[LolaBEE]

pthalate is a plastic coating that is used over toys and sometimes used on bibs.


btw---they aren't even toying with the idea of getting certification from the manufactures of the products we use. for instance,
i use fabric, eco-craft stuffing and thread. okay i know for a FACT there is no lead or pthalate in them.

but this isn't good enough--i need to have the doll test itself even though i know damn well there is no lead.


grrr....i could go on for days.
val :rolleyes:

[Anne]

On the local news here they were talking with owners of second hand stores. Of course the children's used clothing boutiques are all confused and don't know if they can stay in business. So are the general thrift stores that sell children's items. I'm waiting to see what settles after the dust. Something's going to have to give.

I wonder how/what enforcements are planned.

[junxtaposition]

seems maybe we should all be in the business of testing......wonder who is..they must have some great influence, don't you think???

[izoralee]

Anne, on Jan 13 2009, 12:16 AM, said:

I wonder how/what enforcements are planned.

According to this article, with quotes from Consumer Product Safety Commission, they know the act/law is badly worded but they are mainly interested in the big time mass producers.

http://consumerist.com/5126354/hooray-cpsc...duct-safety-act

"The CPSC is an agency with limited resources and tremendous responsibility to protect the safety of families," said Scott Wolfson, a CPSC spokesman. "Our focus will be on those areas we can have the biggest impact and address the most dangerous products."

Hopefully this will help some of y'all breathe a little easier :)
Laura

[mohop]

Thanks for that link, Laura. I agree that us micro-businesses should not get worked up in a panic at this point. Many of us have been posting links, signing petitions, contacting our congresspeople. It's really great to see how the community has come together on this issue.

If you haven't voted at change.org, go for it! http://www.change.org/ideas/view/save_hand..._from_the_cpsia It looks like it's going to be one of the finalists to be presented in Washington. I believe that an amendment will be made to exempt small businesses, whether it's by materials used, gross sales, or whatever. There's no time to pass an amendment by the Feb 10 deadline, but like Laura posted, our level of small businesses are not going to be on their radar. Our government certainly has its faults, but I don't believe that their goal is to force small American companies to go out of business (plenty of businesses are going under as it is...)

One thing that has really bothered me about this whole thing, is the level of panic a couple of businesses have been in over this. Not here, but on some other sites discussing this issue. I understand they're worried about thier livlihood, thier dream, but some people are so upset about this that they are saying they're literally going to turn small, non-compliant businesses in! It's crazy! I don't understand that line of thinking. It's like, I feel like I'm suffering, so I'm going to make you all suffer too; that's the mindset behind terrorism (not to be overly dramatic myself), but I was shocked at how easy it was for some people to slip into that sort of thinking. It makes me sick to my stomach, frankly.

I say, everyone should carry on with thier business, there's no need to get too worked up before we know the resolution. (And I'm hoping at some point, with my new woodworking equipment, to either make girls sandals, wooden toys, and/or wooden children's furnishings, so this is something that will affect me personally...)

ETA: if you have a blog, you can also endorse the idea at the change.org link above (at the right side of the page). good thing i just started a blog! off to endorse...

ETA2: another quote ( http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=206..._8&refer=us )

Quote

Still, companies shouldn’t expect a crackdown [my bold], said Julie Vallese, a spokeswoman for the commission [CPSC].

“There’s a need for compliance, but it’s fair to say that the toy police will not be descending on all of America on Feb. 11,” Vallese said.

[prix-prix]

I blogged my part at the New Orleans Craft Mafia blog-

http://neworleanscraftmafia.blogspot.com/2...dmade-toys.html

I tried to put it in simpler terms because I think there is just a lot of misinformation and people are overwhelmed/confused by some of the details. I think letters to the editor and blogs are a good way to make people more aware of this craziness.

[izoralee]

I just hope some folks feel a little better and not give up on their businesses and dreams.

Even though my stuff is obviously not for kids, I'm still going to add a simple disclaimer to my site: Not designed for children under 12. Seems silly to do it but might as well cover my butt :rolleyes:

[Lucky Ducky]

It is too late do anything in congress to amend before Feb 10th. The hold that Pres. Obama put on pending regs doesn't apply and the freeze doesn't allow it to be addressed either (this is my current understanding).

Even if the CPSC says it's not going to crack down on the little guys, it is still illegal to sell without GCC's after 2/10 and most retailers aren't taking any new products with out them (I can't continue to sell my items on Amazon without them.).

My current plan is that I'm trying to get quotes on XRF testing which will get me through until August '09 when the 3rd party testing is required. If it is too cost prohibitive, I will probably drop my less successful baby accessory lines and try to only go all out with the aprons.

It is promising that Michael Miller e-mailed today that certain fabrics of theirs have passed CPSIA. This will be useful if they ever allow component testing, but at least it's a step in the right direction. I also got verification from the company that I get the snaps that I use on my bibs pass CPSIA.

This is the last thing that I thought I would be dealing with this month. My plan was to lay low in January and devote the time to my family and then focus on business again in Feb. Best laid plans. . .

[jenifer]

from senator diane feinstein:

"I recognize that the compliance dates and certification requirements of this legislation may pose certain challenges to some businesses, organizations, and charities that are affected by the law. You may be interested to learn that the CPSC has announced that sellers of used children's products, such as thrift stores, will not be required to certify that their products meet the new standards. Additionally, retailers will not be required to test products that are already in their inventory. However, they will not be allowed to sell those that exceed the lead and phthalate limits. Therefore, the CPSC suggests that retailers should avoid selling products that are likely to have a high lead content, unless testing or other information would prove that their products are compliant. This guidance is intended to allow retailers to sell children's products already in their inventory that would clearly not violate the new limits. The CSPC continues to publish additional guidance to assist in this process. For more detailed information, please visit the CPSC website at www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html."

[tilleyjewels]

junxtaposition, on Jan 13 2009, 07:27 AM, said:

seems maybe we should all be in the business of testing......wonder who is..they must have some great influence, don't you think???

Guess where a large number of the "approved" testing labs are located? China.

From what I've been told, even some of the testing facilities that are supposedly located in the US actually do their testing off-site--some in other countries. One lab quoted one price if you want your items tested here or a cheaper price if it was sent overseas to test.

Mere

[berit]

Does anyone know of someone who does the lead testing in the San Francisco area? Thanks in advance for any advice!

[MairzeyDotes]

I think we're all off the hook for one more year!

http://www.cpsc.gov/...ml09/09115.html

amazing!!!

[Lucky Ducky]

Not quite off the hook. It's just like the statements they made for resale - You don't have to test and certify, but you better comply. If not and you are caught, you can still face the charges. I'm working on my GCC's anyway.

http://600ppm.com/index.php/2009/02/02/bew...-one-year-stay/

I think they are still working on modifications though. Sen DeMint is proposing legislation this week that will actually modify CPSIA. That is the only way we may get relief.

http://600ppm.com/index.php/2009/01/30/jim...of-enforcement/

This is definitely not what I had planned to be doing for my business in January and February!

[christienicole]

If it hasn't been mention, Jennifer, over at the podcast CraftSanity did a great interview with Walter Olson, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a New York think tank. He explains the law well in laymen's terms and talks about it's impact on different businesses.

It was recorded before the 1 year grace period was announced, but it's still really interesting. His "analysis is still relevant because he highlights key flaws with the law that will drive up the cost of doing business dramatically for handmade business owners if left unchanged."

http://craftsanity.com/?p=1625