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RecalledCPSC · April 12, 2013 Button battery & magnet products

Six Retailers Announce Recall of Buckyballs and Buckycubes High-Powered Magnet Sets Due to Ingestion Hazard

Read the official CPSC notice

Buckyballs sets
Buckyballs sets · Photo: CPSC

What's being recalled

Buckyballs and Buckycubes high-powered magnet sets

Units: About three million sets

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. Retailers Barnes & Noble, Bed Bath & Beyond, Brookstone, certain Hallmark retailers, Marbles the Brain Store, and ThinkGeek have agreed to participate because Maxfield & Oberton has refused to participate in the recall of all Buckyballs and Buckycubes.

The problem, in CPSC's words

These products contain defects in the design, warnings and instructions, which pose a substantial risk of injury and death to children and teenagers.

Incidents and injuries reported to CPSC

CPSC has received 54 reports of children and teens ingesting this product, with 53 of these requiring medical interventions.

What CPSC says to do

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.

How to contact the company

Barnes & Noble, toll-free at (855) 592-2993 , www.barnesandnoble.com Bed Bath & Beyond, toll-free at (800) 462-3966, www.bedbathandbeyond.com Brookstone, toll-free at (866) 576-7337 or online at www.brookstone.com Participating Hallmark retailers, toll-free at (800) 425-5627 or online at www.hallmark.com/recall-product/ Marbles the Brain Store, toll-free at (877) 527-2460 or online at www.marblesthebrainstore.com ThinkGeek, toll-free at (888) 433-5788 or online at www.thinkgeek.com/buckyballs/index.shtml

Open the official CPSC notice

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Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall notice 13168, cpsc.gov. Text in quotes is from CPSC. Photos: CPSC.