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OK, so I just read an article tonight about the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. I am pretty worried about it, on several levels, and would love input from anyone who knows anything about it. Otherwise, I will use this post to organize my thoughts on it...
Basically, what the CPSIA will do, is require mandatory testing for lead and phthalates (whatever they are), on all items sold for children under the age of 12. Now, for the big manufacturers of clothing and toys, I think this act is a Good Thing (TM). However, it seems they will apply this law across the board, including on the sale of used items, and items manufactured by small businesses.
The first problem I have with this is that it will ruin the resale run by my Mothers of Multiples group, as well as all the other resales run by other Moms groups, and the sale of children's stuff at thrift stores and even on Craigslist and Ebay (because none of these places have the funds necessary to cover the testing required). So first of all, my mothers of multiples group will now have no income, and our events may have to start to cost money. And secondly, I can no longer clothe my children for a reasonable cost (since they are going to grow out of stuff before they wear it out, anyway.) I admit I have become quite spoiled by clothing my children at resales. Even checking out rock bottom clearance prices at some of the mall and online kids stores, I turn up my noses at the prices, knowing I can find something cheaper and still in pretty good shape at the resale.
On another level, it bothers me that thrift stores will be tossing out all kids clothes and toys as of February 10th, and perfectly useable stuff is going to end up cluttering up the landfills. Not to mention the fact that many, many families rely on the thrift stores to save money clothing their kids, and they are going to be out of luck.
The other problem is that this is also going to put small manufacturers of toys and children's items out of business. All those etsy sellers with kid's clothes and toys, all the shops at craft fairs that sell quilts and blankets, etc., all gone. (As an aside, in some ways I feel some vindication that the company who makes those dumb Taggie blankets will be subjected to this cost, because that is totally an idea I should have come up with and become a millionaire from, but that is a digression.)
Anyway... I just wanted to sort through my thoughts here. I really should be sewing... But this is really bugging me. How can they do something so dumb like this, and not even tell anyone about it? I guess I will do some serious hitting of the thrift stores over the next month, in case I lose that source of clothing my kids after that.
Basically, what the CPSIA will do, is require mandatory testing for lead and phthalates (whatever they are), on all items sold for children under the age of 12. Now, for the big manufacturers of clothing and toys, I think this act is a Good Thing (TM). However, it seems they will apply this law across the board, including on the sale of used items, and items manufactured by small businesses.
The first problem I have with this is that it will ruin the resale run by my Mothers of Multiples group, as well as all the other resales run by other Moms groups, and the sale of children's stuff at thrift stores and even on Craigslist and Ebay (because none of these places have the funds necessary to cover the testing required). So first of all, my mothers of multiples group will now have no income, and our events may have to start to cost money. And secondly, I can no longer clothe my children for a reasonable cost (since they are going to grow out of stuff before they wear it out, anyway.) I admit I have become quite spoiled by clothing my children at resales. Even checking out rock bottom clearance prices at some of the mall and online kids stores, I turn up my noses at the prices, knowing I can find something cheaper and still in pretty good shape at the resale.
On another level, it bothers me that thrift stores will be tossing out all kids clothes and toys as of February 10th, and perfectly useable stuff is going to end up cluttering up the landfills. Not to mention the fact that many, many families rely on the thrift stores to save money clothing their kids, and they are going to be out of luck.
The other problem is that this is also going to put small manufacturers of toys and children's items out of business. All those etsy sellers with kid's clothes and toys, all the shops at craft fairs that sell quilts and blankets, etc., all gone. (As an aside, in some ways I feel some vindication that the company who makes those dumb Taggie blankets will be subjected to this cost, because that is totally an idea I should have come up with and become a millionaire from, but that is a digression.)
Anyway... I just wanted to sort through my thoughts here. I really should be sewing... But this is really bugging me. How can they do something so dumb like this, and not even tell anyone about it? I guess I will do some serious hitting of the thrift stores over the next month, in case I lose that source of clothing my kids after that.
aggravated
I suggest you write your legislators and tell them how you feel.
Edited at 2009-01-04 03:33 am (UTC)
Edited at 2009-01-05 03:03 am (UTC)
The question could be that since it's a resale, it would have had to be verified the first time around to be sold legally, so that they would be covered.
The problem is if they treat the resale/yardsales/craigslist/thrift stores as *new sales* and are resubjectted to the testing. Especially for the things that are already in circulation.
It should really only be applied to the sale of new products and goods. Still hurts the crafters and such though.