[Tom H]

Local newspaper ran a story today about a toymaker in Vermont, who makes handmade wooden toys, and how he is overwhelmed with orders this year. The whole jist of the article was that the lead paint problems in the toys made in China were driving this return to handmade. Well since I was scheduled to demonstrate carving at a gift shop, and sell Christmas ornaments and pins, I decided to put this to the test. Made a new sign that stated "hand made, with no lead in the finish". Sold 10 ornaments, and 11 pins...."But wait" Had an order for 20 Santa pins and 12 Christmas elfs. The lady who placed the order for the 12 elfs had a resin cast one in her hand from China, when she saw my sign. She went on to say that she intended to hide the 12 elfs in her living room, and have her 12 grand kids look for them....So, maybe, just maybe....this Christmas season will be different as far as sales and hand carved goes......
Tom H

[gene messer]

Tom .. Believe it or not .. this is a major problem coming this Christmas season with parents ..I saw it in the news that perhaps a toy shortage is on the horizon for overseas shipping because of it ..

Now I must admit as a child I probably swallowed more lead paint and fishing weights then a large mouth bass .. But it is really interesting to see the stir over it ..

Anyway .. more power to our handmade toys and by the way .. Those are some great looking ornaments .. Iam sure your going to make Christmas very special for some young children this year ..

History unfortunately repeats itself and maybe the drive back to handmade safe toys is going to explode ..

God Bless

Gene

[Kenny_S]

That is great Tom, If your picture is of thse ornaments, then you will be a busy man this year.
Nicely carved ornaments.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Sure funny how everything was lead paint for many, many years...Genes right, interesting to see how easily people are influenced by the media! Trouble is, we know where most of the lead settles too!

[Eddy Smiles]

I find it absolutely baffling that you can't buy lead based paint anymore including exterior paints...but all of a sudden we find out that Uncle Sam has been turning a blind eye to American toy companies allowing lead in the production and finishing of toys. I agree that anyone over 50 has probably had more than their share of lead exposure. I keep thinking back to how much sanding and chipping dust I breathed and swallowed aboard ship back in the 60's. For that matter, what about Mercury? How many times did we roll mercury across the floor as kids? My Dad was was a plumber/steamfitter and he used to bring the stuff home for us kids to play with from old thermostats. Maybe that's whats wrong with me...with me...with me...with me............

Hi Ho.... as to where that lead settles..... speak for yourself! My fantail is as sleak and trim as it ever was! Ha! Ha!

[susieq]

Lead paint and mercury too..... how many of you played with the mercury when you got a chance? I grew up in an antique shop and my folks had antique thermometors and barometors all over the place. My brother and I were always playing with the little "balls" of liquid, rolling them around, spliting them apart then herding them all back together in one large blob.....
We didn't eat the stuff. Playing with lead was kind of fun too...you could melt it easily and mold it into anyting you wanted. I remember taking fishing sinkers and putting them on a large spoon, holding a lit match under it til the lead melted...

Actually, I worked in leaded glass and stained glass for many years and when all the stink about lead started, I went to the doctor and had a blood test to check for exposure. No above normal lead levels in the blood even though I handled it every day.

[Eddy Smiles]

SusieQ.... Great minds think, and apparently, play alike!

I remember about 25-30 years ago not too long after everyone began to get environmentally consious concerning lead, mercury and all the other hazards that old folks use to take for granted. We had a nurse break a thermometer up on the hospital ward and little itty bitty balls of mercury rolled all over the place. They called out the Medical Center Hazmat Team in full suits to deal with it. At the time I remember thinking that they were nuts and over reacting.

And going along with your fishing sinkers, back in the early 70's when renovating and remolding we recovered as mush lead as we could from old plumbing, melted it down right there in the shop during lunch break, and made fishing sinkers for the entire crew.... ventilation?????.... the back door was open!

But who knows, perhaps we were just playing with fate, or perhaps fate is just waiting around the corner to bite us in the butt when we're not looking. Afterall, look at all the asbestos that my generation got into and the havoc it has caused.

[Joy]

You know the old expression "Mad as a Hatter".....the guys who made hats were a little crazy because of the mercury used in the felting process. And when we were in Russia we saw pictures of the hugh cathedral doors that were gold-plated using an amalgam of mercury and gold. Then the doors were heated over wood fires to evaporate the mercury. The workers all died, but that was no problem because there were plenty of people who needed jobs to replace them.

So how come we are still around...I've rolled mercury around in the palm of my hand many times....

And why are they pushing the new florescent light bulbs which are made with mercury?

Tom...sounds like you are on your way for a great sales season. Neat ornaments.

[Marci MN]

Hi Tom, I love those ornaments!! I hope your sales are terrific this year!

[Thomp]

Love the orniments tom, maybe you can sell enough to help you with the mud hole cost.. \\

we all played with maginets murcury and lead as kids,
melted aluminum and dicast
how many of us had the lead soldger sets where we melted and poured our own ...

i worked in the service as a fuel specialist wet in fuel somewhere every day for 20 years, the blood tests we got didnt show lead, daaah!

i think thats something behind the trade agreements that was knew all along... and is just the tip of the iceburg...