A great philosopher once wrote, “Americans may lag behind in many areas, but man, we sure have some trophy landfills.” One thing you won’t find in them, however, are baby clothes. For thousands of years, people have been handing down children’s items to family and friends, helping to soften the crippling expense of raising babies. We pass on everything from clothing and cribs to baby bottles and high chairs, and our loved ones use these items, soon passing them on to the next in need. It’s a very warm human tradition. How often have we looked at photos and said things like, “Ah, there you are in the same wooden crib that I slept in!” There is something incredibly radiant and meaningful about hand-me-downs. As though these items gather a little more love with each passing on.
But behold! Toys R Us just unleashed their Great Trade-In event, taking place between Aug. 28 and Sept. 20, when consumers can trade in used baby products and receive 20 percent off their replacements. Eligible products include used cribs, car seats, bassinets, strollers, travel systems and high chairs. Pointing to selective literature from the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), Toys R Us is trying to steer consumers away from buying baby care items at second-hand stores because they could actually be dangerous recalls.
“In today’s economy, we are all looking for ways to stretch our dollars,” said Chairman and CEO Jerry Storch in a press release, “but in doing so, children’s safety should not be compromised.”
Feeling the recession pinch, chain retailers like Toys R Us have suffered an 11 percent loss in sales over the past year. Meanwhile, second-hand stores have boasted a steady 10 percent increase, obviously cutting deep into Toys R Us profits. The ongoing aftermath of hundreds of Chinese-made toy recalls certainly doesn’t help. In 2007 alone, the United States experienced 450 recalls of Chinese-made toys. In July of that year, Toys R Us recalled 19 million units of various items, including dolls, toy cars and action figures. In August 27,000 lead contaminated art sets were called back, along with lead-contaminated Winnie the Pooh and “Koala” baby bibs. October saw 15,000 Totally Me! Funky Room Decor sets recalled, plus 16,000 Elite Operation military toys, and 380,000 Galaxy Warrior figurines. Then came the shocking November recall of Bindeez beads, which metabolized into gamma hydroxy butyrate, better known as the “date rape drug.” As for baby care products, the Infantino SlingRider baby carrier was the most damaging. According to the Toys R Us recall page, “The plastic slider on the fabric strap can break. This can cause the strap supporting the carrier to release and infants to fall out of the carrier.”
Buying new or used, when it comes to baby products, which is really safer? Toys R Us should be applauded for their child safety campaign, which is sincere, if not survivalist. However, not everyone can afford new baby cribs. Others would prefer to carry on the time-honored tradition of hand-me-downs rather than join the buy-it-toss-it consumer culture. For concerned thrift store enthusiasts, there are plenty of resources to cross-check questionable items. The CPSC database is a great place to start with their exclusive page for second-hand products. As for the Great Trade-In, we can assume that legions of dumpster divers will be gathering out back, perfecting their breaststrokes in seas of otherwise perfectly safe stuff.
Photo courtesy of Valentina Powers via Flickr