CPSC, Rubie's Costume Co. Inc. Announce Recall of Children's Vampire Capes and Witch Brooms

October 28, 1998
Release # 99-013

Source

Forums

Related Articles

For Immediate Release;
Contact: Yolanda Fultz-Morris
(301) 504-0580 Ext. 1219

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Rubie's Costume Co. Inc., of Richmond Hill, N.Y., is recalling about 6,000 children's vampire capes and about 6,000 children's witch brooms. The capes and the brooms, which fail to meet federal mandatory standards for flammability, could ignite readily and present a serious risk of burn injuries to children.

CPSC and Rubie's Costume Co. Inc. are not aware of any injuries involving these capes or brooms. This recall is being conducted to prevent the possibility of injury.

The vampire capes are made of black vinyl. The edges of the cape are scalloped. The capes are packaged in a plastic sleeve with a cardboard insert, which reads in part, "Child's Vinyl Vampire Cape...No. 50282...Made in China." The Rubies logo and a picture of a boy wearing the cape are also on the insert.

The witch brooms are 27 inches long with a bamboo handle and brush made of twigs. The brooms were sold with a sticker around the handle, which reads in part, "Child's Authentic Witch Broom...Style No. 85." The Rubies logo is also on the sticker.

Toy, party, costume, discount and drug stores nationwide sold the capes and brooms for about $2 each from September 1997 to October 1998.

Consumers should not let their children wear the vampire capes or use the 27-inch witch brooms this Halloween. Consumers should return the products to the stores where purchased for a refund. For questions about this recall, consumers should call Rubies Costume Co. Inc. collect at (516) 488-0484 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST Monday through Friday.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission protects the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death from 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury and for information on CPSC's fax-on-demand service, call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270. To order a press release through fax-on-demand, call (301) 504-0051 from the handset of your fax machine and enter the release number. Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC's web site at http://www.cpsc.gov or via Internet gopher services at gopher.cpsc.gov. Consumers can report product hazards to info@cpsc.gov.