Will CPSIA affect anyone on this board?

**Preston** · 09-20-2009, 07:35 AM

Um.. this was put into effect last year (long before 'that man' took the reigns) and I'm pretty sure there is an exclusion for garage and yard sales. This would apply to thrift stores.

**writtenonmybody** · 09-20-2009, 10:18 AM

I find it amusing that you believe for one second that I don't think about my child's safety and that I expect that others do that. Heh. I don't, I expect people who take my money to take it honestly.

I don't believe my gov. is out to get me and my family. It's amusing to me that it seems like that is what people think. I'm glad that worry is not taking up space in my brain.

Toys are boring anyway. It's more important for a child to be creative, nature bound, outside making tents and rolling around in dirt, pretend play, creative play, artsy play, music play, education based play blah blah blah. Most toys are crap IMO.

**beks37** · 09-20-2009, 10:45 AM

Originally Posted by Preston

Um.. this was put into effect last year (long before 'that man' took the reigns) and I'm pretty sure there is an exclusion for garage and yard sales. This would apply to thrift stores.

"CPSC is an agency that has used its penalty powers over its 30-year history against companies," Wolfson told FOXNews.com. "CPSC is not seeking to pursue penalties against individuals hosting a garage sale or yard sale, we are encouraging them to take the right steps to not resell recalled products."

This is from the article. No one will be coming to your garage sale to penalize you for selling a recalled product. Although I agree with others stating that you should not try and sell recalled products that could potentially harm children. The title on the story is very misleading.

**writtenonmybody** · 09-20-2009, 11:14 AM

Probably the one thing we will agree on is parents need to make common sense choices for their child and sometimes parents don't do that. I personally know the difference between common sense on an item and a recall that truly matters.

Ex: Bumbo Seat. Common sense (AND IT SAYS IT ON PACKAGING PEOPLE!) not to put seat on top of tables etc. Parents still did it. Common sense says that there is a possibility of your child falling out of this seat there for unsafe if you put it on things. Was it a stupid recall, yes because parents can't read or follow directions sometimes.

I do know the difference between common sense for my child and recalls that are just out of plain stupidity.

**shoiji** · 09-20-2009, 11:17 AM

I thought the article said fisher price paid $2.3 million in fines for buying? toys with lead. Wouldn't 2.3 million dollars pay for a couple of employees to live and work on fisher price's behalf in china to check these toys or products for lead before they come overseas, or paid for by fisher price? If they are going to do business in china then they (all US companies) should have people over there monitoring things!!!

I can't help thinking US companies are in the wrong to not monitor what is made in china. PERIOD!!!! Sometimes it seems as if the US companies just want to think about the bottom line.

Well I could go on and on but I will stop here. lol

**Jamauk** · 09-20-2009, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by Nishu

I wouldn't have a yard sale anyway, because I'd be too afraid of some fear mongering helicopter parent walking up to me and saying, "Um, excuse me, but do you realize that a 10 year old boy died after trying to shove an entire set of those chess pieces up his nose? You need to get rid of that game, it's been recalled..."

OMG!!! Nishu, I just spewed coffee out my nose!! (I wonder if my brand of coffee will now be recalled?!?) LOL!!

**Nishu** · 09-20-2009, 12:06 PM

Originally Posted by writtenonmybody

I find it amusing that you believe for one second that I don't think about my child's safety and that I expect that others do that. Heh. I don't, I expect people who take my money to take it honestly.

I don't think that at all. It's obvious that you care about your child's safety. I do to, even though I don't support this law.

I don't believe my gov. is out to get me and my family. It's amusing to me that it seems like that is what people think. I'm glad that worry is not taking up space in my brain.

You fear businesses more than you fear government. I fear government more than I fear business. You and I are much the same, so don't act all hoity toity.

I do know the difference between common sense for my child and recalls that are just out of plain stupidity.

This law does not. It makes no distinction.

I'm not even going to argue on the major points of this law. I'm not going to lose any sleep over the government making Fisher price test all their toys. The problem here is, the law is broad enough to be applied to every item for sale, including resale items and things made of natural materials that pose limited risk for kids. I don't care if they tell me that the law will not be used to prosecute thrift stores and garage sales. It's a pretty common occurrence that people are prosecuted under the laws in ways that the law was not intended to be used.

Today it might not matter. In 5 or 10 years when the fallout of this law has been forgotten, the paranoid soccer moms of tomorrow will be turning up their noses at yard sale merchandise and accusing those who shop at yard sales of trying to poison our kids. It doesn't matter, they'll say, if the recall was a silly save-your-own-butt move on the part of the manufacturer, a recall is a recall and we're BREAKING THE LAW by selling these toys. I can't wait to see what stupid little ribbons they'll come up with for the anti-garage sale campaign.

I'm not being overdramatic. All you have to do is to look at the evolution of MADD and the sex-predator paranoia to see how this stuff plays out. No amount of reason will compete with the rallying cry "Oh, but think of the children."

And btw, I don't believe this law is going to hurt big business at all. If anything, it's doing them a favor. The guy who's making wooden rocking horses out of his garage is going to be shut down because he can't afford to pay for testing, while the big toy businesses are going to be dropping pennies in fees when compared to their profits. When both used toys and handmade toys are out of the running, you won't have any choice but to buy new from Fisher price.

**writtenonmybody** · 09-20-2009, 12:29 PM

And btw, I don't believe this law is going to hurt big business at all. If anything, it's doing them a favor. The guy who's making wooden rocking horses out of his garage is going to be shut down because he can't afford to pay for testing, while the big toy businesses are going to be dropping pennies in fees when compared to their profits. When both used toys and handmade toys are out of the running, you won't have any choice but to buy new from Fisher price.

I do agree with you on this. As a crafter who makes many child items I wouldn't be able to sell them unless I could get them tested. Which I can not. Hell, I wanted to donate handmade blankets to a children's cancer ward this year. I was not able to do so. They would not accept them. Believe me, That hit me hard. I understand. It sucks. Do I think the law could be better yes. Do I also think that it should have been taken care of a while ago. Yes.

And saying one doesn't have a choice on what toys to buy isn't exactly true. I have a choice. I could buy my daughter crappy fisher price toys or I could read to her, play with her outdoors, paint with her, do music with her etc. Do some creative fun made up game to educate her and so on.. There's a difference in the way I think from the average parent... She'd rather play with the box than the toy anyway. At some point I'm sure she'll end up with some sort of paper cut from that ; )

**Jamauk** · 09-20-2009, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by Nishu

And btw, I don't believe this law is going to hurt big business at all. If anything, it's doing them a favor. The guy who's making wooden rocking horses out of his garage is going to be shut down because he can't afford to pay for testing, while the big toy businesses are going to be dropping pennies in fees when compared to their profits. When both used toys and handmade toys are out of the running, you won't have any choice but to buy new from Fisher price.

I read somewhere (it was months ago, so I don't have a link, sorry) that the Senator that originated this bill was from Arkansas, he has ties to Walmart. I'm not usually one on consipracy theories, but the gist of the article was theorizing that Walmart was behind this law in order to shut down the mom & pops, etsy, and other hand made retailers.

**pollypurebred39** · 09-20-2009, 04:15 PM

Boy, I'm glad I'm not trying to raise babies now with these laws for second hand stuff. There wouldn't be anything to purchase that was within my $ grasp.

When I had my first son I was so poor that I purchased a playpen (a real old one, probably from back when I was a baby) from a giant consignment gathering for a quater. I also got one of those old wind up swings for a quater. Talk about doing a happy dance!!! They were shutting down and it was either that or cart it back home and I'm guessing they didn't want to take it home and I'd bite for a quater. Good thing too because I would never had been able to get either of those things for my first son had I not gotten them so cheap and second hand. Same thing for clothing, toys, Christmas, birthdays ect. I'm positive that there are many here who are in the boat I was in years ago raising a kid.

My son's 20 now and amazingly healthy and well despite the fact there was no government mandated intervention on his behalf.*Rolling Eyes*

This could be mute point if we once again manufactured in the USA.