I wanted everyone to know about this. If you make hand-made stuffed animals for sale or anything else that can be called a "toy" you might want to read this.
The issue:
In 2007, large toy manufacturers who outsource their production to China and other developing countries violated the public's trust. They were selling toys with dangerously high lead content, toys with unsafe small part, toys with improperly secured and easily swallowed small magnets, and toys made from chemicals that made kids sick. Almost every problem toy in 2007 was made in China.
The United States Congress rightly recognized that the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) lacked the authority and staffing to prevent dangerous toys from being imported into the US. So, they passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) in August, 2008. Among other things, the CPSIA bans lead and phthalates in toys, mandates third-party testing and certification for all toys and requires toy makers to permanently label each toy with a date and batch number.
All of these changes will be fairly easy for large, multinational toy manufacturers to comply with. Large manufacturers who make thousands of units of each toy have very little incremental cost to pay for testing and update their molds to include batch labels.
For small American, Canadian, and European toymakers, however, the costs of mandatory testing will likely drive them out of business.
The big problem is if you make anything for kids 12 and under you would need to have that item tested before it could be sold! I don't make that many things for kids but every now & then I make felt animals that are kids safe or fleece animals. And if someone orders a needle felted plush I guess I have to say "don't give it to anyone under the age of 12"?
I'm worried about this law because, artist bears in some cases still fall under "toys"
Here is a link to a petition you can sign and were you can send e-mails & other ways to help
Hand Made Toy AllianceHere is another good link
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5939104&show_panel=trueDid you know that by FEB 9,2009, if any of your products can be used by children 12 years old or younger that you will need to get CPSIA certified testing on the content of your materials to make sure the lead and phthalates levels fall below the CPSC new standards and have labeling with the lab testing certication # and specific batch code attached to each of the products? This testing startes at around $300 per batch. A batch is considered to be a group of a single product that all where made using the same material material lot. In other words if you knit several hats and the yarn used in each has a different production code or dye lot or from different manufactors, even when they look identical, then each single hat is a batch.
The more of us that take action, the faster we can get the CPSC to ammend the law or at least postpone the compliance deadline.
Now I'm not saying kids toys should not be safe but I think the law needs to be amended in someway so one-of-a-kind or hand-made items are not effected.
Please go and vote it only takes a second
Vote for ChangeUpdate: I stand corrected this law will not only be for toys but any item made for children under 12, that included clothing, blankets, shoes, etc.
Now it has nothing to do with warning labels or if you label the item not safe for kids under 12. It's a law saying that the item must under go testing before it can be sold.
YoutubeFAQ:
What is the definition of a children's product and how will the age cutoffs be determined?
* A “children’s product” means a consumer product designed or intended primarily for children 12 years of age or younger. In determining whether a consumer product is primarily intended for a child 12 years of age or younger, the following factors will be considered:
* A statement by the manufacturer about the intended use of the product, including a label on the product if such statement is reasonable.
* Whether the product is represented in its packaging, display, promotion or advertising as appropriate for use by children 12 years of age or younger.
* Whether the product is commonly recognized by consumers as being intended for use by a child 12 years of age or younger.
* The Age Determination Guidelines issued by the Commission staff in September 2002, and any successor to such guidelines
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