Vintage Toys

#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…

Vintage Miniature Tea Set (Made in Taiwan): 14,200 ppm Lead (90 is unsafe for kids) & Cadmiu (which causes cancer!)

December 10, 2017May 17, 2024

Miniature Vintage Ceramic Tea Set. Made in Taiwan. Platter: 66 +/- 20 ppm Lead (Pb). Coffee Pot: 777 +/- 53 ppm Lead (Pb) & 18 +/- 8 ppm Cadmium (Cd). Tiny Creamer: 14,200 +/- 500 ppm Lead (Pb) & 42 +/- 11 ppm Cadmium (Cd). Tiny Teacup: 3,280 +/- 124 ppm Lead (Pb). Tested…

Vintage 1980 Fisher Price Quaker Oats Toy Radio: 2,110 ppm Lead, 108 ppm Cadmium, 204 ppm Arsenic.

December 10, 2017April 6, 2019

5 Comments

1980 Fisher Price toy plastic radio with wind up music box. When tested with an XRF instrument this musical toy had the following readings: Yellow plastic components: 2,087 +/- 55 ppm lead 20 +/- 10 ppm cadmium 204 +/- 37 ppm arsenic White plastic components: 58 +/- 10 ppm lead 108 +/- 12 ppm cadmium…

#Cadmium: Small Toy Copper Coffee Pot

December 3, 2017April 28, 2020

1 Comment

This little antique/ vintage toy coffee pot is 999,700 ppm copper on the outside (basically a pure copper exterior), but the inside (which would touch an beverage poured into it by a child is positive for cadmium when tested with an XRF instrument: Cadmium reading: 1,248 +/- 154 ppm. Read more about cadmium toxicity here….

#Leaded: Antique/ Vintage Floradora Doll

November 30, 2017November 30, 2017

1 Comment

Floradora doll: Eyes 7,551 ppm lead, Lips 10,000+ ppm lead, Dress: 57 ppm mercury. Tested with an XRF instrument. Thanks to Johna Robinson for donating and supporting this post! The amount of lead that is considered toxic in an item intended for children today is 90 ppm lead and higher. I don’t have a suggestion…

Vintage Tinker Toy Set #2: 124 ppm Lead in the paper container for this toy. [90 is unsafe in modern toys.]

November 30, 2017July 22, 2019

1 Comment

Vintage Tinker Toys #2 All components tested Highest reading – 124 ppm lead (fairly low). The amount of lead considered toxic in a modern/ newly manufactured toy made for children is anything 90 ppm lead or higher. This toy would be considered just marginally outside of the #LeadSafe range (there are many other vintage toys with…

#Leaded: Vintage Tinker Toys Tin

November 30, 2017November 30, 2017

7 Comments

Vintage “Tinker Toy Junior” container – paper: 115 ppm lead. Tested with an XRF instrument. The amount of lead considered toxic in a modern/ newly manufactured toy made for children is anything 90 ppm lead or higher. This toy would be considered just marginally outside of the #LeadSafe range (there are many other vintage toys…

Vintage / Antique Miniature Kitchen Sink Set: 51,000 ppm Lead. [90 ppm is unsafe for kids.]

November 27, 2017March 16, 2019

Antique miniature kitchen set.,. 51,000 ppm lead! The amount of lead that is considered toxic in an item intended for children is 90 ppm lead in the paint or coating or 100 ppm lead (or higher) in the substrate. Antiques and vintage items are not regulated and in most cases it is not required to…

1988 Wonder Woman Figurine

November 21, 2017November 21, 2017

1988 Wonder Woman figurine (I have a little collection of these, thanks to my husband!) Made in China! Lead Free! [Tested “Non-Detect” for lead with an XRF instrument on all colors.] For more #SaferChoices for your family, click here. To make a contribution in support of my independent consumer goods testing and lead poisoning prevention…

Vintage (1980s) Frosta Doll

November 20, 2017November 20, 2017

1 Comment

Vintage? She-Ra Family Doll (Frosta). As high as 978 ppm lead. The level of lead that is considered unsafe in an item intended for children is any level 90 ppm and higher. Vintage toys were not regulated. All components of this doll were tested and many were positive for lead. How do I test things for lead,…

Voltron, c. 1980s

November 20, 2017

3 Comments

Transformer-style Voltron toy, made in Taiwan. Tested positive for lead with an XRF with levels as high as 108,800 ppm lead! #YIKES! Peeling chipping paint and everything! The current federal standard for what is considered a lead hazard in an item intended for children is anything 90 ppm lead or higher (in the paint or…

Vintage (1980s?) Fisher Price sorting toy for infants and toddlers

November 19, 2017July 13, 2023

Introduction (for those new to this website): Tamara Rubin is a federal-award-winning independent advocate for consumer goods safety and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children, her sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005. Since 2009 Tamara has been using XRF testing (a scientific method used by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission)…

Vintage 1970s Fisher Price School Bus Toy: 90 ppm Lead

November 19, 2017December 26, 2018

1 Comment

Vintage 1975-1978 Fisher Price Bus, mostly lead-free! Bus eyeballs: 35 ppm lead, red wheels, 90 ppm lead (hazard level is 90+ ppm) I would call this one “safe”! With these vintage Fisher Price toys this is the exception when it comes to lead (most have at least one component that is high in lead!) To…

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

November 19, 2017August 14, 2018

15 Comments

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

3 Comments

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 Lite-Brite, c. 1970s: 21,900 ppm Lead

November 18, 2017December 26, 2018

When tested with an XRF instrument, the electrical cord on the vintage (c. 1970s) Lite-Brite pictured here was positive for 21,900 parts per million (ppm) Lead. [The hard plastic in the unit itself was negative for lead.] — The amount of lead that is considered unsafe in modern / newly manufactured items intended for children…

Vintage Fisher Price Parking Garage: 1,538 ppm Lead in the yellow plastic. 422 in the white. 90 ppm & up is unsafe for kids.

November 18, 2017December 4, 2021

1 Comment

Test results for vintage Fisher Price Parking Garage: yellow plastic— 1,538 ppm lead white plastic 422 ppm lead #sigh. The amount of lead that is considered safe in a new/modern item intended for children is below 100 ppm in the substrate and below 90 ppm in the paint or coating. TIP: Avoid all vintage toys!…

Vintage Fisher Price Little People

November 18, 2017November 17, 2020

7 Comments

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…