LEGO parts made of Chinese plastic?

[Lyichir]

The reason my parents started buying me Lego in the first place is because they were one of the few toys not made in China, and they had an outstanding quality reputation (along with the other great apsects of Lego like creativity, etc). When I got out of my dark age last year and started buying some new Lego, my parents were like "Hey, are they still making those in Denmark?" I actually hadn't thought to look, and this is when I saw the dreaded "contains parts made in China" on the box. We were all pretty disappointed in that.

Lego can pull up the standards by not supporting those business practices and refusing to manufacture there. There have been many cases, some very promininent in the news, about toys coming out of China laden with heavy metals, formeldyhde, etc. As was stated above, this is the product of the environment. I don't think these things are intentionally added to the products, but there are so few enforced regulations that they probably don't know what's in the plastic once it gets shipped out the door.

I think most AFOLs would not care if they paid a few extra dollars per set if they discontinued production in Chinese factories.

My wife and I recently bought some small rubber Christmas-themed pencil toppers to put in their stockings. When we took them out of the package, they smelled so bad that we both got headaches and ended up throwing them all away. They were made in China. That's all the proof I need to know that anything coming from a factory there might not be safe.

Firstly: notice all of those stories about toys from China being tainted with heavy metals and formaldehyde. Then notice that none of those involve Lego. And finally notice that there are MILLIONS to be earned in a class-action lawsuit against a company the size of Lego, and that nonetheless it hasn't happened yet. Believe it or not, the lack of oversight by the Chinese government doesn't mean Lego has no oversight of the factories they're contracting, or that they don't care about quality if they're not directly responsible.

Tell me, what was the name of the company that made those pencil toppers? Had you heard about it before? Do they even have contact information on the box? There are a lot of companies that don't give a shit about anything but profits, and pencil toppers are the kinds of disposable doodads that can be made cheaply and easily and then sold for a quick buck. Lego is different. Lego is a global company that has cared about quality from the get-go, and even if they manufacture in a country that offers cheaper labor you can be sure they're going to be selective about which companies they rely upon to make their products.

Your response is a perfect example of the kind of prejudiced and ignorant opinions cause the issues with Chinese-manufactured Lego. It doesn't matter that you can't give any concrete examples of poor quality Lego coming out of China; nothing less than a complete pullout will satisfy you, because other companies (ones without time-tested records of quality) have made poor-quality products in China. If that's the kind of logic you rely upon to guide your purchasing decisions, there's not a lot I can say to convince you otherwise.

[naf]

Firstly: notice all of those stories about toys from China being tainted with heavy metals and formaldehyde. Then notice that none of those involve Lego. And finally notice that there are MILLIONS to be earned in a class-action lawsuit against a company the size of Lego, and that nonetheless it hasn't happened yet. Believe it or not, the lack of oversight by the Chinese government doesn't mean Lego has no oversight of the factories they're contracting, or that they don't care about quality if they're not directly responsible.

Tell me, what was the name of the company that made those pencil toppers? Had you heard about it before? Do they even have contact information on the box? There are a lot of companies that don't give a shit about anything but profits, and pencil toppers are the kinds of disposable doodads that can be made cheaply and easily and then sold for a quick buck. Lego is different. Lego is a global company that has cared about quality from the get-go, and even if they manufacture in a country that offers cheaper labor you can be sure they're going to be selective about which companies they rely upon to make their products.

Your response is a perfect example of the kind of prejudiced and ignorant opinions cause the issues with Chinese-manufactured Lego. It doesn't matter that you can't give any concrete examples of poor quality Lego coming out of China; nothing less than a complete pullout will satisfy you, because other companies (ones without time-tested records of quality) have made poor-quality products in China. If that's the kind of logic you rely upon to guide your purchasing decisions, there's not a lot I can say to convince you otherwise.

My point is not prejudiced nor is it ignorant. Do you remember the massive toy recall Mattel had a few years ago because of the lead paint used on their toys made in Chinese factories? Mattel is a gigantic company, just like Lego, yet they seemed to have little to no control over what came out of that factory. This hasn't happened to Lego yet, but it's a distinct possibility. Now, let's say Lego issues the same kind of massive recall on sets with Chinese made parts because of lead, arsenic, whatever. Now these parts are mixed into your kids big bucket of Lego parts they've been accumulating for years, you have no idea which parts could be dangerous and which are safe.

You seem to be saying that there is absolutely nothing to worry about, and because Lego 'might' be picky about the factories they do business with we should all be happy with the product. But, the facts and history prove otherwise.

[Deathleech]

As the old saying goes, if it's to good to be true it probably is. Lego didn't decide to outsource production to China because they make the highest quality product there and Lego is just going to eat the cost because they wanted to do us fans a favor. They have a factory in China because it saves them money. Lego is a business and they want to make money. Now obviously there could be a few reasons that it's cheaper to produce in China and the two biggest ones people believe are either inferior product or poor wages.

IS Chinese plastic an inferior quality? I dunno, I will say it seems... "different". I wouldn't say it's horrible and I do think some people take things a little over board, but there is definitely a difference in SOME parts. Heck, when I first got back into Lego I bought the CMF Space Marine and noticed his feet didn't have the same clutch, the legs aren't as stiff, and the plastic seems a little more light weight. These were all observations I made before I was even aware the figures were made in China. More recently I have noticed some issues that still persist. The elf from CMF 11 has pants that are different colored than the torso. See here.

Now do I think these are HUGE issues and Lego has gone way down hill? No, obviously not. I understand people's concerns though. They don't want Lego slipping and gradually offering worse and worse product until Megabloks is the preferred brand (a scary thought!). When you are passionate about something ANY decrease in quality can be a slippery slope. If Lego starts allowing even small issues what's to stop them from allowing bigger and bigger ones in the future? I will say it seems like due to Chinese laws and the fact Lego doesn't own the Chinese factories these just seem to be growing pains that are still being straightened out. It seems like Lego is actively trying to fix their issues and trying to get the exact same product out as produced in other Lego factories.

[Dr Leg O Brick]

If there were, there'd be a public recall. Which you'll notice there hasn't been.

Over the years I've seen complaints about "Chinese plastic" on sets which contained no parts at all from China and also seen sets that do contain parts from China go by without a mention of any quality issues, simply because they didn't have speciality minifigs in and thus determining which pieces to complain about would presumably be a lot harder.

If there is a quality issue with a part, it's a Quality Control issue. Where the part was made is basically irrelevant.

Oh, I know that. It's just all this talk of chemical leaks and cloak and dagger esque intrigue, got me slightly concerned. Personally I don't mind, their £2 each, they make excellent population boosters for most themes, particular Town/City. For the price, I don't knock the quality. Sure, the quality isn't a good as it could be, and I don't like China's work ethics any more than the next man, however, it's not going to change any time soon and there's not much I can do, I am only one man among millions. I won't go further, as it's going beyond what's aloud here. Apart from Lego and my action figure collection, I don't buy any toy's from China. I stay well clear of any £1/Car boot/ Market toy's, or anything for that matter that's not from a large company, or a reputable one at least. Back to Lego, I've only had three problem's with sets since 2008, I've never had any problems since 2009, and even among the three none came from China, it was in fact Denmark (Two melted parts and a missing sticker sheet).

[obsidianheart]

So, hey. Lot of complaining about China. I get where it's coming from: Lower standards for industrial safety and accountability, and some awfully grey areas on rights violations. What I want to know, and this may sound callous, is: "Am I going to get to listen to a bunch of complaining and quality-issue blaming on that new factory in Mexico or where ever it is?"

[Wodanis]

Chima, some of the friends line and the CMF are produced in China. I have valid concerns about quality and I wrote to Lego to ask about the quality. They told me that they retained all their standards in the factories and assured me that the quality is the same standard. For the most part I would agree with their statement but I have noticed some issues that cause doubt such as the legs on mini figures are looser than they should be. The colouring is some instances are off. I've also noticed that some of the head gear doesn't fit as snug on the head as well as they should. One of the things I love about Lego is that it is a high quality European product. I understand their demands to cash in on the Chinese market as most companies wish to do so, however I really wished they would either tell the Chinese government that they must let TLG to do things their way to ensure their standards are met or don't bother in China. (We all know that they won't not with a factory being built there for this year)

Edited January 11, 2014 by Wodanis

[naf]

So, hey. Lot of complaining about China. I get where it's coming from: Lower standards for industrial safety and accountability, and some awfully grey areas on rights violations. What I want to know, and this may sound callous, is: "Am I going to get to listen to a bunch of complaining and quality-issue blaming on that new factory in Mexico or where ever it is?"

Yes, I have complained about things made in Mexico, just a different product. The first new car I bought was built in the US. It ran like a top, didn't have any mismatched materials on the interior, the fit on the trim was perfect, a great vehicle. The 2nd car i bought was built in Mexico. Parts went out on it all the time. Nothing that affected how the vehicle ran, but because the interior trim wasn't fit exactly, it rattled after a while. Glue started coming out of seams. The quality differences between the two were night and day.

There is a definite difference between countries who have stricter labor standards and environmental controls, and countries whose governments let these things slide to attract business.

Chima, some of the friends line and the CMF are produced in China. I have valid concerns about quality and I wrote to Lego to ask about the quality. They told me that they retained all their standards in the factories and assured me that the quality is the same standard. For the most part I would agree with their statement but I have noticed some issues that cause doubt such as the legs on mini figures are looser than they should be. The colouring is some instances are off. I've also noticed that some of the head gear doesn't fit as snug on the head as well as they should. One of the things I love about Lego is that it is a high quality European product. I understand their demands to cash in on the Chinese market as most companies wish to do so, however I really wished they would either tell the Chinese government that they must let TLG to do things their way to ensure their standards are met or don't bother in China. (We all know that they won't not with a factory being built there for this year)

I love Lego, and I support the company, but at the end of the day they are just that: a company. They're always going to tell you that every product they make is up to their rigorous standards, even though it might not be true. It's clear with the CMF line that the figures are of a different quality in terms of plastic, colors, and fit (loose legs, etc), than figures made in other factories. As was said above, if it's too good to be true, it's probably false. You can't just magically make a cheaper product that's the exact same quality as what you were producing. There are quality cuts made somewhere.

[obsidianheart]

Yes, I have complained about things made in Mexico, just a different product.

LEGO opened a factory in Mexico. That's what I was talking about. I was saying, 'Hey, are you guys going to do this China thing about all the LEGO product that rolls out of that particular factory, or are we just picking on China'.

[AndyC]

LEGO opened a factory in Mexico. That's what I was talking about. I was saying, 'Hey, are you guys going to do this China thing about all the LEGO product that rolls out of that particular factory, or are we just picking on China'.

The complaints mostly seem centred solely on China. Whether that's a genuine issue or just happens coincidentally because it's known that the factories in China had the most advanced tooling and were the only ones capable of producing some of the more complex minifigure parts is a whole different question, of course.

[Wodanis]

LEGO opened a factory in Mexico. That's what I was talking about. I was saying, 'Hey, are you guys going to do this China thing about all the LEGO product that rolls out of that particular factory, or are we just picking on China'.

It's not so much picking on China as it is about what is being produced by their factories with concerns to Lego pieces. Lego has always had high standards for their products and what we have been seeing with some products is a slip in those standards. Just noticed on my Gail the construction worker, that her arms are a more translucent yellow than they should be. I'm paying $3.50 a pop so I don't want anything less than the Lego standard.

Edited January 11, 2014 by Wodanis

[Deathleech]

LEGO opened a factory in Mexico. That's what I was talking about. I was saying, 'Hey, are you guys going to do this China thing about all the LEGO product that rolls out of that particular factory, or are we just picking on China'.

Also, the Lego factory in Mexico is owned by Lego where the China one is not. That seems to help for obvious reason.

[Wodanis]

Also, the Lego factory in Mexico is owned by Lego where the China one is not. That seems to help for obvious reason.

That makes sense. Especially with the lack of quality. Thought I would find out more about it and found this on their site.

http://aboutus.lego.com/en-us/news-room/2013/march/lego-group-to-build-factory-in-china

[Hrafnblod]

The main thing I've noticed is that torsos made in China seem to have less grippy hands. It takes almost no pressure to pull (or more often, inadvertantly knock) accessories out of the hands of my CMF figures, plus some other torsos I haven't checked but suspect are MIC (some Chima stuff mainly). The legs are also a bit 'looser' on the hip, they move more freely on some of them. It's not a huge annoyance but I have gotten where, if I have the appropriate colored hands, I like to pull spares off my graveyard of old mismatched/broken torsos/arms from my old box of childhood legos and replace the stock CMF ones.

[obsidianheart]

But even before the China outsourcing people were having problems with color-match in their LEGO elements. I remember all the posts at FBTB complaining about fifty shades of Bley and twelve different yellows in the same box, and that was about a decade ago.

[Wodanis]

But even before the China outsourcing people were having problems with color-match in their LEGO elements. I remember all the posts at FBTB complaining about fifty shades of Bley and twelve different yellows in the same box, and that was about a decade ago.

That was when the Lego Group lacked control over how many pieces were produced between the late 90's to 2003....

[obsidianheart]

Didn't think the Bley switch happened until 2005.

This is all pointless, though. You guys have fun with... whatever this is. Outrage coupled with debate. I'm out.

[CopMike]

Didn't think the Bley switch happened until 2005.

Nope, 2004.

[Super Goblin]

My point is not prejudiced nor is it ignorant. Do you remember the massive toy recall Mattel had a few years ago because of the lead paint used on their toys made in Chinese factories? Mattel is a gigantic company, just like Lego, yet they seemed to have little to no control over what came out of that factory. This hasn't happened to Lego yet, but it's a distinct possibility. Now, let's say Lego issues the same kind of massive recall on sets with Chinese made parts because of lead, arsenic, whatever. Now these parts are mixed into your kids big bucket of Lego parts they've been accumulating for years, you have no idea which parts could be dangerous and which are safe.

You seem to be saying that there is absolutely nothing to worry about, and because Lego 'might' be picky about the factories they do business with we should all be happy with the product. But, the facts and history prove otherwise.

It wasn't that Mattel had no control as to what came out of the factories it was that they are too cheap to care. They care about profits not their reputation or quality of their product. It's obvious to me that Lego cares more about their image and their customer than Mattel and they most likely are more strict on what comes out of China than most companies.

[Lyichir]

It wasn't that Mattel had no control as to what came out of the factories it was that they are too cheap to care. They care about profits not their reputation or quality of their product. It's obvious to me that Lego cares more about their image and their customer than Mattel and they most likely are more strict on what comes out of China than most companies.

That's my opinion, too. In addition, the news coverage of this sort of thing happening to companies like Mattel is sure to have put Lego on high alert. I wouldn't be surprised if they now do more consistent safety checks on parts coming out of the Chinese facilities than on any of their own facilities, just to be sure that nothing like that happens to them.

[Wodanis]

That's my opinion, too. In addition, the news coverage of this sort of thing happening to companies like Mattel is sure to have put Lego on high alert. I wouldn't be surprised if they now do more consistent safety checks on parts coming out of the Chinese facilities than on any of their own facilities, just to be sure that nothing like that happens to them.

Let's hope that Lego addresses some of the issues with Chinese manufactured parts. Question in my mind is will Lego still source addition parts from China once their factory is up and running for 2017? They have stated that the factory being built there is for the Asian market.

I went checking into a bit of my collection to see what Mini-figures had Chinese made parts. I used to buy the 3 pack build your own Lego mini-figures at the Lego store and half of the legs I purchased did not possess the © Lego logo on the base of the foot. Can anyone confirm if the Mexico factory uses the same types of numbers as the Chinese factory or do they also use the © Lego logo? Either way when I purchased them I knew they didn't look or feel quite the same but thought it was my imagination. Really disappointed now as I spent a lot of money on them. I will have to check some of my sets now. So far the only box I purchased recently actually stating made in China (in addition to the other factories) is the 2014 - 60056 Tow Truck.

It is disconcerting that I've been spending a lot of money on Lego such as the CMFs and until last year I didn't realise they were made in China. The realisation cheapened my feelings towards those figures. Apparently one of the things I read from a Lego staffer is that the reason there was more production from China was solely to meet demand for their products, specifically mini-figures. If we could be assured that future products produced there are of the same quality as in Europe I would be ok with it, that however is another 3 years off.

I have the mindset to reorder the parts and colours from Denmark. I love my Lego and I believe in the brand which is why until last year I didn't question the quality of their products.

[mkeller234]

It is disconcerting that I've been spending a lot of money on Lego such as the CMFs and until last year I didn't realise they were made in China. The realisation cheapened my feelings towards those figures.

That sounds like a good thing to me. If you were blissfully unaware about the CMF manufacturing and noticed no differences, what then is there to worry about? I bought some of the series 11 CMF line, which was my first real Lego purchase as an adult. I noticed the hands on the elf were brighter looking, but I marveled at how perfect the torso printing was. I did not know where they were manufactured, but I was happy with them. Now that I know they are manufactured in China, I am still happy with them.

I bought the pet shop modular set this past weekend. I definitely noticed a large variance in the color of the blue and brown bricks. It doesn't really bother me though.

Also consider this: A black seas barracuda cost $110.00 way back in the early 90s. It was re-released in 2002 and sold for $90.00. So, somehow they managed to reduce the cost of that set after a decade of inflation. I don't think I could afford Lego products if their cost had kept pace with inflation. As long as I still feel a general sense of quality and care, I am a satisfied AFOL!

[Hrafnblod]

That sounds like a good thing to me. If you were blissfully unaware about the CMF manufacturing and noticed no differences, what then is there to worry about? I bought some of the series 11 CMF line, which was my first real Lego purchase as an adult. I noticed the hands on the elf were brighter looking, but I marveled at how perfect the torso printing was. I did not know where they were manufactured, but I was happy with them. Now that I know they are manufactured in China, I am still happy with them.

I bought the pet shop modular set this past weekend. I definitely noticed a large variance in the color of the blue and brown bricks. It doesn't really bother me though.

Also consider this: A black seas barracuda cost $110.00 way back in the early 90s. It was re-released in 2002 and sold for $90.00. So, somehow they managed to reduce the cost of that set after a decade of inflation. I don't think I could afford Lego products if their cost had kept pace with inflation. As long as I still feel a general sense of quality and care, I am a satisfied AFOL!

Ironically, what made me look into things and find out that CMFs are made in china was when I picked up my first couple of them (series 9) and immediately noticed the plastic didn't seem up to snuff. Mostly the aforementioned hands that accessories pop out of at the slightest touch, and less 'grippy' feet, plus the cheap lightweight feeling to begin with. I was googling the issue almost as quickly as I got the figures assembled. It bothers me a bit, but it is what it is and with how popular the CMFs are it's not like Lego is gonna change their stance on it. I just wish they'd keep it out of regular sets, because it is usually pretty immediately apparent that the plastic quality is lower; something I don't even really understand since ABS should be ABS.

[GregoryBrick]

I just wish they'd keep it out of regular sets, because it is usually pretty immediately apparent that the plastic quality is lower; something I don't even really understand since ABS should be ABS.

Not all ABS is the same, and variations do not sit on a gradient from 'high quality' to 'low quality'. ABS properties can be changed based on the proportions of its components, method of manufacture, and any additives (including pigments).

[Hrafnblod]

Not all ABS is the same, and variations do not sit on a gradient from 'high quality' to 'low quality'. ABS properties can be changed based on the proportions of its components, method of manufacture, and any additives (including pigments).

That's fair, and I kinda second-guessed my statement after posting but didn't bother to edit it. After all, Lego and Megabloks are obviously not of the same caliber, generally speaking. But it seems like they'd be able to maintain some consistency within the company since it's not like you can really distinguish stuff made in the US plants vs. the Denmark plants. Chinese pieces almost always stand out though.

[Wodanis]

But it seems like they'd be able to maintain some consistency within the company since it's not like you can really distinguish stuff made in the US plants vs. the Denmark plants. Chinese pieces almost always stand out though.

Totally agree with you there. I went through my store bought Mini-figures and found out which was which. Honestly I feel duped into buying a lesser quality product than what the brand would have me believe. There isn't anything as a consumer we can do about CMF figures as they are all Made in China. However the mixing of mini-figure parts is another matter. I do find the same issues with the hands and hip joints. The legs to look at them lack the same sheen and there is a noticeable difference. They just don't feel as solid. In the future I will be scrutinising parts before I purchase any more mini-figures so as to not end up paying for a lesser quality part.