Have a fretful holiday: Toy recalls actually increasing

If you're a parent, you may want to put your kids somewhere safe and sit down with a stiff drink in your hand before reading this list by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission of toy hazard recalls dating back to 1974. It's quite a shocking list, topped by many lead paint standard violations that I thought would have been taken care of two years ago during the Thomas the Tank Engine recalls.

Companies you don't normally associate with toys, such as Victoria's Secret and LL Bean, had recalls in the latest report from the 2008 fiscal year. LL Bean's recall was for sand and snow castle kits that could break and cut a kid. More on the Victoria's Secret recall down below, giving you reason to read on.

Two-thirds of the 43 million products recalled in the year ended Sept. 30 were children's toys, nursery items and clothing, according to Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports magazine. Overall recalls rose by 19% to 563 during the 2008 fiscal year.