CPSIA Victims: Add Your Extinct Product Here!
January 16th 2009 by Dr.MOZ in Arts and Crafts, CPSIA, Health News
As regular readers already know, I’m a huge fan of handmade products and dedicate a large number of posts to every type of indie product I can find. From hand sewn baby booties to handmade furniture, I cover them on the baby blog. Unfortunately, nearly every product highlighted (books, embroidered hats, diaper cakes, bicycles, etc) will soon be considered illegal thanks to poor legislation called the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) scheduled to go into effect on February 10th.
Independent artists and small manufacturers will be forced to pay for expensive tests ($300-$2,000+ per product) from third party labs proving that their products don’t contain harmful levels of lead or phthalates. We’re not talking about Chinese toddler jewelry found at the dollar store here folks, everything that can possibly be used by kids 0-12 will be included. In a nutshell, we’ll simply be left with the junk from the few multinational corporations that caused the problem in the first place.
Instead of highlighting this ridiculous legislation or the incompetent parties behind it, I prefer to dedicate today’s post to small designers, their products, and the boutiques that sell independent products. Do you create or sell a product that will soon be extinct thanks to the CPSIA? If so, please leave a comment about the product (with a link in “website” box) to show everyone what types of products they’ll soon be missing!
Have a great weekend,
Dr.MOZ
> hand-embroidered frock above @ the Rosey Posey Etsy Shop
January 16th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
I read that this great wooden toy company Selecta will no longer sell to the US because of the extra costs involved with testing each piece. Europeans already have higher standards in place than the US for toy safety; this shows how even large companies like Selecta with safe and popular products will be victim to the CPSIA.
January 16th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Unbelievable that I heard not one word of all this at the AmericasMart Gift Show last weekend! You would think with all the children’s product wholesalers someone would have mentioned this. Just shows how little press it has gotten until the last hours.
For me, I can not imagine my business without onesie Baby Bouquets, monogrammed kids clothes, diaper cakes, Goodfather shirts….hell, EVERY thing we sell! Makes me wonder what business there will be after the storm. Lots of bankruptcies..and market switches. Any idea if they will go after farm tools next? I have to find something else to sell…….
January 16th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
I make small woolie animals called pogos from up-cycled all-wool sweaters. Each pogo is hand-stitched and unique. They’re photographed in their native Pogo Forest habitats, along with their names and personal descriptions. They make such dear snuggly little friends. It seems heartbreaking that they may no longer be shared with children. My Etsy shop has been open for one year and pogos have been sold all over the world. If the CPSCI legislation is not amended, Pogoshop will soon close. Thank you Dr. Moz for helping to make people aware of this looming problem.
Laura Ray
Pogoshop.etsy.com
January 16th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
We were so excited Monday morning because in spite of the economy sales are up from this date last year. I was then informed by two of my customers they could no longer purchase baby gifts after Feb. 10th 2009. I am dumbfounded that this law was even discussed in Congress. Was no one listening??? I have worked 18 long hard years to build my business. I never thought it would be wiped out in one sweep. Thanks Congress! Hoping that someone figures this out before it’s too late, Betty
January 16th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
I have my own business and it’s very small at that. Sales were just beginning to pick back up and now this! The CPSIA seems to be determined to hurt everyone. How do they think “they” will get paid when businesses “go out of business”, where there won’t be anymore sales tax revenue, no income tax revenue? Sounds to me like the CPSC must have a back up plan for themselves when our country fails. As a consumer I hate to think my freedom of choice is going to be taken away from me when I’m forced to buy goods from the big boys. I love the items I sell. They are quality products made and manufactured by people I’ve never seen yet the owners of these companies I feel like I’ve known all my life. I trust their judgment and am confident their products are safe. Handmade baby keepsakes and personalized gifts will become a thing of the past, unless of course you just make your own. Is that what the CPSIA is driving us to do… rebuild America from scratch?
January 16th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
bravo work’s, keep on going I agree with your fighting in this very industrial world, there no space left for handmade and special craft with full touching art.
January 17th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
My precious baby items will be extinct!
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5680522
http://sistertosisterdesign.blogspot.com/
January 17th, 2009 at 11:28 pm
This holiday season was my best yet! Why? Because so many consumers were looking for handmade, safe, made in the USA products for their children and gifts for others. It was shortly after this that I found out about the CPSIA law and was disheartened to imagine all of this going away. The small businesses and crafters are the very people that started making safe toys for OUR children, since we couldn’t trust the big toy manufacturers standards. This cannot happen! This is wrong in every way!
January 18th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
First we are saying thank you for drawing this to everyone’s attention. It is too bad that people are saying no more toxic toys, and leaving no space left for handmade and special craft with full touching art. this is happening.
January 19th, 2009 at 4:27 am
I’ve just red in a local newspaper about this.
I support your struggle. Keep fighting bro. I pray for you.
January 19th, 2009 at 6:15 am
I sell classic and heirloom baby clothing through both my webstore and retail store. I have a huge amount of existing inventory. I have requested certifications from manufacturers of the new clothing I have on hand, but have only received them from a very small percent. Most of the smaller manufacturers can’t afford to test and will just go out of business. Many of the items I sell are hand crafted by people working in their own homes (crocheted booties, smocked bonnets, knit sweaters). Obviously, they won’t be testing their items. After National Bankruptcy Day, I will probably only be able to sell my heirloom items through the resellers exemption. The other 90% of my store’s 4000+ items will become hazardous waste. What really breaks my heart are the calls I get from expectant moms whose babies aren’t due until March or later when they ask, “But this won’t apply to me will it because my baby hasn’t been born yet? You’ll still be able to sell me a christening gown when we set the date, right?”
January 20th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
I am a stay-at-home mom and I make handmade hairbows to supplement our family income. I will have to close my business in February if the law is not amended – otherwise, it would cost over $2000 per hairbow for testing, and I simply cannot afford that when each bow retails for just $2.50. Please contact your members of Congress and members of the press – the consequences of this law for small businesses, the economy, and consumers will be catastrophic, and the only ones who will not suffer are those large manufacturers who began this problem by manufacturing and importing illegal toys from China.
January 20th, 2009 at 9:09 pm
Well, we have still not gotten a clear answer from the CPSIA about our organic “Nesting Pillows” (nursing pillows, but are used for other things as well). Not only have our materials already passed the GOTS standards for organic (which are 300% higher than the CPSIA standards!), but they are labeled with the statement “intended for the use of the adult caregiver…”, which is in response to case where a major competitor used the CPSC to put a smaller nursing pillow company out of business a few years ago. This is one of our many fears for this vague law, which the CPSIA seems to keep telling us we should “not worry about”, just because they can’t police everyone. But if your business does grow to the point that you threaten competition, (or if your neighbor doesn’t like you and you sell a crib at a garage sale) the fact is that they can get you… This law is unfair and unbelievable, but worst of all it is unconstitutional. That’s the biggest issue…
(trying to update information on our blog, too blessednestperch.com)
January 21st, 2009 at 5:33 am
How could knitting a hat on bamboo needles or sewing little pieces of fabric together with my old Bernina turn into such a nightmare? Let’s just hope some common sense will prevail in the next 19 days!
http://www.starlightsound.etsy.com
January 21st, 2009 at 5:58 am
I sell hand knit baby pants for use as cloth diaper covers at my little shop, Crankypants Knits. My small business has grown enough that I now have a fair trade partnership with a all female head of household knitting cooperative in Peru. If the CSPIA puts me out of business, not only will I have to put my son in after school care so I can get a job outside the home, but those 125 women will also have to find a new way to feed their kids in one of the scariest economic landscapes we’ve seen in a long time. It will be devastating.
January 28th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
I am a Mom and I invented and sell a unique Bed Bumper for Big Kids, toddler size pillow cases and Kidz Heat & Cool Packs which will soon become extinct if this act passes as it is.
All of my products contain 100% cotton, 100% polyester fill and 100% natural cherry pits, none of which contain lead. As the act is written, the lead testing requirements will be too costly for me to continue my business at http://www.kidzcomfort.com.
Please please please, sign the petition to repeal, contact your local congressmen and women, blog, twitter and shout from the rooftops to repeal!
thanks
raelynn @ Kidz Comfort
January 30th, 2009 at 9:21 am
[...] Also see: CPSIA Victims, Add Your Extinct Products Here [...]
January 31st, 2009 at 2:13 am
I echo the comments of preceding posters. I knit cotton baby hats and will be out of business in February. I can only hope the congress wakes up and amends this law.
Thank you for what you are doing!
Unique hand knit baby hats
February 17th, 2009 at 10:35 am
When is the government going to govern people and stop trying to govern business. They have there hands in everything from medical supplies to automobiles now. This has to be the craziest thing they have tried to regulate to date!
April 3rd, 2009 at 7:40 am
This is such a mess! The whole world is going to hell in a hand basket.
My love of knitting hats for infants, toddlers and young children will continue, but only for family and friends. I have been selling my hats for years. My customers who have bought from me in the past of so upset. All we can do now is hope and pray for a miracle.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eeecrafterfabricstore/sets/72157602305720012/