Thursday, November 22, 2007

Tis the Season to Be Careful

With the Thanksgiving meal half-digested, it is the official start of the Christmas shopping season. But what's left to buy? I heard somewhere that 80% of our toys come from China. I just unboxed the new tree that I bought for a song after Christmas last year and noticed it is made in China. Can I leave it on when I'm out or asleep? Will it burn down my entire building? Will it poison my cats if they nibble on the needles? And where are all my extension cords? The most prudent thing to do would be to avoid buying anything with a China label on it. Hah! Try That! If you aren't willing to go that far, you can look up recalls at the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Prepare to be overwhelmed. You can still buy some toys made in the USA, but they aren't exactly high-tech.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Just don't lick the tree and I think you'll be fine!

Seriously though, just about all the trinkets and do-dads that I pick up and look at for the holidays are "made in china". That's why I try to make as many of my own as possible. If that's not feasible, I'd suggest buying from a local artisan you know and trust.