DurableToys.ComPanion Newsletter Issue 03 November 7, 2007 Welcome to another edition of .ComPanion from DurableToys.com! Happy Veteran's Day. The current issue of this e-newsletter is on our website linked from: http://durabletoys.com/toyinfo.htm DurableToys.ComPanion is available in text format without including pictures or html, but it may contain links. We plan to email a short issue of DurableToys.ComPanion at most eight times per year. Included This Issue: DurableToys.com Prepaid Gift Cards Available Now CAT Machinery Engaging Toddlers During Colorado Preschool Expansion New! Jonti-Craft Early Learning Wood Furniture & Dramatic Play Web Site Now Includes Search Using ISO Country Of Origin Code China Sourced Toys & Other Items Continue In The News Changes Upcoming To The DurableToys.com Web Site Newsletter Store Credit Offer Info, Parts, Discussion and How to Subscribe, Unsubscribe DurableToys.com Gift Cards: New at DurableToys.com are prepaid Gift Cards. For many years we have issued store credit and more recently improved the systems engineering mechanisms. The "promo/gift code" field is now larger on our online ordering form. All entries are checked against a local database for initial and current value and for accounting records. To purchase online look for ordering checklist rows with values of $50, $100 or $200. You can also select a value of $1.00 with multiple quantity so you can buy the exact amount to meet your needs. Gift Cards are redeemable without the need for a physical card and are good until the end of the month five years after purchase. For those desiring to keep or give a physical card, on request we will issue a card with a letter size sheet containing more information, some of which can be specified by the buyer. CAT Machinery Profile Raised: At "Treehouse Early Learning" in Lafayette, Colorado, big CAT construction machinery is working right outside. The building expansion project was planned with students in mind, so they were provided with a great view of the action. To stoke that interest, DurableToys.com suggested Caterpillar construction theme toys for the school. To make an understatement, one yellow ride-on was a source of contention, so more were ordered and have arrived. We call CAT a "move-up brand" since the little duffers could one day own a construction fleet, motorcoach or yacht endowed with genuine CAT Diesel powerplants. Jonti-Craft From DurableToys.com: From Minnesota with American Craftsmanship comes the very nicest of wood toy and furniture items. Many of the table and desk items have a dense inert surface that enhances cleanliness. Both work and play are well covered with storage units, seating and writing surfaces. Lots of items have casters to keep your space alive with change. The dramatic play options are possibly more fun but made with the same care. Examples are puppet theaters and kitchen appliances for big make-believe activity. We have yet to implement the vast product line into our systems but you can still shop and buy any Jonti-Craft item from DurableToys.com. Visit http://www.jonti-craft.com for products and their part numbers and email us for a quote. Country Of Origin Data Now Available: Within the inventory database, DurableToys.com has added a column in which a standard country code is placed and is search-able. While "Made In USA" and "Made In Germany" remain active using existing menu choices from our search tool, now any other country can also be polled. We use ISO-3166 "Three Letter Codes For Countries" to make sure a spelling or linguistic difference does not cause a mismatch with the country. At any of the buttons with "Search/Total/Order" which have a keyword field(s), the items can be accessed by country. Use the ISO code, for example USA, CAN for Canada, CHN for China, TWN for Taiwan, DEU for Germany, NDL for Holland or any other of the codes to pull a list that is limited to that country. Caps are not required but bracket the code with commas i.e. ",USA," to avoid parts of other keywords. Use the -all brands- and -all categories- pulldown selections with only one country code keyword entered to get a full by-country listing. A recent snapshot of our online store offerings breaks down as follows: Made in USA: 42%, Western Europe: 31%, China: 25%. Made In China Toys Remain In The News: There continues to be a steady stream of media news reports of recalls of Chinese-made toys. The most recent stories are predominantly about paint or materials which exceed permissible lead content. Better screening could be due to increased testing by makers or consumers who have purchased a home lead test kit. Our experience with recalls of different product types suggests that by the time noteworthy instances are reported, the issue has been already corrected. Our review of the Consumer Product Safety Commission's summary list of toy recalls reveals some interesting facts. There have been 706 (as of early November) recall reports since 1974, the year after the CPSC was chartered. Most recalls have been for choking hazard for children under age three. The overall progression of recalls has been nearly steady yet the news would seem to indicate an avalanche of toy recalls. In spite of the perception, this year is actually shaping up to be a below average year with 10 toy recalls (early Nov) compared to 36 in 2006 and 30 in 2005. Then what has changed? The status quo ended abruptly this past summer when pets began dying from poisonous pet foods from China. That story was in the news cycle long enough to change what has become known as the news "template". Now each instance of a toy or other recall involving China passes through the membrane of media filtration and is reported nationwide on radio and other news outlets. The template is what effectively drives top-of-mind for most people on topics outside of their own profession. A constant series of crises sells the news product and a resolution of one hot topic is the reason to move onto another. Made in China has been shifted from a method of achieving the lowest possible price to a safety fear stigma. We have had our brush with three China-made toys each recalled for possible small part separation with the resulting toddler choking hazard. None of those has been associated with the lead content issue. This is not a coincidence since DurableToys.com seeks out name brand products from firms with a stake in the future. Large companies have on-site personnel at overseas locations and serious in-house quality departments. The advantage with a factory presence is that unauthorized changes and substitutions are unlikely. Often times products and procedures win multiple agency approvals which require a continued level of diligence. What are we doing now? Our standards have been high and will remain so though one thing is new to us. An order for plastic sandbox toys was returned to the supplier after what had been marketed with print advertising under a big name brand and a western European pedigree- wasn't. That brand was visible only as a tiny logo on a sticker with "Distributed by ...". The concern actually came earlier when "Made In China" was seen printed on the many crates still palletized in the delivery trailer. We eventually received agreement to return these items at our own expense. We could not offer these toys within the charter and theme of DurableToys.com but did consider giving them away. Hopefully our three digit freight tab has been converted into marketing with this paragraph. We will continue the ongoing search for interesting new suppliers and items with an emphasis on USA as country of origin. Our goal in confronting this issue is to give our customers and their acquaintances better awareness and the confidence to buy from DurableToys.com without reservation. The future holds a response characterized by the phrase "There oughtta be a law!" There will be changes as profound as moving lead or other poison issues embodied in any type of product to the Food and Drug Administration. Currently only the CPSC has the power to order certain types of product recalls. Web Hosting Changing Soon: At the time of this newsletter the changes are incomplete though there is a hard deadline ahead. Our local service provider "Netpath, Inc." is closing its doors at the end of November and with it our twelve year relationship. We expect that for the immediate term that our systems will not change much but we had been planning an upgrade anyway. The type of secure certificate will change to a different domain and certification mark. One reason for our upgrade is the large volume of items available from new product lines Jonti-Craft and Educator's Resource. If everything else fails then the old fashioned telephone at 800-311-6333 will still work. We would appreciate hearing from you to know your favorite major retail web sites. Not the content so much as the site navigation and ordering ease. The old DurableToys.com will then give way to a more modern look and feel possibly with your input, note the offer below. Offer Of Investment Scheme Nets Huge Return: Tender your two cents worth about favorite major retail web site systems by email to manager@durabletoys.com. Submit your idea of what a good retail web site is with its domain and why you like it. Then receive $10.00 in store credit on your next online order using that email and the promotional code that you receive in reply. That's a 50,000% return! Information, Parts, Discussion: We have a lot of general information especially parts sources and community support from our business at DurableToys.com/toyinfo.htm For stories from our customers or closer to home see our discussion page at DurableToys.com/toydisc.htm For accessories, technical information: DurableToys.com/toyacc.htm Instructions, terms, shipping info, more: DurableToys.com/toyhow.htm Security, BBBOnLine Privacy, VeriSign: DurableToys.com/toypriv.htm To Subscribe or Un-Subscribe: Send an email without attachments to: manager@durabletoys.com Send with "SUBSCRIBE" in the subject line to receive the newsletter. Or send with subject "REMOVE" to un-subscribe. We do not sell or share our email list with any other entity. This text file may be shared freely in its entirety. Thank you. Debra and David McCusker DurableToys.ComPanion Needak, Inc. Needle in a Haystack DurableToys.com