August 29, 2007

Dear Valued Customer,

As a father of three, I know nothing is more important than the safety of children.

Quality and safety have always taken highest priority at Schylling.  We regret that Schylling products have recently been involved in some product recalls for toys..

Let me explain:

In 2001 a shipment of our spinning tops, while still at the factory in China, tested positive for lead paint on their little wooden handles.  We had the factory replace all of the wooden handles with plastic handles.  Since that time all of our tops have been made with plastic handles.  We were assured by our former manufacturer that none of the other tops made previously with wooden handles had lead in their paint. This supplier provided us with a safety test report showing the paint was safe from lead.  They claimed to have used this paint on our previous shipments. We were surprised and frustrated to learn in early August of this year that one of the wooden-handled tops we sold 5 years ago had tested positive for lead paint.  We know now that at least some tops were shipped to us that contained lead in their painted wooden handles. We have immediately initiated a recall of all wooden handled tops made by this manufacturer.

We have always required our suppliers to the meet the strictest ASTM toy safety standards. In 2002 our testing program uncovered a shipment of metal pails from another of our Chinese suppliers that contained lead paint on the wooden handles.  We immediately issued a recall to all 320 stores that purchased the pails, which had shipped only two weeks earlier.  We spoke with every retailer within days of the discovery and were able to get back all but 929 of these pails.  We recently issued a recall for all of the pails sold in that 2002 time period.  We have switched manufacturers for all of our pail production and have not had a positive lead paint test since. 

Since our founding over 30 years ago we have been dedicated to bringing joy to all who play with our products.  I want to personally assure you that we are working hard to ensure the quality and safety of all of our products and, more importantly, the safety of our children.  

Sincerely,

Jack Schylling

President

Schylling Associates, Inc.

Ps.  We are also encouraged to see that the Chinese government is now actively involved in ensuring that the products from China meet international safety standards.