Recalls: High-Powered Magnets

This recall involves miniature office and refrigerator magnets sold in the shape of a duck, blowfish and a splat. A small magnet is affixed to the underside of the brightly colored plastic objects which were sold in sets of four or six. Model number 3205121 (duck), 993205114 (duck), 3205122 (blowfish) or 3205078 (splat) is printed on the bottom of the packaging. "Magnets" and the Design Ideas logo are printed on the front of the package. Read more.

This recall involves high-powered magnet sets distributed with Adobe "Effective Collaboration is Magnetic" promotional materials. The promotional materials were distributed in a green box with a black lid and contain 12 high-powered magnets which are magnetically affixed to a laminated green cardboard sheet. The spherical silver magnets are about 5 millimeters in diameter. The text "With Adobe Connect it all just clicks" is printed in a circular shape around the magnets. Read more.

This recall involves high-powered magnets sets with the brand name Buckyballs. The sets contain 216 silver-colored, spherical rare earth magnets, each about five millimeters in diameter.

This recall involves high-powered magnets sets with the brand name Buckyballs. The sets contain 216 silver-colored, spherical rare earth magnets, each about five millimeters in diameter.

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 atwww.barnesandnoble.comand click on "Product Recalls"
• Bed Bath & Beyond, toll-free at (800) 462-3966 or online atwww.bedbathandbeyond.comand select "Safety and Recalls" under Customer Service, then click on Recall Information
• Brookstone, toll-free at (866) 576-7337 or online atwww.brookstone.comand click on "Recall Information" under Shop Brookstone
• Participating Hallmark retailers, toll-free at (800) 425-5627 or online athttp://www.hallmark.com/recall-product/
• Marbles the Brain Store, toll-free at (877) 527-2460 or online atwww.marblesthebrainstore.com
• ThinkGeek, toll-free at (888) 433-5788 or online atwww.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 anadministrative complaintagainst 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.

This recall involves all Magnet Balls� The Original and Rainbow Bright interactive magnet sets sold in a cylindrical silver tin. Each puzzle set contains 216 spherical high-powered magnets that are 5mm in diameter. The magnets were sold in silver and multi-color sets.

The products were sold for use as an adult novelty item or desk toy with appropriate hazard warnings and stating the intended age level as 14 years and older. Nanospheres is a mass of 231 small powerful magnets that are either silver, gold or black in color. Each magnet is about 5mm in diameter. The magnets come in a circular metal canister approximately 2.5 inches in diameter and 1.5 inches tall with a black and blue label displaying the product name "Nanospheres."

This recall involves high-powered magnet sets sold under the DynoCube.com brand name for use as a novelty item or desk toy. Each set contains 216 small, silver-colored, spherical magnets that are approximately 5 millimeters in diameter. Read more.

This recall involves the Buckyballs® high powered magnets sets labeled "Ages 13+". The set contains 216 powerful rare earth magnets. It is intended to build unlimited shapes and patterns. Since March 2010, Buckyballs® high powered magnets sets were labeled "Keep Away From All Children" and are not being recalled. Read more.

This recall involves Alnico 3-inch long bar magnets. The magnets are painted red and blue, and were originally packaged as a pair or as a component of a science kit. The magnets were sold as item number MG-BAR3AL. Read more.