THERE WILL BE GUM

As anyone with little kids in their life knows, where there are kids, there will be gum. Kids not only love gum but they have gum radar. They can ferret it out in the most obscure places-- the dark bottom of a cluttered purse, amidst the lint in the pocket of last winter's coat, in the gritty crack of a car seat. And if there is a gumball machine within a hundred yards, forget about it, a kid is going to zero in on its location and drag you there to beg for, gum! gum! GUM!

And while kids have remained relatively unchanged in their simple love of gum, unfortunately, gum itself has not. Starting in the 1960’s with Trident Sugarless (and dozens of others which soon followed), gum has become increasingly more chemicalized. As for me, when I was a kid, I sure didn’t want sugarless gum. I couldn't stand its weird metallic aftertaste. Usually I chewed Juicy fruit or Wrigley’s Spearmint or a hard square of Bazooka with Bazooka Joe comics or spicy Clove gum or my least favorite, but oddly hard to resist, the bubble gum cigar.

Then, I grew up. It was the eighties and I became a mom. After I had my own kids, gum took on a whole new perspective in my life. No longer just a chewy treat to enjoy, it became a little visitor, often unwanted and uninvited, who decided to come and stay...in the carpet, on the bottom of a shoe, on the underside of the table, stuck to the unsuspecting dog’s tail or perched on the edge of a dinner plate. Worst of all, sometimes it morphed into the dreaded hairy Gum Monster and latched onto the back of a child’s head. This sticky snarly mess could only be banished with gobs of peanut butter along with intense combing, which usually evolved into a greasy scuffle of hair pulling, screaming and crying. Ouch!

Accidents weren't the only problem I had with gum. Just like the foods they ate, gum was going into my young'uns mouths, so I worried about its ingredients. I wanted whatever went into their mouths to be non-polluting to their bodies and hopefully, good for them.

I could see that gum was not the same as when I was a kid. The wrappers were brighter, cuter and more colorful, the gum itself was softer, easier to chew and the flavor lasted longer and sometimes squirted (weird) stuff when you bit it. But deep inside things weren’t looking very pretty. The number of chemicals found in a simple piece of gum had increased. There were more artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors, colors, preservatives and chemicals than anyone could have expected (or wanted). And the chemicals were constantly changing, their list growing and showing up in more and more brands of gum.

So, I took a stand and banned all gum which contained artificial sweeteners and those with a long list of chemicals. In order to maintain that ban I became a gum watch dog. And like any good watch dog, I didn't allow just any gum on the property or near my kids. I checked ingredient lists, I sniffed, I read, I listened and looked. Accordingly I accepted some and chased others into the trash can.

Still, by and large, even in the 1980’s gum selection wasn't a big deal. It was pretty easy for me to find acceptable gum that contained regular sugar. Juicy Fruit, Wrigley’s, Hubba Bubba and many others, sometimes had a smattering of artificial colors or lab produced flavors but overall did not contain artificial sweeteners.

Then, my kids became teens and forget about it, they chewed whatever they wanted. I was off the hook and released from my guard duty. Gum took a back seat in my life once again.

Fast forward to today. Now, gum is an “issue" in my life yet one more time--a small issue, but an issue nonetheless. Why? One word: grandkids. And guess what they (well, at this point, only one of them, the other is just growing his first teeth and can't ask for much of anything--but just wait) asks for a lot? Yes, it's gum.

Therefore, I was forced to put on my guard dog collar and watch out for gum-again. And upon looking what did I find? I discovered this ain’t the `80’s and chewing gum had gotten worse. Most gum in the supermarket and convenience stores have ingredients so far from natural they should be in the pharmaceutical rather than the candy aisle. For example here’s the ingredient list for Trident Sugarless Gum with Xylitol, Tropical Twist :

Ingredients: Sorbitol, Gum Base, Xylitol , Natural and Artificial Flavoring, Mannitol, Glycerin , Aspartame, Acesulfame Potassium, Soy Lecithin, Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 40, Blue 1, BHT - to Maintain Freshness

Or how about Wrigley’s Spearmint gum:

Ingredients: sugar, gum base, dextrose, corn syrup; less than 2% of: natural and artificial flavors, glycerol, soy lecithin, aspartame, acesulfame k, colors (yellow 5 lake, blue 1 lake), BHT (to maintain freshness). PHENYLKETONURICS: CONTAINS PHENYLALANINE.

Or Hubba Bubba gum (for kids):

Ingredients: sugar, gum base, corn syrup; less than 2% of: glycerol, natural and artificial flavors, soy lecithin, acesulfame k, aspartame, color (red 40 lake), BHT (to maintain freshness). PHENYLKETONURICS: CONTAINS PHENYLALANINE.

The last two, Wrigley’s and Hubba Bubba, aren't even “sugarless” gum, yet they both contain artificial sweeteners! And a warning! Eeek!

And why the warning? It's because phenylalanine can be deadly to people who have a disorder called PKU. Additionally, many gum ingredients such as the artificial sweeteners Acesulfame Potassium and Aspartame are thought to cause cancers, brain tumors and even infertility. The health and safety issues of artificial sweeteners have been debated intensely since the 1960’s and there are people on both sides who are sure they are right and have the data to prove it.

Myself, I prefer to err on the side of caution. I think, if some people want to be human lab rats and trust the CEO’s of major corporations to be honest and forthright, Ok for them. If these same people want to believe the makers and sellers of suspect products filled with suspect chemicals do not have profits as their primary motivator and likewise don’t have the public good somewhere lower on their What’s Important list, then so be it, let these guileless people gamble with their health and the health of their children. Let them chew gum all willy-nilly.

But not me. When I hand my grandchildren (or any child) a piece of gum, I want to feel good about it. I don’t want to give them a little bit of toxic waste wrapped in sugar or sugar-like substance. I want them to have gum like I had as a child, real gum, safe gum. I refuse to give them gum that might give them cancer or add to their body burden of chemicals or make their future kids be mutants. Gum just ain’t worth that kind of risk.

Needless to say, I was really happy when I happened across Glee Gum at Terra Toys, our local (and very cool) toy store here in Austin. Glee Gum is shaped into little squares, like Chiclets gum and has a candy coating which gives a nice little "crunch" when you bite into it. I was glad to see that it comes in a small box made of cardboard, so it is completely recyclable--no packaging waste! The box design is also very cute and very retro-looking. But most of all I was thrilled when I read the ingredients list. Glee gum is all natural and is vegetarian/vegan friendly. Thus it is lactose free, dairy free, wheat free, gluten free, casein free, egg free, yeast free, nut free, soy free, and peanut free. It has no artificial preservatives, artificial flavors, artificial colors, artificial sweeteners. And yes, Marie, Glee gum is also yummy.

To find out more about the company, I went online. And according to their website, Glee gum is owned and manufactured by Verve, inc. “an independent, family-owned business, dedicated to linking world communities and creating environmentally and socially responsible products and activities.”

I googled and found more information. In an article titled Rhode Island’s Glee Gum part of sustainable-harvest effort , Gail Ciampa, the food editor of the Providence Journal, writes about meeting Debbie Schimberg, owner of Glee Gum. She states that she “learned so very much not just about the gum but about Schimberg and her passion for supporting all things sustainable. She is the founder of the Southside Community Land Trust, which started as a neighborhood garden and is now a national model for its urban farming programs.”

Ciampa goes on to write, “her Glee Gum is also groundbreaking — for how it uses an ingredient that supports sustainable harvest across the border. It’s all natural, made from chicle, which flows from trees in the rainfore+st of southern Mexico and northern Guatemala. Because the trees are tapped for chicle, they provide ongoing income for the local farmers who harvest the chicle. Keeping the trees for chicle harvest, rather than cutting them down for lumber, supports the rainforest. “

Explaining further, Ciampa states, “Verve, also donates a percentage of profits to scholarships for the families of chicle farmers.”

So, not only does this little square gum taste great, but it is safe for kids to put in their mouths, it is safe for the environment, (specifically the rainforest) and it is also a gum whose manufacturer has a social conscience. And lastly, (drum roll) the manufacturer is located right here in the U.S.A. What more could a gum chewer ask for?


Since discovering Glee, I’ve gone online and ordered from the Glee website. I bought a case of Spearmint which is 12 regular size boxes (18 pieces per box), the Bubblegum Mini boxes which come in bag of 80 and the Mini Glee Variety Pack which is 21 mini boxes with 4 pieces of gum in each box. We have chewed and enjoyed them all. I especially like the mini boxes for the kids. Four pieces is just the right amount for one child to enjoy without the threat of wasted gum or hair disasters.

By the way, here is the GLEE GUM Spearmint flavor INGREDIENTS:

CANE SUGAR, GLUCOSE, GUM BASE (CONTAINS NATURAL CHICLE), RICE SYRUP, SPEARMINT FLAVOR, GUM ARABIC, RESINOUS GLAZE, BEESWAX, CARNAUBA WAX AND CHLOROPHYLL.

Simple and simply beautiful.




Oh, and in case you’re wondering, my old favorite Bazooka Bubble gum is still made by the Topps Co. but it is no longer hard and square or made in the USA. It’s softer, rounder and made in Mexico. Too bad. *sigh*


For more information about artificial sweeteners check out these links:

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS LINKED TO WEIGHT GAIN


Sweet Misery Documentary


Center for Science in the Public Interest: FDA Should Reconsider Aspartame Cancer Risk

Tagless Tag Bites Babies

And then there were rashes, mysterious yukky rashes. And what’s worse than mysterious yukky rashes? Answer--mysterious yukky rashes on babies. Argh!


On October 24, 2008, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a warning to parents about tagless labels in Carter’s brand kids and babies wear. It seems the tagless tags printed on the back, inside of Carter's clothing for infants is causing skin rashes on and about the necks of babies who wear the clothing. The CPSC states that “a small percentage of babies and infants have developed rashes on the upper back after wearing Carter's clothing with heat-transferred, or tag-less, labels.” A small percentage? Gosh, it's a wonder they bother to mention it at all.

Still, the CPSA must do their duty and send a mild warning to the public. And as usual the warning is accompanied by pictures and information about the labels.

So, guess where the suspect clothes are manufactured? Which country would be making such weird, rash inducing tagless tags for our kids? Come on, we’ve played this game before, just guess. Go ahead, guess...

You got it. China!

Again.

Hey, hey! Go China! Go China! Go China! It's not your birthday, but still congrats, on another dumper on the US consumer. Go China. Go China.

No, really. GO CHINA! Leave us alone!

*Sigh*

But to be fair, some of the suspect labels and clothing (as displayed on the CPSC website, as well as the Carter’s web site) are also from other countries such as the Philippines, Thailand and Cambodia.

But, I'll wager a $1 bet that when the dust settles, the toxic trail will lead right back to our big ol’ smilin' friend, China. Maybe ol' big red provided the paint or the know how or just the idea to these other countries. Maybe it's something as simple as giving them a wink and a nudge and pointing out that big dumb sucker in the corner who will buy their crappy stuff for a good price...ie. the US or rather, us.

What to do?

Well, once again I urge you to buy clothes that are safe, made in the USA, eco-friendly and cheap. In other words, buy used.

There are so many reasons to buy used stuff but only a few to buy new. For one, why buy new, when there are clothes already here, just waiting for good homes and someone to love them? Hmmmm...where have I heard that before?

Never mind.

And if you are determined to buy safe, USA made, Carter’s brand clothes for your little ones, then I suggest you accept the reality you will buy them second hand. I assure you, you aren’t imagining that Carter’s used to be made in the US. They were, but now they’re not.

Still, some people hate buying used stuff. Why? They want everything new and shiny. But this concept is not new, it's old. It's the old stuck-in-the-rut of consumer-hungry-commercially-fed-corporate-puppetmaster-to-slave-brain-implanted compulsion. We want new, because the commercials say we want new, because they want our money.

What's really new, is choosing to buy used...when you can afford new. That's new, and smart.

Remember garage sales? Remember how much fun they used to be? And how about shopping at your local thrift store, (not Goodwill, they’re corporate and greedy), wasn't that fun or at least satisfying on some basic level?

If you can't or won't get out of the house to browse the re-purpose sites, then you might check out your local online give away or Freecycle group. You'd be surprised at the stuff people just give away for free. And lastly, if you're really desperate for Carter's, there’s always eBay.

But don’t forget to check out some of the links to the sites listed on the (right) side column of my blog. You won't find Carter's or OshKosh B'Gosh (as they are both SELL OUTS) but you may find something you like better and something less destructive to our economy and our environment.

Now, excuse me but I’ve got to help my daughter-in-law weed out some Carter’s from my grandson’s chest of drawers. Seems she slipped in some foreign goods when I wasn’t looking and now she's in a tizzy realizing her mistake.

Kids.

Toothbrushes & Toothpaste

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Remember the summer of `07 scare about poison toothpaste from China? The FDA warned consumers to discard toothpaste made in China as it may be tainted with diethylene glycol, a component of antifreeze. Ouch!

As far as I know, a major recall of toothbrushes hasn’t happened yet but, any day now I expect to see warnings about toothbrushes made in China. My guess it will be for lead in the plastic. But maybe the Chinese figure they have played out the And-the-secret-ingredient-is-LEAD! trick by now, so they will have to come up with some new and horribly cunning way to poison us. I’m not willing to wait for that day, so I am buying Made In USA dental hygiene products from here on.

Recently I asked my daughter-in-law to conduct an informal survey of toothbrushes on her next shopping trip. (She does most of the family grocery shopping.)

A couple days ago she went to a local Target here in Austin. She looked over each of the toothbrushes and here is the breakdown on their country of origin as sold by Target:

BRAND............ COUNTRY......... MODELS

CREST.............. China.................. All
REACH............. China................. All
COLGATE......... China....................2
......................... Switzerland ..........1
ORAL-B............. USA ....................4
.......................... Germany..............1

The results of this survey may be incomplete and totally anecdotal, but they do tell us one thing for sure; toothbrushes made in the USA are getting harder to find. And also, that you can’t trust any product, no matter how well-known, to be made here in the US and not in China.

Crest and Reach are two of the biggest, most well-known brands of toothbrushes and they are made in China. These companies are sell outs. Their CEO's don’t care about you or me or our country. They only care about their profits. I don't know about you, but I am really getting sick of big corporations taking our $$, selling us crappy products and sending jobs overseas to China. It is really starting to make me mad.

I say, show these companies your displeasure by shunning their products. And while you're at it, call their customer service department and voice your anger, send an email or write a snailmail to them. I sent an email to Crest and Johnson & Johnson, and it made me feel a little better.

And if you are really fired up, how about sending an email or a letter or phone call to your government representative and/or the White House. (To locate the name and contact info for your government rep click here. For the White House, click here. And for your state governor, click here.)

Here is the snail mail and phone contact info for CREST:

Procter & Gamble Co.
Address: P.O. Box 599
City: Cincinnati
State: OH
Zip Code: 45201
Telephone Number: 513-983-1100
Fax Number: 513-562-4500
Toll Free Number: 800-543-7270

Johnson & Johnson, is the maker (or rather distributor, since the Chinese are the real makers) of REACH toothbrushes. Here is their contact info:

Johnson & Johnson
Address: 1 Johnson & Johnson Plaza
City: New Brunswick
State: NJ
Zip Code: 08933
Telephone Number: 732-524-0400

**********

On a more positive note . . .

While shopping at Wheatsville, our local food co-op, my daughter-in-law discovered a Made in USA brand of toothbrushes. She bought everyone in the family a little surprise; a new toothbrush they could trust. The brand is POH. It is simple in design, inexpensive and safe.

So far, I have been very happy with my unpretentious, but well made POH toothbrush. The look and feel of the brush reminds me of my childhood.

As I do for any product or company I write about on my blog, I traveled to their web site to gather a little more information.

On the POH web site it says they have been supplying toothbrushes and dental floss to the US military PX’s and BX’s since 1961. Unfortunately for POH, they say they lost their floss contract with the Army/Air Force Exchange Service in 2006. I wonder what floss the Army/Airforce is using now? One from China maybe? hmmm.

While on their web site, as a show of support, I ordered some POH dental floss (also cuz I need some floss). The POH floss comes in a metal and plastic canister which looks really cool and cost $3.00. I ordered several and some additional toothbrushes ($1 each) for the family. I’ll post an update after I’ve tried the floss to let you know how I like it.

As for toothpaste, there are two Made In USA brands that I have used (and still do). The first is Tom’s Of Maine, which is pretty easy to find in most stores. Tom’s toothpaste is, of course, all natural and comes in several flavors, both with and without fluoride. I have been using Tom’s of Maine since the 70’s and it is a good brand.

But my current personal favorite is Nature’s Gate toothpaste. I just started using the Cool Mint Gel Natural Toothpaste and I like the taste better than any of the Tom’s of Maine that I have used so far.

BTW, the Department of Dental Hygiene, at Texas Woman's University in Denton did a comparative study of the plaque removal ability of toothbrushes in 1990. One of the brands they chose to use for the test was POH. I have included the text of the summary of the study. They compared the POH against the Alli-Croc (?) children’s toothbrush and the POH won.

Interesting!

From the NCBI/PUB MED database

Comparative analysis of the plaque removal ability of .007 and .008 toothbrush bristles. Beatty CF, Fallon PA, Marshall DD.

Department of Dental Hygiene, Texas Woman's University, Denton.

A two-phase study was conducted to compare the plaque-removal effectiveness of a .007 toothbrush and a .008 toothbrush when used in an unsupervised home-care program. In the first phase of the study, two children's toothbrushes, a .007 toothbrush (POH Junior #8) and a .008 toothbrush (Allie-Croc), were compared in a population of third through sixth grade children. The .007 group had a greater reduction of plaque from pretest to post-test than the .008 group in all grades, with statistically significant differences favoring the .007 toothbrush for fourth and sixth grades. In phase two a .007 adult toothbrush (POH #4) was compared to a .008 adult toothbrush (Oral B 40) in a population of nursing and dental hygiene students. Both toothbrushes performed equally well with a significant decrease in plaque and gingival inflammation observed from pretest to post-test regardless of toothbrush used. Any changes in soft-tissue abrasion were negligible and not statistically significant. Based on the results of this study, both brushes appear to be safe and effective and can be recommended with confidence.

PMID: 2095314 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Speaking of Sell Outs: Baby Jogger

*************************************************

As I stated in my About Me section, I am about to have a new grandchild in the family. We expect him/her to arrive in April `08. So, of course, everyone in the family is excited and fluffing the nest in anticipation of the little stranger. We are hunting and gathering items, hoping to find good, safe, eco-friendly, MADE IN USA, products.

One of the items we have been searching for is a stroller, any stroller, made in the US. So far, we have had zero results in this area. My daughter-in-law checks every time she shops in a store that carries strollers. I have Googled repeatedly, searched every stroller maker’s website I can think of and even set up a Google alert which sends me search results daily. Still, we cannot find any US manufactured baby strollers.

I thought I had finally found one when I came across The Baby Jogger. I had seen it mentioned several times by other bloggers, as well as on several websites, each stated it was a US company which manufactured baby (jogging) strollers in the US. I went on their web site to investigate. Their About Us/History page briefly mentions the original maker of the baby jogger stroller as “Phil Baechler, a local newspaper journalist” who established "The Baby Jogger Company” in 1984. The rest of the page is bloated with boasting about the “high quality” and claims to be the “leading designer and manufacturer of high performance jog strollers.” Wow, I thought. Perfect!

So, just to be sure, I emailed the Sales department and asked if I could tour their factory. Here was the response I got:

BJ Sales
to --- <-----@gmail.com>,
date Jan 21, 2008 9:07 AM
subject RE: Product question about baby joggers

hide details 9:07 AM (10 hours ago)

Reply

Dear -----,

Thank you for taking the time to contact the Baby Jogger Company. Our products are manufactured in China, not the US, and unfortunately it is a private factory that is not open to the general public.

Please let me know if I can answer any further questions for you.

Sincerely,

Erica Jutzin

The Baby Jogger Company

800-241-1848 x1139 (PH)

804-262-6277 (FX)

ejutzin@babyjogger.com

www.babyjogg

er.com

www.dynamicbrands.org

*Sigh*

So, we are still searching for a baby stroller manufactured here in the USA. If anyone out there knows if such a thing exists, please email me ASAP.

TIA

American Girl Dolls

My granddaughter received an American Girl doll for our Winter Solstice Present Day celebration (OK, what ya’ll call Christmas). I was a little worried when it arrived because a quick online check showed that American Girl dolls, by Mattel, are not made in the US but are manufactured in China.

And while an article by CBS 11 of Dallas/Fort Worth News, dtd Dec 10, 2007 admits that American Girl dolls are manufactured in China it says that CBS had an American Girl doll (and accessories) tested for lead. They state that “experts say the doll and its toys are perfectly safe.”

I don’t know what “experts” CBS used as they do not say in the article but according to HealthyToys.org, American Girls dolls are not completely safe. They rated as MEDIUM on the safety scale. While it is true the dolls are lead-free, the one American Girl doll they tested came up positive for the chemical Chlorine.

About Chlorine, HealthyToys states the following:

“Detection of chlorine in a toy component indicates the likely use of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) or vinyl, a widely used type of plastic that is of concern to the environment and public health during all phases of its life cycle.”

I won’t bore you with all the details about chlorine, PVC and vinyl but I will provide a few highlights. For example, vinyl contains phthalates [pronounced thal-ates] which are a group of industrial chemicals that add flexibility and resilience to many consumer products. Phthalates have been associated with disturbed hormonal processes, birth defects of the genitals, altered levels of reproductive hormones in male babies, an increased risk of breast cancer and asthma, among many other things. In short, PVC is NOT something you want kids playing with if you can help it.

And while the plastic and vinyl industry claim that phthalates and vinyl are “perfectly safe” (Jeeze, where have I heard that one before?)--others, lots of others, disagree. You can check out some additional scary details about vinyl on the EPA website. Eeesh!

So, yes, American Girl dolls probably don’t have high levels of lead but they are made out of vinyl which more than likely contains unhealthy and perhaps dangerous levels of phthalates.

And lastly, American Girls are not made in America, anymore.

Luckily, the doll my granddaughter received was an original version of the Kristin doll which was manufactured by the Pleasant Company in Middleton, Wisconsin in 1991. (Mattel bought out the Pleasant Company in 1998.)

My granddaughter’s other grandmother bought the doll for her on eBay. It came with clothes and accessories whose tags state they were made in Germany. So, at least the clothes are definitely safe.

I’m not really feeling too secure about the whole vinyl issue with this version of the doll but at least I’m not worrying about lead. I am hoping that perhaps the vinyl is stable now or has at least, off-gassed most of the toxins. Who knows? *sigh*

Anyway, if you’re looking for a safe American made doll check out the Stuffington Bear Factory. While they don’t have plastic dolls, they do have lots of very cute stuffed animals and outfits to dress them in. I purchased a green bunny and a couple of outfits. The little handmade clothes are so adorable and the bunny is well made. And most important of all, they are completely safe, made in the USA and my granddaughter loves them.


Stuffington Bear Factory is located in Arizona. It’s web site says they have been in business since 1959.

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DISHES & COOKWARE: Corelle, Pyrex and more

I like Corning, Pyrex and Corelle but I cannot give them a 100% Made In USA stamp of approval as some of the products under these name brands are imported from yes, China. I emailed World Kitchen, LLC asking where Corelle and other products were manufactured and this is the answer I received. (See email below.)

Shop wise. Shop USA.

Consumer Help Center	Wed, Dec 19, 2007 at 12:29 PM
To: madeinusablogger@gmail.com

Thank you for contacting World Kitchen, LLC

Most of our Corelle dinnerware is made in the USA. All of the plates and bowls from the Livingware, Lifestyles, Impressions, Ultra and Corelle Square collections are made in the states. The mugs and glasses in our sets are made in China. Also, our Corelle Hearthstone dinnerware collection is made in China also. Pyrex glassware is made in the USA as well. Pyrex metal bakeware is manufactured abroad. Corningware, Revere, Bakers Secret, Chicago Cutlery, EKCO, Magnalite and Visions cookware lines are all manufactured outside of the USA. We hope this information is helpful.

For further assistance, please contact our Help Center at 800-999-3436. Representatives are available from 8am to 6pm, EST, Monday through Thursday and 8am to 5pm on Friday, and will be more than happy to assist you.

Sincerely,

Linda

1-800-999-3436

World Kitchen LLC

Consumer Help Center

TOYS: Roy Toys Vs Lincoln Logs

On the Roy Toy web site the About Roy Toy history page is an interesting read.

According to the information on the site, the original owner/founder was Roy K. Dennison. The company began making it's wooden toy construction sets in Maine in the 1930's. It went out of business in the 1960's.

Fast forward thirty years and grandson, Bruce Dennison, revives the company and brings it to the Internet. The company is still located in Maine.

I emailed the Roy Toy company. I asked if all their products were made in the USA? The customer service rep (?) reply is below: (btw, the answer is YES!)

customerservice@roytoy.com	Sun, Dec 2, 2007 at 7:38 PM
Reply-To: customerservice@roytoy.com To: LeadFree<madeinusablogger@gmail.com
We do manufacture all of our products100% in Maine USA. Thank you for supporting USA products, Sue Dennison Roy Toy Manufacturing 599 Jacksonville Road East Machias, Maine 04630 Ph: (207) 255-0954 Fx: (207) 255-0955 sdennison@roytoy.com www.roytoy.com

On the other hand, a message on the K'NEX company website by President/COO, Michael Araten, says,

"K'NEX Brands manufactures and sells building sets under the KID K'NEX® and K'NEX® brand names and Lincoln Logs®.* We are also the exclusive distributor of BRIO® products in the U.S. and Canada. Lincoln Logs are manufactured in China by an ICTI certified factory. "

K'NEX bricks are made in the US however. But then, a lot of LEGO'S are too.

Lincoln Logs on the other hand are no longer manufactured in the US at all, they are now made in China.

So if you're looking for "Lincoln Log" type toys, buy Roy Toy. Besides being made right here in the USA, the Roy Toy log sets are less expensive and look cooler than Lincoln Logs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~****************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

UPDATE: Jan 23, 08

I bought the 250+ pc. Deluxe Building Set ($49.95) of Roy Toy logs for my granddaughter for a Solstice present. The set is huge! The logs fit together well and it is a good bit of construction style toyworks. My granddaughter and I have played with it several times, building the farm house, barn and fences. It was a lot of fun, once we finally figured out how to build them.

Overall, it is a great toy but I do have a couple minor complaints. One is the instructions that come with the set. They are rather sparse and unhelpful. I wish the company had included better instructions or at least offer some to download from their web site...maybe a PDF or two...that would be nice.

Also, the bag that the logs come in is pretty useless for storage. In order to play with the set you must dump all 250 pieces out and sort thru them (imagine a jigsaw puzzle of 250 logs) to build anything. This takes forever. To solve this problem, I fashioned an open top storage tote out of the shipping box. I cut the lid flaps off, put a couple slits in each and slide them together to make cubby holes -- one for each size/color of logs. A little pink duct tape for reinforcement and we now have a nice little organizer for the set.

If you have a little kid that enjoys building stuff, then get them a Roy Toy set. It's a sturdy, imagination inspiring, safe, USA made toy. But make sure you buy or better yet, make an organizer to keep the parts sorted and ready to put together. It makes playtime much easier and more fun for everyone.

LUNCH BOXES: ALADDIN VS THERMOS BRAND

I looked at the tag inside my granddaughter's soft-sided lunch box and guess what I found? Of course, it said made in China. So, I began a search for lunch boxes made in the US.
Here is what I discovered:

Aladdin has been an America company for more that 90 years. The first character lunchbox it made, Hopalong Cassidy, was manufactured in 1933.

At the bottom of this message is an email response I received from Aladdin industries when I asked which of their products are still made in the USA. Sadly, the answer is NONE.

The company sold out and moved to China in 2001.

THERMOS Brand hard plastic lunch boxes, on the other hand, are still manufactured in the USA and they are inexpensive (usually about $5). I received an email response from the company rep, John Golden (john.golden@thermos.com) stating:

Thermos LLC has manufacturing facilities domestically and in Asia. All
Vacuumware, Soft-Sided Coolers and Lunch Kits are manufactured in our Asian facilities and the Hard Plastic Lunch Kit is manufactured domestically.

I repeat, only the Thermos hard plastic lunch kits are made in USA, not the soft-sided.

Email from Aladdin:

From: Belinda Steele Belinda.Steele@pmi-worldwide.com To: Date: Nov 26, 2007 12:26 PM

Subject: Re General Inquire

Aladdin Industries was sold in 2001 and at that time, all manufacturing
was moved to our factories in China.

We have maintained the same workmanship and quality as when the products were made in the States.

Regards,


Belinda Steele Consumer Customer Service Rep. U.S.
DIRECT 615-750-1909 - MAIN 615 750 1900 - FAX 615 370 0546
PMI - Aladdin - Stanley - www.pmi-worldwide.com
Aladdin and Stanley are registered trademarks of PMI. Property of PMI -

When replying, please include all previous correspondence.

Additional thought: Several brands of soft-sided or vinyl lunch kits (even those made in the US) have been shown to contain lead or other toxins. Many parents have opted to purchase safer and more eco-friendly options like canvas bags or handmade non-toxic bags such as those on ReuseableBags.com. Other options are to visit your local thrift shops, garage sales and/or FreeCycle groups to search for "vintage" metal lunch boxes made by Thermos...and sometimes, if you're lucky, maybe Aladdin. We have several at our house (made in the 80's & 90's) which were found at thrift stores for a dollar or two.