Comments on: CPSIA: Thoughts on the demise of the children’s cottage industry

By: Practice with free writing: A rant against CPSIA — In Our Write Minds

Practice with free writing: A rant against CPSIA — In Our Write Minds — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 18:18:46 +0000

[...] to get ideas out onto paper. I found myself free writing yesterday as my frustration level with CPSIA mounted. After I posted my little rant on a publishers’ discussion forum, their [...]

By: Kim

Kim — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 17:58:33 +0000

Thanks for the semantics clarification, Cynthia. Perhaps the word “reprieve” was poorly chosen.

There’s a Catch-22 here. Even though secondhand stores CAN sell used products without having had them tested first, there’d better be no doubt that these products meet the lead limits established by the CPSC. The CPSC will still subject these sellers to the same penalties and fines as other violators, should they be caught selling anything that doesn’t fit the standards.

Secondhand stores should be pretty safe with ordinary books and most unembellished clothing, I’m sure. But children’s furniture and wooden toys (especially painted items), among other products, could be highly suspect.

So even though it appears as though the CPSC has given thrift and consignment stores a “reprieve,” in reality these establishments are still assuming a risk by remaining in the children’s business.

By: Cynthia

Cynthia — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 01:56:57 +0000

So sorry, CPSC did NOT issue a ‘reprieve’ for resale, consignment and thrift stores. It was a PRESS RELEASE, craftily worded, to try and stop all the massive amount of telephone calls, emails, faxes and news stories they and Congress were being swamped with. It worked didn’t it, because many of you believed it. If it was on TV it has to be true right?

National Association of Resale and Thrift Stores should know right? Visit and see what THEY have to say!

Read the recent article in the Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.html

or, Forbes Magazine!
http://www.forbes.com/opinions/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html

We would appreciate it if you would help us correct this incorrect information the media has been spreading, by conveniently not researching a story, but merely lifting ’sound bites’ from a PRESS RELEASE. CPSC has no authority to change this law or give ‘reprieves’ or exemptions. Only Congress can do that.

Visit http://www.savekidsresale.com for more information and to help us by signing our petition with a couple of clicks!
Thanks

By: Kim

Kim — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 06:25:14 +0000

I stand corrected, momto4. This crossed my desktop tonight:

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09086.html

It’s a press release from the CPSC and it does, in fact, appear to offer a reprieve for thrift shops and consignment stores to use reasonable judgment when selling used items. They will probably not want to sell painted wooden toys without first having them tested, but books and clothes seem likely to be safe.

I’m sure we’ll hear much more chatter about this in the next few days!

By: Kim

Kim — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 02:03:33 +0000

momto4, as iI understand it, Julie Vallesa claims she was misquoted (either that or she gave incorrect information). Furthermore, she resigned from the Consumer Product Safety Commission yesterday, which tells me something too. So at this time, I don’t believe “reasonable judgment” is an option. Guess we’ll have to see!

By: CPSIA: What happens when the hammer falls? — In Our Write Minds

CPSIA: What happens when the hammer falls? — In Our Write Minds — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:50:44 +0000

[...] a writer/publisher of books for children and teens, I’m deeply troubled by the new Consumer Product Safety Information Act (CPSIA) and its far-reaching and impractical [...]

By: momto4

momto4 — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:14:09 +0000

http://www.tampabays10.com:80/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=97558

saw this today, good for thrift stores/resale shops. Looks like (my understanding) they can use their reasonable judgement on an item.

By: Cpsia: Thoughts on the Demise of the Children’S Cottage Industry …

Cpsia: Thoughts on the Demise of the Children’S Cottage Industry … — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:52:20 +0000

[...] And what about collectibles ? Collectors who buy and sell vintage toys will not be able to conduct business anymore. Collectible Barbies, comic books, retro toys and lunchboxes, Victorian dollhouses, you name it! …[Continue Reading] [...]

By: Kim

Kim — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:19:01 +0000

Thanks for the reminder! I added a bullet point about the garment industry along with your link.

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:01:47 +0000

You might want to point all of the sewn products people over to my site for the lowdown on how it affects us.