Traditional handcraft is usually safer than mass-market plastic — but not always. Points to check: (a) paint safety, especially older or import pieces (pre-1985 US, pre-2005 EU wooden toys sometimes contain leaded paint); traditional Indian, Chinese and Russian lacquered toys certified with GI now use vegetable and food-grade paint, but very cheap look-alikes sometimes don't; (b) small parts and choking hazards for under-3s — traditional wooden animal sets often have removable small pieces; (c) sharp edges on hand-carved figures; (d) chemically-treated wood in older stock. The AI links below check current safety recalls and current lead-paint testing standards.