With the arrival of X Transbots wheelie and powerglide i've been tempted to purchase 3rd party products for the first time. But then I started thinking..
In the past, many foreign companies have used lead paint for legit products. It's only with the U.S. governments involvement that foreign made toys have been tested and recalled to meet general safety standards. Since knockoff's and 3rd party toys aren't for mass release they do not have to meet these general safety standards. Has anyone thought of trying a home test on these toys for lead paint content?

 

Even if they do have high lead paint content, it doesn't matter unless you're planning on letting a 6 month old use it as a pacifier or can't resist fiddling with it when you have a bunch of open wounds on your hands. If it sits on your shelf, occasionally taken down to transform or reposition, there really isn't an issue here.

 

Many 3rd party companies are fan driven companies, why would they use lead paints to endanger their fellow fans/their consumers?

 

i thought about this too before buying one. its only meant for collectors as the box states. honestly, i barely play with the only 3rd party toy i have. i'm pretty sure safety standards are not met. in the end, its your call. 3rd party look nice but will probably never reach the standards tak/bro has.

 

The same reason cigarette companies do: By the time someone has any ill effects, if any, they've already made their money and it can't be traced back to them with 100% certainty.

But I seriously doubt anyone's going to get cancer from touching a few spots of lead paint on their figures. Unless you're a child or a fetus, you'll probably be fine.

 

Don't eat them

 

I think you should be more worried about the radiation from the japanese toys what with the nuclear fallout and all that...

enjoy  

 

The best way to see is to get one of those lead test kits. They are like $10 I think.

 

I have infants, so I'm very careful not to leave any TFs at all in a room with them. That goes double for third party stuff, because that stuff isn't safety tested.

I can just imagine what would happen if I left City Commander in a baby's reach. BOOM, she'd put it right into her mouth.  

 

Sharpness and small parts = yes.

Lead Paint though. I doubt it. As that's generally something the chinese have used when they want to get toys painted dirt cheap. Mattel has been guilty of this. But I don't think a company like TFC or Fansproject would use lead paint. As they have a Niche group of people willing to pay out for their craft, Which also happen to be very explosive when things go wrong. (look at crazy devy's predaking wings. They may never recover from that press.)

one would hope for the extensive money and labor put into the toys that superior paint mixes are considered. By fans. For fans.

 

I have no intention of licking my toys and have no intention for third party stuff go to any future young children I may have. Not a problem for me.

 

One would hope, yeah. But I'd never completely trust the integrity of the anonymous.

Still, I agree that it's probably much more of an issue with dollar-store and lookalike knockoffs than high-dollar third party stuff.

 

Only safety issue I have with my 3rd party toys are the sharp edges. I actually got cut one time and started bleeding while handling my Protector.

Good thing I easily got the blood off the toy...cough cough

 

i second this. And wash your hands after playing with your toys

 

yeah, and most importantly make sure your kids dont play with them.

 

I would say that thinking like that is naive. Never underestemate the greed of a buisnisman. If they can save money in the production process then my guess is that they will. They allready ignore safety regulations what with the sharp edges - what makes you think they would follow them when it comes to paint?

Yes, they need to satisfy fans - but it's not like a toy reviewer is going to pick up an extra third party toy in order to send it to a lab and test for lead paints.

These are not goodhearted fans who want to contribute to the fandom - they are in it for the money.

 

I agree with this but also consider who buys the third party items. Why use lead paint when you can use a regular paint and use it as an excuse to jack the price up significantly since it will still sell. Look at the price on the Hercules figures. it is easy to sell third party toys at high prices so why cut corners on cost.

 

or eat them

 

We don't know how much goes into the overhead costs of these third party companies unless they come out and say it. 100 for a member of TFC Hercules could give them little overall profit, but it could also give them a lot of profit if they DO use unsafe materials and still put them at that cost.

Just something to think about.

 

The thing is, they don't ignore the standards as much as not make a product designed for children under a certain age. If you look closely, you'll notice most 3rd party stuff is labeled "Adult Collectible" or something like that, meaning it was designed without the intention of ever needed to comply.


Anyway, my 2 cents:

3rd Party stuff - you're probably okay as long as you don't eat/lick your toys

KO toys - I'd be a bit more weary.

In the end, if you intend for actual children to play with them, buy a Has/Tak toy.