childhood Lead poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety, and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children (two of her sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005). Since 2009, Tamara has been using XRF technology (a scientific method used…

#LeadFree: Little Mommy

November 30, 2017

Fisher Price “Little Mommy” doll, year unknown: Lead Free. Year not known. Tested in 2014. Here’s a link to the current version of this doll on Amazon*! Thanks to Cascade Wellness for donating and supporting this post! For #SaferChoices for your family, click here. To make a contribution in support of my independent consumer goods…

#LeadFree: Vintage Fisher Price Family Play Farm Set – Barn

November 19, 2017August 14, 2018

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Regarding the items shown in the photo below: Fisher Price Family Play Farm Barn: Non-Detect” for Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Mercury (Hg) & Arsenic (As) when tested with an XRF instrument. All components tested. Fisher Price Green & White Toy Car: Also ND for Pb, Cd, Hg & As for all components. Fisher Price Little…

Vintage Fisher Price Plastic Toy Syringe: 6,331 ppm Lead. 90 ppm Lead (& up) in consumer goods is unsafe for kids.

November 18, 2017December 6, 2020

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Vintage Fisher Price Toy Syringe: 6,331 ppm Lead! When tested with an XRF instrument the vintage Fisher Price plastic toy syringe shown here was positive for 6,331 ppm Lead. How much Lead is too much Lead in a toy? The amount of Lead that is considered unsafe in a new/modern item intended for use by…

Vintage Fisher Price Little People

November 18, 2017November 17, 2020

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Link to this post on Facebook so you can share it! Little People, Vintage: as high as 1,466 ppm lead Both the plastic substrate and painted faces contain unsafe levels of lead. With these little guys that is a big problem, because children ALWAYS seem to pop them in their mouths! And the part that…

#LeadFreeToys: Stacking Cups

March 9, 2017November 24, 2017

Green Sprouts Plastic Stacking Cups Bath Toy: Lead Free! (ND for Cd, As, & Hg Too!) Check out my #SaferChoices Posts Here. Click here to see this product on Amazon. learn more about XRF Testing here. If you appreciate what I do & would like to support my advocacy work (including the XRF testing I do…