Recalled Toys Still Sold Online - Holiday Shoppers Beware

Anyone shopping for children's toys online should make a list of recalled toys and check it twice, as the Consumer Product Safety Commission doesn't put the burden on the makers or distributors of recalled toys to keep them off the virtual shelves. Since most online auction marketplaces won't take any responsibility for anything sold through their websites, the burden lies at the hands of parents to keep dangerous levels of lead out of the mouths of their children. What a way to spend the holidays.

Now that concerned parents have made sure to rid their children's toy boxes of these dangerous toys, they have to be concerned with the toys their kids will be receiving for Christmas. The recalled toys may have been removed from the shelves of toy and department stores, but they're still being sold online through Ebay and other online marketplaces.

With so many recent toy recalls, it's difficult for even the most concerned parent to keep up. Many parents aren't aware of every single toy recall issued in the past few months, and many people shopping for children's toys online won't necessarily be aware of the toy recalls. Wise parents may want to avoid shopping at online auctions and request that their families to do the same this holiday season simply to avoid the disappointment in a child's eyes when his new favorite Christmas present has to be taken away for being toxic.

Ebay isn't the only online marketplace selling recalled children's toys. According to a recent study conducted by MarkMonitor, a brand consultant, toys recalled months ago are still being sold on Ebay, iOffer.com, Alibaba.com and Made-in-China.com, sometimes in bulk. The research firm saw more than 1,100 listings for the recalled toys daily. Per MarkMonitor's report, 30% of online auctions for recalled toy brands contain dangerous lead paint levels or loose small parts.

Lead poisoning can cause learning disabilities, neurological damage, kidney disease and even death in small children. Scarily, many of these recalled toys were made especially with babies and toddlers, who tend to put toys in their mouths, in mind.