Seeking alternatives to Chinese toys

[TheMightyFavog]

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=648100

Melanie Roepke didn't have to give her daughter's toy box a second thought Wednesday, a day after she heard about the Mattel toy recall. Clara, 17 months, doesn't own any of them.

"They don't hold her interest," Roepke said.

Instead, tottering proudly around her Bay View home, Clara accessorizes with three purses and a hat, or plays with the wooden stove she received from her mom last Christmas. After working in a child care center, Roepke was sick of pink plastic toys and fake animal noises. Her solution when Clara came along: Buy only toys made with wood or other natural materials and non-toxic paints that will last not just through Clara's childhood years, but far beyond

(snip)

It is an alternative that parents who fear toy imports from China might be turning to in light of Mattel's recall of 9 million toys in the United States on Tuesday. Madison-based Oompa Toys, for example, might see an increase in purchases this fall for products featured in its "2007 Made in Europe" catalog, featuring everything from blocks to baby dolls to puzzles. Even Oompa, however, isn't free from Chinese products. Although 80% of the "Made in Europe" toys are designed in Europe, only 45% are actually made there, with the remaining manufactured in Sri Lanka, India and China, according to Oompa CEO Milanie Cleere.

[glowing]

1. Did they happen to mention any American toy companies... suprised

as some may be, they do exist.