This is BS! This new law is putting thousands of small businesses out of work, including mine - for toys, clothes, bedding - anything - all items sold for children that the crafters can't get tested by an independent certified lab. These tests cost hundreds of dollars per item and destroy the item. All items have to be made from EXACTLY the same materials tested in order to sell to children 12 and under. If you change materials - even a different color - you have to get the new item tested. Again - this is BS for small handcrafters like me. Everything we make is unique! However, the nogs in Congress won't give _us_ a free pass even though we make very few toys out of widely availalble (and usually pre-tested) craft materials and usually for people who know us by name. NOW - Mattel gets to test their own toys in their own labs? Their lead painted toys 'made in China' made Congress pass a law in the first place! They're just putting the competition to rest now - this isn't even about safety anymore.
What did I get when I mailed my Congressman about this? A nice form letter that said 'I support the CPSIA law because it protects our nation's children. Protecting children is one of my highest priorities.' Nice way to sidestep the issue at hand and go back to playing golf.
link to a story at the Wall Street Journal
Actual law at THOMAS
3 comments:
And there is no exception for "small businesses"? Ugh.
not so far - apparently they can't lobby with enough money to get that put in. They were trying (Handmadetoyalliance.org) to get a less than 5,000 pieces or even less than 500 pieces per year exemption that would cover most crafters and small businesses but still get the mass-producers where the real trouble starts. But no luck so far. They did get cotton and untreated wood taken out, but that is just one part of the puzzle and they still require those to be '100% natural untreated, if you aren't sure ask the manufacturer' etc....
Marie--
It never *was* about safety. Any law passed by Congress is only about more control and getting more money to their friends--and themselves. In this case, "Children's Safety" was the hobby horse.
The only way this nonsense stops is for someone to step up and be willing to be prosecuted--and then he won't be convicted, since jury nullification will take care of all that.
BTW--That is how prohibition ended.
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