New CPSIA Law May Put Thrift Stores Out of Business

susiestar

Roll With It
Starting Feb 10th, the CPSIA law meant to protect our children from lead and other harmful things will make many small businesses and especially thrift stores and resale shops almost unable to operate.

The law has a good intent. It makes items sold for use by children under the age of 12 be tested for lead and pthalates. But the items have to be tested at the retailer level, with fines of $100,000 for each incident.

Thrift stores and resale shops will basically have to test every item for kids under 12 for these chemicals. This will mean that thrift stores won't be able to sell toys, blankets, books, clothing, strollers, high chairs, car seats, etc.... So many of the stores we go to in order to afford the items our kids need will go out of business.

I think this law has good intentions, but needs to be modified. I think that resale shops and charity based thrift stores should be exempt. I could see MAYBE making resale shops follow it and giving thrift stores who give profits to charity exempt.

I know this will create a financial hardship for my family. And for my brother. We both clothe our families almost totally from thrift stores.

The testing of products is intended to be done at a retailer level. And this is where it is a problem. Retailers cannot depend on the manufacturer's certification that the products are in compliance with the law.

OH, this law as it stands does seem to apply to garage sales also. So if you wanted to sell some outgrown clothes or toys, you won't be able to. Even passing clothing or equipment to a friend for their child to use is a violation of this law. Or this is what I can interpret it to mean and what everything I have found online about this law says.


Moderators, if this is too political I will understand and delete it or you can delete it.
 
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susiestar

Roll With It
I am sorry. My info was not up to date. This has been clarified and sellers of USED children's items do not have to test items. So we can do yard sales and our thrift stores will stay in business!!

Sorry I posted info that was not up to date!

Here is a quote from the US Consumer Product Safety Commision release about this:

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.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
You scared me ;) I LOVE GARAGE SALES!!!! In fact, my kids wear name brand clothes because of them. All their friends think we spend a fortune on their clothes!
 

Andy

Active Member
That would be bad! It would have another negative impact on our economy if people could not afford to shop anymore - the rich get richer and the poor get poorer and the landfills get larger!

I am so glad you found a clarification. Now I can look forward to my garage sales again and I also love Thrift Stores.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
That's ok Susie. I was going to post that easy child had been watching this and had discovered they'd decided to make it so thrift stores wouldn't be affected. We were greatly releaved. easy child and Nichole buy a large bulk of their kids clothes at re-sell shops, and K buys all her kids clothes that way.

I'm glad they came to their sense about it. Too many people survive by using such stores.

Hugs
 

SRL

Active Member
The thrift stores in my area haven't sold car seats, cribs, high chairs, etc. for many years because of safety and recall issues.
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
Thanks for the update - I was having withdrawls -

I was trying to figure out - what next? The discount table at Dillards? ugh.
 
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