Wednesday, January 14, 2009 at 1:40PM Uncle Sam vs. your favorite toys.
From the article: "The US government – champion of capitalism around the world – is making safety regulations so difficult for small businesses that many will simply shut down, and others will exit the market for children's products."
Wednesday, January 14, 2009 at 12:51PM Writer, John Tozzie, has specifically requested input toward the article he is writing. He writes on his blog, "I’m still working on this piece, and I hope to deliver something different to add value to the growing number of reports on the CPSIA. So, what questions should I ask the Consumer Products Safety Commission? How would you implement this law in a way that balances concerns over lead in toys with the ability for small producers to test and certify their products? Whose voice isn’t being heard in this discussion? Weigh in as always in comments, emails, Twitter. "
Monday, January 12, 2009 at 6:30PM The National Association of Resale and Thrift Stores has weighed in on CPSIA.
January 12, 2009
Resale Professionals Unwilling to Test Their Fate
St. Clair Shores, MI—The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) press release, issued January 8, is void of relief and security for resale professionals unwilling to test their fate under the current Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) as it stands. “It is a step in the right direction toward open communication," said Adele Meyer, NARTS Executive Director, “but it is NOT a ruling, exemption or exception to the CPSIA... it is a Press Release. It is NOT definitive! The children’s resale industry needs definitive rulings that will guarantee they can operate in compliance to the CPSIA without the risk of violations.”
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January 11, 2009
New Law Threatens to Devastate the Children’s Resale Industry
St. Clair Shores, MI—President Bush signed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) into law on August 14, 2008 without much fanfare or media attention. The CPSIA was passed to protect children from unsafe, lead laced toys imported from China which were the target of the widely publicized recalls of 2007 which shook the public's trust. However, the CPSIA does not just encompass toys. The new law expands the definition of products covered to include “any consumer product designed or intended primarily for children 12 years of age or younger.” Clothing, cloth diapers, hair bows, books, school supplies, blankets, sheets, bibs, footwear, baby equipment—EVERYTHING.
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If you are a resale store and are not a member of NARTS now would be the time to join. NARTS is working hard to protect all resale and thrift stores and have been working with CPSC non stop.
Monday, January 12, 2009 at 3:54PM
Please read the following press release. If you are an interested party directly affected by the CPSIA that will take effect as of February 10th, I urge you to join us in this class action lawsuit.
Contact me or the contacts listed below for additional information.
Warmest Regards,
Dawn Michelle LaPolla
Baby Sprout Naturals
dlapolla [!at] gmail.com
ReformCPSIA.org
Reform Petition
To read more about this class action lawsuit announced today go here.
Sunday, January 11, 2009 at 11:40PM The latest news stories over the weekend:
The Christian Science Monitor – January 12th -“…but neither are they permitted to sell items in violation – leaving them in a murky gray legal zone.”
Overlawyered – January 11th -Furor Builds Over Empty Toy Shelves
“On January 8, as press coverage mounted, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) rushed out a supposed clarification of the regulations: thrift shops, eBay sellers and other second-hand retailers would not be compelled to institute testing programs on all items sold, the way manufacturers would. But the commission made clear that if the stores do wind up selling any secondhand products containing the substances — phthalates, for example, are often found in bendy plastics — they face both criminal liability and civil fines (which run up to $100,000). It isn’t required that the store know or should have known that a pre-2009 item was in violation, and of course it isn’t required that anyone be harmed by the good (the entire episode has gone on with a near-total absence of any showing that actual kids had been harmed by the products swept from American shelves).”
Wacky Hermit – January 8th – CPSC ‘clarifies’ thrift shop ‘exemption’
“The CPSC must think the public will shut up and go away if they make us think they've exempted thrift stores. They can see that thrift stores are a bridge too far for the American public, so they're hoping that if they can make the thrift store problem go away, they will be safe from the public's wrath. Let's hope the public sees through this plan and doesn't take the bait.”
Join the mail-in protest begun by the Handmade Toy Alliance and the Whacky Hermit. Read about it on the site.
Congressman Anthony D. Weiner – NY -Letter to CPSC
Lexington Herald Leader – January 11 – Second-Hand Woes: Moms, consignment stores, charities band together to challenge lead testing requirements
Consumer Affairs – January 12th– ‘Toymakers, Craftspeople Up In Arms Over New Saefty Law’
KKTV – Colorado – January 10th - ‘Fine For Selling Kid’s Products With Lead, Not Intended For Consignment or Thrift Stores'
MSNBC – Hagerstown, MD January 9th – ‘New Law Requires Thrift Stores To Test Toys for Lead’
MSNBC – Fort Meyers, FL – January 10th – ‘New Child Safety Laws May Put Thrift Stores Out of Business’
Lancaster Online – January 11th - ‘A New Lead-testing Law Wears on Resellers’
Detroit News – January 10th -‘Lead Law Woes Sink Thrifty Shoppers’
Tribune Star – Terre Haute, IN – January 10th -‘Law Requires Testing for Lead on All Child’s Products’
Guy Midkiff – City Councilman – Washington, DC – January 10th – ‘H.R. 4040’