LITTLETON, Colo. (KDVR) — Counterfeits, recalls and dangerous toys are a problem every holiday season. Local toy store Timbuk Toys and the Colorado Public Interest Research Group Foundation are teaming up to provide safety tips in the 36th annual Trouble in Toyland report.

It may come as a shock but not all toys come from the North Pole; some toys can be downright dangerous, says CoPIRG. Smart toys and game consoles may raise privacy concerns.

Danny Katz is CoPIRG’s executive director and said for the most part this year’s top toys are totally safe. There are exceptions, like toys that can be chewed and swallowed by small children.

“If you give it to a kid, a 1-year-old, they put everything in their mouth, and this is the kind of toy that pieces of it could break off and could become a choking hazard,” Katz said.

A perennial favorite toy for kids is magnets, but only suitable for children of a certain age.

“Magnetic toys could be quite dangerous because if you swallow them, they can start to actually close off pieces of your digestive system,” Katz said.

Katz recommends buying the toy in person so you can hold it, inspect it and ask someone like Sallie Kashiwa, who owns Timbuk Toys in Littleton, any questions.

“I have called on toy manufacturers on Sunday morning and I have had answers back that very day that includes all the records from their test, from their testing and from their engineers,” Kashiwa said.

Unless you are a friend of Santa it’s recommended to ask questions and be selective in buying that toy. Then, have yourself a merry little Christmas.