January 5, 2009

Please Support the Handmade Toy World!

I keep meaning to post about this - and no better time like the present. Today is the last day to get in your comments to the Consumer Products Safety Commission regarding the new mandatory testing for all items made for kids under 12 that is going into effect in 35 days.

There is a ton of info out there on this, but basically because of the recent toy safety scares in the last year, the CPSP has written up a crazy-rigid testing procedure that will pretty much wipe out handmade toys and items for kids under 12. The rules are well-meaning, but the way they are written right now they are completely ridiculous: all items for sale, handmade or not, would have to be tested by a 3rd party and it would be so cost prohibitive (about $4000/toy) that handmade items would perish and so would the shops that carry handmade items for sale.

What can you do?

The Handmade Toy Alliance site has a ton of information, including online petitions, documents to send to senators and congressmen, etc. It fully explains the restrictions and proposed changes to the wording of the CPSC act to make it handmade friendly.

If you feel so inclined, please, please, please get in your comments and online petitions today and hopefully this won't go into effect the way it is written now. Thank you!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I agree with you and signed the petition.