Monday the Texas Attorney General joined 37 other states in reducing the amount of lead in toys. They made agreements with Mattel and Fisher Price to limit the amount of lead in toys ahead of the February deadline. That is the deadline the federal government has given all toy manufacturers to lower the limits of lead.

At least one Austin toy store owner said that has lead to a troubling trend.

“I've seen some vendors that have Asian products, putting it on sale and trying to get rid of it,” said Romalda Allsup, owner of Terra Toys.

One of Allsup’s biggest challenges is finding high quality toys from around the world.

“For years we’ve tried not to pick the manufacturers that are producing the cheapest product for the cheapest prices but the best product for the best price,” she said. “As a buyer I have to think about all these things.”

1,500 Toys Tested

A non-profit group from Michigan called Healthy Toys recently tested 1,500 toys. It found one in five of them contained high levels of lead. One in three contained significant levels of arsenic and flame retardants.

“A lot of those manufacturers are making those changes and are letting consumers know that those changes are in effect right now, some have chosen to phase out and wait until the actual spring,” said Tareka Wheeler, program coordinator for Safe Kids Austin.

It has made shopping for toys tough this holiday season. Parents don’t know what to pay attention to when they are at the store.

“It's a challenge,” said Patty Galvan, mom.

“I’m kind of frightened in a way. I'm very protective of my child I wouldn't want anything to happen,” said Anthony Bradshaw, dad.

“I think about the safety of the product and where the product is made," said Patrick Carrillo, dad.

Tips for Buying Toys

You can buy lead test kits like this from most home improvement stores and they work pretty simply. You just snap the kit to get the yellow dye to the surface and rub it on the toy. If it doesn't turn brown the toy doesn't contain lead. But remember these only tell you if there is lead on the surface of the toy, not if there is lead within the toy. So consider some of these other things.

“When you start to see the paint break down, not just in toys, but pottery, necklaces that type of thing, that’s a good sign that there may be high levels of lead present,” said Wheeler. “So as soon as you see that kind of breakdown happening, the best thing to do is to dispose of that toy or dispose of that pottery item.”

“Also be sure you’re storing them properly, you’re using them according to the way they’re supposed to be used,” she said.

Read the labels closely when you’re at the store. Look for the specific age requirements. They are designed to protect your children.

Also pay attention to detailed labels that show the product has been tested for toxic chemicals.

And keep in mind the real concern.

“By touch is not where the lead exposure is coming from it’s truly by some child putting a toy into their mouth,” said Wheeler.

Choking Hazards

Choking on small parts remains the leading cause of toy related deaths in this country.

“I'm really concerned about it," said Wheeler, who is also a mother of three. "The great thing about toys is they tell you 5 and up, 8 and up, 10 and up. So there’s no reason to get your really mature 5-year-old a 10 and up toy."

So pay attention to those numbers.

Simple At-Home Test

Not sure about the toys your kids currently play with? Try this is simple test using an empty toilet paper holder. If you can fit a toy inside that empty tube the part is small enough to choke a child three and under.

"That doesn't mean that your ten year old cant have it, but you definitely can be cognizant and aware of where those things are stored, how those things are kept up and out of reach of your younger children," said Wheeler.

Battery Dangers

It’s also important to think about what powers some of those toys. Wheeler remembers a time when a young girl swallowed a small battery.

"By the time they got her X-Rayed and figured out what was going on it had burned a hole in her esophagus. I mean burned a hole because her saliva had begun to react to the battery," said Wheeler.

That incident triggered Wheeler to take action in her own home.

"All of our remotes at home have the batteries in them and then they are taped on," she said.

Toys are supposed to be fun. However, the government still leaves it up to manufacturers to do the testing. Most of the requirements of the new toy safety law which President Bush signed this year—don’t take effect until next year well after the holiday shopping season is over.

Leaving parents like Carrillo to play a bigger role than ever in keeping their kids safe.

"Even if there are toys with paint on them we always supervise them when they're playing with these toys,” said Carrillo. “Make sure they don't put it in their mouth and when they do make sure they don't scrape them even small parts, not just paint."