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Buckyballs magnet sets in gold, silver and black -
Buckyballs magnet sets in blue-ish green-ish, red and purple -
Buckycubes magnet sets in black, gold and silver
These products contain defects in the design, warnings and instructions, which pose a substantial risk of injury and death to children and teenagers.
About three million
Barnes & Noble, toll-free at 1-800-THE-BOOK , www.barnesandnoble.com
Participating Hallmark retailers, toll-free at (800) 425-5627 or online at www.hallmark.com/recall-product/
Marbles the Brain Store, toll-free at (877) 527-2460 or online at www.marblesthebrainstore.com
ThinkGeek, toll-free at (888) 433-5788 or online at www.thinkgeek.com/buckyballs/index.shtml
Recall Details
WASHINGTON, D.C.-- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with six retailers, is announcing the voluntary recall of all Buckyballs and Buckycubes high-powered magnet sets sold by these companies. CPSC continues to warn that these products contain defects in the design, warnings and instructions, which pose a substantial risk of injury and death to children and teenagers.
Imported by Maxfield & Oberton LLC, of New York, N.Y., Buckyballs and Buckycubes consist of sets of numerous, small, high-powered magnets. These sets vary in the number of magnets included and come in a variety of colors. Individual magnets in the set are about 5 millimeters in diameter. Individual magnets in Buckyballs are spherical and individual magnets in Buckycubes are cube-shaped.
About three million sets of Buckyballs and Buckycubes have been sold in U.S. retail stores nationwide and online since 2010 for between $5 and $100.
Consumers should take the high-powered magnet sets and all associated individual magnets away from children and teenagers and contact the retailer from which they purchased the product to obtain instructions for their remedy:
- Barnes & Noble, toll-free at (855) 592-2993 or online at www.barnesandnoble.com and click on "Product Recalls"
- Participating Hallmark retailers, toll-free at (800) 425-5627 or online at http://www.hallmark.com/recall-product/
- Marbles the Brain Store, toll-free at (877) 527-2460 or online at www.marblesthebrainstore.com
- ThinkGeek, toll-free at (888) 433-5788 or online at www.thinkgeek.com/buckyballs/index.shtml
These retailers have agreed to participate because Maxfield & Oberton has refused to participate in the recall of all Buckyballs and Buckycubes.
In July 2012, CPSC staff filed an administrative complaint against Maxfield & Oberton Holdings LLC, of New York, N.Y., after discussions with the company and its representatives failed to result in a voluntary recall plan that CPSC staff considered to be adequate to address the very serious hazard posed by these products. This type of legal action against a company is rare, as CPSC has filed only four administrative complaints in the past 11 years.<
CPSC has received 54 reports of children and teens ingesting this product, with 53 of these requiring medical interventions.
Consumers should take the high-powered magnet sets and all associated individual magnets away from children and teenagers and contact the retailer from which they purchased the product to obtain instructions for their remedy.
CPSC has received 54 reports of children and teens ingesting this product, with 53 of these requiring medical interventions.
Maxfield & Oberton LLC, of New York, N.Y.
Note: Individual Commissioners may have statements related to this topic. Please visit www.cpsc.gov/commissioners to search for statements related to this or other topics.
Related Recalls
The recalled magnetic building sticks set violates the mandatory federal regulation for magnet toys posing an ingestion hazard. When high-powered magnets are swallowed, the ingested magnets can attract each other, or another metal object, and become lodged in the digestive system. This can result in perforations, twisting and/or blockage of the intestines, infection, blood poisoning and death.
The brown paint on the exterior of the recalled Christmas tree ornaments did not fully dry before packaging, causing mold to grow on the exterior surface of the ornament, posing risk of respiratory issues to consumers due to mold exposure.
The recalled toy’s gold-colored soft star can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children.
The recalled Baby Tummy Time Gallery art card pockets have clear plastic coverings that contain levels of a phthalate that exceeds the federal phthalates ban. Phthalates are toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects.
The flashlight on the recalled kits violates the mandatory federal battery-operated toy regulation because the flashlights contain button cell batteries in a compartment that can be easily opened without requiring the use of a common household tool. When button cell batteries are swallowed, the ingested batteries can cause serious injuries, internal chemical burns, and death, posing an ingestion hazard.
The painted long hoe and rake of the recalled garden set contain levels of lead that exceed the federal lead paint ban, posing a lead poisoning hazard to children. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health issues.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of injuries associated with consumer products over the past 50 years.
Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC.
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- Report a dangerous product or product-related injury on www.SaferProducts.gov.
- Call CPSC’s Hotline at 800-638-2772 (TTY 800-638-8270).
- Contact a media specialist.
