Build-A-Bear Workshop Recalls Lapel Pins Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #11298) was formally reported on August 4, 2011. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. The recalling firm is not specified in the federal record. Federal records indicate About 26,500 pins in the United States and 2,200 in Canada units are affected, placing this recall in the million-unit bracket that typically triggers nationwide consumer alerts and retailer sweeps.

The documented reason for this recall is: Surface paints on the lapel pin contain excessive levels of lead which is prohibited under federal law. Distribution information was not included in the agency filing, so consumers should assume broad potential exposure until the firm publishes point-of-sale details. The remedy documented by the agency is: Stop using the lapel pins and return the lapel pin to any Build-A-Bear Workshop store to receive a $5 store coupon. If it is not possible to return the pin to a store, you can contact the company for… — consumers holding this product should act on that instruction rather than relying on general guidance.

To put this record in context, PlainRecalls indexes 83,949 recalls across the FDA, CPSC, NHTSA and USDA FSIS going back to 1995. Within the same product category, the database holds 6 closely related recalls, of which 6 were also issued by CPSC. That clustering is a signal — repeated actions in a narrow category often indicate a systemic quality-control issue, a supplier-wide contamination, or a design defect that has propagated across product lines. This recall is roughly 15 years old; older recalls can remain relevant because many units enter resale, rental, and secondary-market channels where the original warning never reaches the end user. Always cross-check the recall number against the official agency page before relying on any summary.