Hi Mama's
I'm totally not trying to be rude here, but I have to write this down. Last summer, I posted something about Magic Cabin Dolls ending production of dolls at their site in a city near the city I live in. It was a long post with lots of responses. I urged people to write to the company and someone did (Meeshi I think) and got a response that they absolutely were not going to ship production overseas. I felt really, really embarrassed because I have a tendancy to say things when I am upset or worked up about something and I don't always think them through. It's a character flaw of mine that I've been trying really hard to work on for the last couple of years. Anyway, one of their former employees even joined this site and wrote that they weren't going to start producing stuff overseas. I was really worried that I had gotten her into trouble, so I just didn't want to press it then.

I recently got a catalog from Magic Cabin Dolls and I normally through them out but since I had heard from another former employee that they were actually going to produce dolls overseas, I check it out.

YEP- by law the company has to state where the stuff is made and sure enough , one type of Magic Cabin dolls is completely made in INDONESIA and some are made partially there and partially here.

I am totally disgusted that they sent an email that basically LIED. It was carefully worded to talk about the dolls made in Germany, but it also said that they had no intention of not making the dolls in Viroqua.

I don't know why I feel compelled to even write this, but I think it is because I felt so badly about writing something that I first thought was true, then was told that it wasn't and I felt like a fool, but now I know that I was right then!

I know that it isn't a small business anymore and that Heartsong bought them out and that their corporate office is making many of the decisions and that it is cheaper, but I just wish that there was some way for them to keep production in the U.S. They moved out of a rural town that doesn't have much in terms of employment.

I'll try to post the link to the original thread. Maybe no one even cares about this, I don't know. It's just my own personal major issue because I try to buy from the person that made the item as much as possible and I guess I am just disappointed that a "bigger small company" that I really respected would not only move production, but also lie about it.

here is the original link

http://www.amitymama.com/vb/showthread.php?t=178748&highlight=Magic+Cabin+Dolls

people do care (not enouhg people, though) and i am glad that you took the time to look again. it is so sad to see that happen in many respects. i wish there was more support for the smaller u.s. businesses.

I remember the thread...that really stinks. I will do my best to contact the company and let them know how I feel. That is disgusting that they lied about it. :eyes: :mad: and so sad that they moved production.

Well, I did mess up on the China part, it wasn't China, but Indonesia, which is still cheap labor and poor working conditions. So I guess the e-mail they sent to Meeshi wasn't an outright lie, it was just dishonest. I 've heard that they did have enough pre-made dolls to last for a while after they closed production in Viroqua so that technically wasn't a lie at the time either, but they did know that they were going to shut stuff down in Wisconsin- all the employees were told they were going to be let go there. I didn't see all the doll descriptions saying they were made there, but at least two did and that is enough for me.

I'm glad you care! It's very important to me!

(I have to go and study for an art history exam at 8am tomarrow, ugh).

I don't think they are a bigger smaller company even. I believe that 1-800 flowers owns hearthsong, or they are all owned by the same company anyway. Quite a conglomerate they have going there.

I hate when companies manufacture overseas :(

I remember that thread. That is too bad and it makes me mad how the truth will be walked around or tweaked to suit the needs of the person/company. It seems like I see it happening more and more. (or maybe I am more aware)

Michelle

I actually heard that customer service went downhill in 1996 when HearthSong/1800 Flowers bought them.

I have only ever ordered one thing from them. A wooden doll carriage that was $125, the winter we were in Alaska. Actually my mom ordered it for Katie. It arrived totally broken. They were okay about it, I sent it back, but I was really disappointed. It wasn't made very well IMO.

Anyway, I missed the previous thread, but went back and reread it. They were totally sneaky and devious in how they replied that their WALDORF dolls were always made in Germany and if she wanted something more affordable she could look at the MAGIC CABIN dolls...they are clearly using their specific product names and she was referring to "soft, Waldorf-style dolls," really, not the specific product names.

Hmph. I got their catalog for the longest time, and kept it just because of the pictures, and the ideas for making dolls. Finally they just stopped sending it.

I remember your thread! I'm glad you posted this. Someone recently was brought it up that Magic Cabin had gotten in on the felted items- made in Kyrgyzstan. It's sad when companies stop worrying about their employees and only worry about their profits. Wal-Mart all over again. Reminds me of Melissa & Doug, too. All-American sounding name but products all made in China. :rolleyes:


Here's the link to what I am referring to:
http://www.magiccabin.com/magiccabin/product.do?section_id=0&bc=1004&pgc=991&sv=333451&cmvalue=MCD|0|BANNER|BP1|1232-CP|333451|333451-P3

Is this what you are referring to with the dolls?
http://www.magiccabin.com/magiccabin/product.do?section_id=2&bc=1004&pgc=377&sv=8500&cmvalue=MCD|2|Doll%20%20Play%20Departments|8500|FE ATURES|FP3

Well, I appreciate your effort in this. I'm glad someone is doing their research. It is stuff that I care very much about, but I usually don't make the time to look for the 'small print' - so to speak.

I appreciate you bringing it up too.

This topic really stings. I had a company threaten to have my wool foods made over seas if I didn't fill a wholesale order for them. For the record, it wasn't magic cabin but another waldorf site.

While I can't be sure that the "threatener" shipped off my things for knock off over seas I DO know they are now being made and offered stateside. I saw wool fruit at a wholesale vendor show last week. Dang, less than 2 months. They had bendies too which p*ssed me off. Pu-leeze, leave the bendies alone for goodness sakes.

Even more insulting is they put these products next to pictures of women sitting around a campfire in their village. Then come up and dump a feel good sales pitch about the sales going directly to their education or new well or something 'er other.

And JUST because I'm being a snot, here's the wholesaler that'll be knocking off mama made products at a store near everyone:
http://www.volgarivertrading.com/shopbycategory.php3?categoryID=15

I'm sure there was a high road I could've taken on this matter but I can't seem to find it.

Sorry.

Katie

i remember that thread, it was bc of that thread and an announcement that they made in their own catalogue (not 2 months from the time of the OP) about certain doll manufacturing, that we stopped buying from them all together. we also spread the word to my parents and inlaws (who always bought christmas and yule presents from there).

katie - how horrible to be threatened like that!

OMGosh Katie! HOw rude! ALthough I do know Hearthsong has been offering bendies for quite some time, I've never seen wool food for sale anywhere but from you. Crappy.

My local (small, family owned) toy store is like Melissa & Dougs crack whore or something. It's just full of M&D stuff. They used to have Brio, and don't anymore, so I asked why and they told me M&D have essentially put Brio out of business, because they manufacture stuff so cheaply in China, while Brio was mostly German labor. I despise M&D.

Oh, you're right. I make no claims on the bendies. lol. I can't hardly stand to make one, so I buy all of them. Man, they're frustrating little buggers to make.

I guess my point was that bendies have long been a "wahm thing" that they should (on principle) stay a wahm thing. Is there nothing they won't leave alone, ya know?

Guess I'm not done yet. LOL. edit to add: That brio thing is upsetting too. This entire incident with the threat has really made me re-think my OWN spending. I'm no different than the next person, I really like a good deal. But at what price? Maybe for us, in this house, it is about less being more. We may have less toys if we buy from an authentic manufacturer(because of price), but we get MORE quality, MORE use....

Katie

Guess I'm not done yet. LOL. edit to add: That brio thing is upsetting too. This entire incident with the threat has really made me re-think my OWN spending. I'm no different than the next person, I really like a good deal. But at what price? Maybe for us, in this house, it is about less being more. We may have less toys if we buy from an authentic manufacturer(because of price), but we get MORE quality, MORE use....
Katie

I totally agree! I checked out your site...been looking for some wool food...gotta find my CC and cook dinner and I'll be back :)