Effective Feb 9, 2009 there is a new law that goes into effect that basically requires all stores to test ALL their children's merchandise for lead. This includes shoes, clothes, backpacks...etc.
Re-sale stores obviously can't afford to test all of their merchandise and this is going to make them shut down. The consequences of this law at this time in our economy is deadly. Here is an article about it from the LA Times.
I for one love my re-sale shops and don't want to KNOW what this is going to do to the price of kids clothes in the store. This means that all those lovely clothes that your kids outgrew after one wear can't even go to the Goodwill. They have to go straight to the dumpster. Think about next Halloween when you need a costume and don't have $30 to buy a new one. How stupid is that?
Please, please, please write a letter to your sentator and congressional representative or send an email to the Consumer Product Safety Commission telling these morons what damage they going to be doing to an already fragile and damaged economy. You can also vote on Obama's change.org website to bring this topic up in consideration. It needs more votes to bump it up in priority.
ADDITIONAL NOTE:
This also affects any home based business that sells anything aimed at children 12 or younger. So all you working stay at home mothers who make quilts, toys, clothing or anything of the sort - you will be out of business too.
And yes, this law DOES include garage sales. You could technically get arrested for selling children's clothing that is not labeled "lead free".
Could our country get any more screwed up?
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6 comments:
So not good news. Thanks for posting this. I will put my 2 cents in about it with our leaders, but I also wanted to note that while it's not going to help employment any it doesn't stop garage sales.
Hey deby,
This marvelous legislation was sponsored by that delightful Democrat, Chuck Shumer and passed by the Democrat congress 79 - 13. Another example of congress knowing that we are too stupid to take care of ourselves!
I'm a Democrat and I can't believe the enormity of this knee-jerk reaction to the lead problem.
Instead of going after the large corporations that had outsourced their manufacturing to China and ALLOWED them to put lead in our kids toys - we American's have to suffer? Give me a break!
I have looked at their website and it seems like they are going 180 degrees away from anything resembling common sense. What is it that causes all politicans to lose any capacity to think common sense thoughts? This is bi-partisan slamming here.
Instead of reforming requirements for manufacturers of ALL items that are imported, they basically end up slamming all US based businesses. Oooooooooooh... I'm fuming over this one.
It *looks* like the law has been updated or clarified for second hand items:
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.
Source: http://www.cafemom.com/journals/read/1352175/ACT_NOW_before_CPSIA_hurts_us_all
Unfortunatley, they couldn't just leave it at that. They had to include:
"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. "
So if they end up selling something that had lead in it, they would be fines $10,000 an item. This alone will keep re-sale stores from staying open. They can't afford the liability.
I'd say the liklihood of that much lead being present is very low, and that's what insurance is for. I think the new CPSC clarification makes a lot of sense.
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