mattel_logoA helpful timeline:

Late 2007: Mattel and others busted for high levels of lead in their toys and games, force to issue numerous recalls.

Feb 2008: The Consumer Product Safety Commission passes a law that threatens to shut down every second-hand and small business that manufactures or sells items directed at children, with a law that blanketly forces everyone to pay for expensive lead tests on every single one of their items. The law gets delayed, and clarified, and delayed again.

Aug 2009: Mattel secretly finds a way to exempt itself from these tests, claiming that their own internal testing is now really good, and no way could that ever happen to them again. Meanwhile, all the little people will still have to pony up for the expense (not second hand sellers). Other companies clamor to also be exempted.

Oct 2009: Mattel settles the lead fiasco from 2007. Thank goodness that’s all behind them!

Nov 2009: High levels of lead found in some Barbie and Disney products (Barbie Bike Flair Accessory Kit and Disney Tinkerbell Water Lily necklace). (source)  (To be fair, the Barbie product is manufactured by someone else under Mattel’s Barbie license.)