80% of all toys are made in China not only because they are cheaper for the toy companies to produce, but also because they can then be sold to consumers at a reasonable price.
Consumers and retailers are squeezing manufacturers for lower prices and those prices would more than double by making toys in the U.S. In fact, I'm sure that people in the U.S. would not like to work in toy factories. I've been to some factories and although I didn't observe slave conditions, rooting a doll's hair does not look like much fun to me. So the cries for "bring back our jobs" and "made in USA" are not a solution.
The solution lies in manufacturers working not only for profit, but for the end-user---children--and being diligent about creating quality, safe products. There is no excuse for excessive lead in paint other than negligence. I suspect this negligence is occurring as corporate America relies on fewer people to do more work to increase profit margins (and reach targeted retails). U.S. toy companies design toys domestically and also have a Quality Assurance team in their U.S. office; sometimes this QA team is one person. In some cases a designer or product manager is responsible for reviewing several toys daily on top of creating new concepts.
Staff up and do it right rather than rush to the bottom line! Better products will create consumer loyalty. As a bonus, more American jobs will be created.
