UPDATE: Our letters are making a difference! On Jan. 8th the CPSC revised its position to exclude thrift and consignment stores. Keep the heat on Congress as the CPSC rulemaking is still underway.
Click this link to read and sign the petition, please!
If you like shopping resale, this is important! If we don't stand up together and fight for this, 2009 could be the end of kids resale.
CPSC Clarifies Requirements of New Children’s Product Safety Laws Taking Effect in February
Guidance Intended for Resellers of Children’s Products, Thrift and Consignment Stores
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In February 2009, new requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) take effect. Manufacturers, importers and retailers are expected to comply with the new Congressionally-mandated laws. Beginning February 10, 2009, children’s products cannot be sold if they contain more than 600 parts per million (ppm) total lead. Certain children’s products manufactured on or after February 10, 2009 cannot be sold if they contain more than 0.1% of certain specific phthalates or if they fail to meet new mandatory standards for toys.
Under the new law, children’s products with more than 600 ppm total lead cannot lawfully be sold in the United States on or after February 10, 2009, even if they were manufactured before that date. The total lead limit drops to 300 ppm on August 14, 2009.
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.
***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.***
When the CPSIA was signed into law on August 14, 2008, it became unlawful to sell recalled products. All resellers should check the CPSC Web site (www.cpsc.gov) for information on recalled products before taking into inventory or selling a product. The selling of recalled products also could carry civil and/or criminal penalties.
While CPSC expects every company to comply fully with the new laws resellers should pay special attention to certain product categories. Among these are recalled children’s products, particularly cribs and play yards; children’s products that may contain lead, such as children’s jewelry and painted wooden or metal toys; flimsily made toys that are easily breakable into small parts; toys that lack the required age warnings; and dolls and stuffed toys that have buttons, eyes, noses or other small parts that are not securely fastened and could present a choking hazard for young children.
The agency has underway a number of rulemaking proposals intended to provide guidance on the new lead limit requirements. Please visit the CPSC website at www.cpsc.gov for more information.
I will be taking appointments once again! I'll be out of town until Thursday the 15th, so appointments won't begin until the 16th! Thanks for your patience in the matter. Your support is huge for me and small businesses like me.
The sale ends on Sunday, so take advantage while you can!!!
Happy New YearLead has been listed since 1987 on the Governor's list of chemicals that can cause reproductive harm and birth defects, and since 1992 has been on the list of chemicals known to cause cancer. Exposure to lead occurs chiefly from ingestion, such as eating or putting objects into the mouth, putting young children particularly at risk.
There are no safe levels of lead. Impacts include birth defects, learning disabilities, hearing loss, reduced attention span, and behavioral abnormalities. Teenagers also can suffer adverse effects, which include brain damage, kidney damage, hearing loss, and impaired growth.
On Saturday, December 20, 2008, the City Attorney's Office will hold a Lead Toy Exchange at four locations throughout the city. From 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, each of these sites will have testers on-site to test toys for lead content.
If a toy is found to contain lead, the toy can then be exchanged for a $25.00 American Express gift card. A second toy testing positive may be exchanged for another American Express gift card. There is a limit of two gift cards/exchanges per household and this offer will only be good while supplies last. Gift cards will only be handed out in exchange for lead contaminated toys.
The City Attorney's Office will ensure the proper and safe disposal of the collected toys.
Parents may be asked to limit the number of toys depending on the popularity of the event.
Locations are listed below, please take a moment to RSVP your attendance and location.
Please visit HealthyToys.org for a list of more than 1,500 toys and children's products which have recently been tested for lead levels.
http://www.lacity.org/atty/leadtoyexchange/atty_ltexchange.htm
Click on the above link to rsvp
