But the painted faces and intricate costumes couldn't mask concerns over toy safety and child labor that haunt toy makers and their trade groups. Toy Fair, which runs through Feb. 17, started with all its usual hype as manufacturers used far-flung techniques to capture retail and media attention. Industry officials also touted the 6.3 percent sales gain in toys and video games in 1996, according to the Toy Manufacturers of America, a New York-based trade group. While all the hoopla helped deflect more trying issues, it hardly erased them.
Trouble continues to arise over toy safety.
Manufacturers don't knowingly manufacture dangerous toys, but rather loose federal guidelines and scant government oversight sometimes allow harmful toys to reach the general marketplace. But critics charge that manufacturers allow products on the market that aren't always safe and could easily hurt children. It's not always true. In 1995, there were 21 reports of toy-related deaths, and 17 of the victims were under 5 years old, according to the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission in Washington. They allege it can cause health hazards, including liver and kidney lesions and cancer.