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CPSIA could threaten our way of life
For me, thumbing through the racks of used clothing at any one of the local thrift shops is not only practical, but it's become a way of life, a way to temporarily escape, to not spend too much money and, yet, be entertained and well dressed all the same. Going to thrift stores and garage sales is like being on a treasure hunt. One man's trash is another man's treasure. Isn't that what they say? Even if it wasn't fun, if it was a complete bore, I would go because it just makes economical sense, especially in times like these, not to spend $20-$30 on a brand new pair of jeans my son is apt to put holes in the day after purchase.
Honestly, these stores in good times have been helpful and in leaner times have been godsends. Take when I was a single mother and my daughter insisted only on wearing dresses. Where on earth was I going to find a closet full of dresses for a preschooler without skipping a month's rent? At the thrift store, that's where. Garage sales, that's where.
I'm also a sucker for handmade things—purses, bags, even stuffed toys that I've given away as gifts. I love walking the aisles of arts and craft fairs, seeing the ingenuity of folks who figure they can take something that might have ended up in a landfill and make it useful or pretty or both. My most favorite of fall newspaper assignments is to head up to the Clinton Fall Festival in September and take photographs of people working on items they've made with their hands. I enjoy talking to the artists and crafters about their processes and their ideas and how they came to be doing this festival thing. I know I'm not the only one who enjoys rituals like this, otherwise the Clinton Fall Festival would never have celebrated its 35th year as one of Lenawee County's main attractions.
The fabric of this community (no pun intended) is spun on the traditions of making things, of buying things made by local people and of spending weekends stopping at garage sales or craft sales. The idea that things can be reused or revamped or made by hand is something we in small town America have known and adhered to for a long time, long before "going green" became the buzz words du jour. None of it had anything too do with going green, but everything to do with keeping the local flavor, appreciating the work that has gone into something much more personal than the manufactured item that came from a lot of items that looked just like it.
So, it's our individuality that's at stake, our ability to have easier access to books, our ability to clothe our children in tough times, which this might qualify as such. Yes, I want my children to be safe. I don't want lead in toys anymore than the next mom, but consider that the guy making the toy train in his basement, who paints it with paint he's purchased at a local hardware store, couldn't possibly purchase paint with lead in it because lead-based paint is no longer sold to consumers. No one's thought through the ramifications of this law, not simply for handcrafted toy makers, but for the way so many of us live.
Join the conversation. Tell me what you've found. Spread the word. I'm interested in hearing from local folks about how this might impact the community here in Tecumseh and elsewhere.
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Re: CPSIA
As a new mother, I try to ensure that what I put on my daughter - whether it's lotion, clothes, or even what I bathe her in... is safe. I understand why this law was put in effect, but I think it's a bit far off from reality. Our government should absolutely not be in the business of squelching the
entrepreneurial spirit of American business and should never make it more
difficult for citizens to support the causes of charitable giving and recycling,
especially in a time when the economy is being stretched and the global waste
concerns are alarming, as is the case today.
I realize that this is not
earth-shattering legislation but I can assure you that as a parent of young
children, thrift store shopping and second-hand sales are vital to this American
family.
RE: CPSIA
Thanks for commenting Bri! I know this is a concern to you. We've done some of that craft sale shopping together:)
1. CPSC Clarifies
1. CPSC Clarifies Requirements of New Children's Product Safety Laws Taking Effect in February
NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 8, 2009
Release #09-086
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
CPSC Clarifies Requirements of New Children's Product Safety Laws Taking Effect in February:
Guidance Intended for Resellers of Children's Products, Thrift and Consignment Stores
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In February 2009, new requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) take effect. Manufacturers, importers and retailers are expected to comply with the new Congressionally-mandated laws. Beginning February 10, 2009, children's products cannot be sold if they contain more than 600 parts per million (ppm) total lead. Certain children's products manufactured on or after February 10, 2009 cannot be sold if they contain more that 0.1% of certain specific phthalates or if they fail to meet new mandatory standards for toys.
Under the new law, children's products with more than 600 ppm total lead cannot lawfully be sold in the United States on or after February 10, 2009, even if they were manufactured before that date. The total lead limit drops to 300 ppm on August 14, 2009.
The new law requires that domestic manufacturers and importers certify that children's products made after February 10 meet all the new safety standards and the lead ban. Sellers of used children's products, such as thrift stores and consignment stores, are not required to certify that those products meet the new lead limits, phthalates standard or new toy standards.
The new safety law does not require resellers to test children's products in inventory for compliance with the lead limit before they are sold. However, resellers cannot sell children's products that exceed the lead limit and therefore should avoid products that are likely to have lead content, unless they have testing or other information to indicate the products being sold have less than the new limit. Those resellers that do sell products in violation of the new limits could face civil and/or criminal penalties.
When the CPSIA was signed into law on August 14, 2008, it became unlawful to sell recalled products. All resellers should check the CPSC Web site (www.cpsc.gov) for information on recalled products before taking into inventory or selling a product. The selling of recalled products also could carry civil and/or criminal penalties.
The agency intends to focus its enforcement efforts on products of greatest risk and largest exposure. While CPSC expects every company to comply fully with the new laws resellers should pay special attention to certain product categories. Among these are recalled children's products, particularly cribs and play yards; children's products that may contain lead, such as children's jewelry and painted wooden or metal toys; flimsily made toys that are easily breakable into small parts; toys that lack the required age warnings; and dolls and stuffed toys that have buttons, eyes, noses or other small parts that are not securely fastened and could present a choking hazard for young children.
The agency has underway a number of rulemaking proposals intended to provide guidance on the new lead limit requirements. Please visit the CPSC website at www.cpsc.gov for more information.
To see this release on CPSC's web site, please go to: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09086.html
clarification
The only thing the press release clarifies is that resalers are not required to test their invnentory, but in the next section it states that they can't sell things that haven't been tested. That is about as clear as mudd.
CPSC's release is a big joke
CPSC's release is a big joke and it ain't funny at all. I don't even expect ALL resalers to test each and every single item in their inventory. I doubt it if they even do that on a regular basis. Ridiculous. Just ridiculous.
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