Consumers say they will buy toys this holiday season- including toys made in China, despite recent safety-related recalls of popular toys made there by leading manufacturers.

A recent consumer survey by online toy retailer, eToys.com, found that 37% plan to spend the same amount or more on toys this holiday season compared to previous years. While 59% of those surveyed believe toys made outside the U.S. are less safe than those made in America, 43% of respondents say they will purchase toys this holiday season regardless of the country of origin. Only 32% indicated they won't buy toys made in China. Just 25% of those surveyed say they will buy only toys made in America.

Additional findings from the 2007 eToys.com consumer toy safety survey include:

  --  Do consumers associate familiar brand names with toy safety?
      Fifty-three percent of respondents believe toys from major toy
      manufacturers are generally safer than toys from smaller ones, and
      56% say they will purchase toys only made by companies they know this
      holiday season.

  --  Who's responsible for toy safety and who will pay the cost?  When
      asked by eToys.com who bears the responsibility for ensuring toy
      safety in the U.S., 43% of those polled think a federal agency has the
      primary responsibility for guaranteeing toy safety, followed by
      31% who think it's the job of U.S.-based toy companies. Only 2% of
      those polled think an overseas factory is responsible for the safety
      of toys sold in the U.S.

  --  Is money an issue when it comes to toy safety?  Forty-five percent of
      consumers responding to the eToys.com poll say they are willing to pay
      more for toys made in America, with 35% of respondents willing to pay
      up to 10% more than the current retail price.  Slightly more than a
      third of participants, however, said they are not willing to pay more
      for toys made in the U.S.

  --  Consumers reflect on the current state of toy safety. Consumers polled
      by eToys.com perceive toys made in the U.S., Canada and Europe to be
      the safest.  Conversely, they feel toys made in China are the least
      safe, followed by Southeast Asia and India.  Also, despite the recent
      toy recalls -- 69% of those surveyed say toys are safer now than when
      they were children.

  --  Are parents' concerns in the right place?  The eToys survey
      respondents ranked hazardous chemicals as the greatest threat posed by
      toys to the health and safety of children, followed by lead paint and
      toys containing sharp pieces. Choking hazards from small parts, which
      according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) pose
      the greatest safety risk, ranked fourth on the list of potential
      hazards, followed by "breaks easily" and "contains small magnets."

  --  Are toy labels taken seriously?  When asked by eToys.com to interpret
      age labeling on toy packages, a majority of parents -- 59% --
      correctly stated that age labels indicate the toy is safe for play by
      children in the indicated range.  However, more than a third of those
      surveyed incorrectly stated that age labels indicate the intellectual
      capacity required to play with the toys.

About eToys Direct

eToys Direct offers thousands of toys, custom dolls, video games and baby products to online and catalog shoppers through its popular web sites and its strategic retail partnerships. The company owns eToys (http://www.etoys.com/) and the My Twinn doll company (http://www.mytwinn.com/) and operates KBtoys.com (http://www.kbtoys.com/) under a long-term licensing agreement. eToys Direct also provides a toy and video game solution to its online and catalog partners, supplying category management, full-featured content, inventory control, order fulfillment and customer support. The privately held company is based in Denver.

Source: eToys Direct