Buckyballs Magnetic Desk Toys Discontinued

Buckyballs and Buckycubes, the popular magnetic desk toys manufactured by Maxfield and Oberton, are being discontinued.

The manufacturer says the legal battle waged by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) over the potential dangers of the magnetic desk toys has caused the company to withdraw them, according to CNN’s The Chart blog.

The CPSC sued the manufacturer in July to get it to stop selling the toys because they pose a hazard to children. The Chart reports that the powerful toy magnets can seriously injure the intestines of children who swallow them. There have been reports of more than a dozen ingestions of Buckyballs since 2009 and children have undergone multiple surgeries and hospitalizations as a consequence.

The North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition said that the warning labels on the toys were not enough and a new survey reveals that more than 1,700 doctors reported 480 toy magnet ingestions in the last 10 years.

With the exit of Buckyballs, only Zen Magnets continues to produce the magnetic desk toys.

If you or someone you know has been harmed by an unsafe product, contact Sokolove Law for a free legal consultation and to find out if a product liability lawyer may be able to help you.