The Recall Desk
HighCPSC·09267·Announced 2009-07-09

American Greetings Recalls DesignWare Sport Balls Due to Lead Paint Violation

American Greetings is recalling DesignWare Sport Balls because the basketball surface coating contains excessive lead, violating federal standards. No injuries have been reported.

What this means for you

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a risk-of-harm product (lead paint violation) where injury has not yet been reported, which aligns with the 'High' severity criteria in the rubric.

Plain-English summary

American Greetings Corp. is recalling approximately 90,000 packages of DesignWare Sport Balls in the United States and 1,900 in Canada. The recall involves party favor packages containing four mini sport balls: a basketball, a football, a baseball, and a soccer ball. The specific model number is SPBL 1821, which is printed on the packaging.

The recall is being conducted because the surface coating on the basketball contains excessive levels of lead, which violates the federal lead paint standard. The balls were manufactured in China and sold at various retailers in the U.S. and Canada from August 2004 through April 2009 for approximately $3.50. No injuries have been reported in connection with this product.

Consumers should immediately take the recalled sport balls away from children. To receive a coupon for a replacement product, consumers should contact American Greetings at (800) 777-4891 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the company's website at www.americangreetings.com.

The recalled product

Product
DesignWare Sport Balls
Manufacturer
American Greetings Corp., of Cleveland, Ohio
Category
Consumer Product — Toys
Hazard
Affected units
90,000

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

Related recalls

Same manufacturer · American Greetings Corp., of Cleveland, Ohio

See all →

Same hazard · lead exposure

See all →