By Mark Sommer The teenage girls have vacant stares and pouty expressions, micro- miniskirts barely covering ultra-thin bodies.

By From news reports Mattel, the world's largest toy company, posted lower quarterly profit Monday, missing Wall Street estimates, on charges stemming from its recent global recalls of potentially harmful toys.

By Gail Appleson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch Aug. 18--Convenience and selection may be among the first things shoppers consider when they buy online, but recent toy recalls are showing Internet purchasing has another benefit: consumer notification.

By Jon Ortiz, The Sacramento Bee, Calif. Aug. 16--Troy Carlson should have been setting up the massive toy exhibit that he's opening Friday at the California State Fair. Instead, he spent a recent morning searching for tainted toys. Carlson, who owns G.

PHILADELPHIA _ Megan Plamondon isn't interested in pointing fingers at American toymakers or Chinese manufacturers. But Tuesday's recall of about 19 million made-in-China toys by Mattel Inc. made her wonder if either might threaten her main interest: her children's safety.