Attorney general warns of recalled items on the resale market

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan released her office's third annual "Home Safe Home" shopping guide to recalled items today, saying parents in the market for secondhand toys or other items need to beware of the dangers.

In a news conference at the Thompson Center in downtown Chicago, Madigan said 121 children's products have been recalled this year, down from 170 last year, thanks to new regulations policing products before they reach store shelves.

Still, "that's a dizzying number to keep track of, especially for busy parents and families," Madigan said.

Madigan pointed out that retail stores are prevented from selling recalled items and must post recall notices, but that shopping for resale items at Craigslist.com or eBay.com or at local resale shops makes it difficult to "steer clear of dangerous items that have been recalled."

She displayed a Maclaren stroller of the type blamed for severing a dozen children's fingers and an Evenflo high chair with a faulty back support, both bought recently by her office through Craigslist.

Recalled items listed in the guide include some kids' Havaianas flip-flops that have lead paint, BabyGap coats with toggle closures that could detach and cause choking, Spalding in-ground basketball hoops that could fall, Kolcraft play yards with a side rail that could unlatch, Young Artist easels with chalkboard surfaces containing lead, kids' jewelry containing lead, Orangatang skateboard wheels that could come off the skateboard, and much more. The "2009 Safe Shopping Guide: Home Safe Home" is available online to be viewed, downloaded or printed at illinoisattorneygeneral.gov. Consumers can also request free copies by e-mail on the site or by calling (888) 414-7678.

Madigan advised consumers to take the guide on shopping trips, to keep it handy when shopping for resale items online and to use it to check for dangerous items already bought and in the home.