Toy cars, everybody has them. Most of us will remember playing with Matchbox cars back in the day. They were quite often kept and handed down through the generations for all to enjoy. Join us to find out if we continue to pass them down or commit to disposal.
Today we will be looking at three cars, from three different toy manufacturers. Focusing on lead, a Bruker S1 Titan 800 pXRF instrument will provide the best results.
Car A
Manufacturer: Matchbox
Type: Ford Group 6
Year: 1969
Made In: England
The reason we chose this car is because of the pink coloured metal on the bottom of the car. As a pink-ish hue and is a warning sign of lead contamination, we put this car to the test.
RESULTS
Low/no levels of lead were present in either the pink base or green painted top of Car A. This indicates a safe to play result and can be passed down to future generations.
Car B
Manufacturer: Hot Wheels
Type: Porsche 911 Turbo
Year: 1989
Made In: Thailand
This car was extremely corroded on the underside. Although lead does not corrode easily, we thought this would be an interesting example.
RESULTS
As you can see above, Car B passed its lead test. With extremely low levels of lead and no other restricted materials detected, we have a green light to keep this collectable. What could have caused such corrosion? Something such as an electrical current, dirt and bacteria or cracks in the metal can cause this reaction. Even oxygen and hydrogen can case corrosion.
Car C
Manufacturer: Gorgi Juniors Model: Ford GT 70 Year: Unknown Made In: Great Britain
One of the visual signs of lead in paint is flaking or peeling. Clearly, this car presents with extreme flaking, so let’s have a look.
RESULTS
The third, and final pass. Car C was hiding low levels of lead within its flaking paint. Nothing of concern to you or any future car owners. What could cause the flaking? A lot of things: from general wear and tear to poor paint quality.
In conclusion, the state of these toys is nothing to fret over. They are simply old, well loved toy cars that can continue to stay in the family without a worry. If you have any old toys or collectables that you would like to pass on, come see us at Healthy Homes and Gardens to make sure you are sharing only the best. Have a look at the link below for what we can do for your today: