[buccaneer81]

"Clearly, we can't go to every garage sale in America and start fining people," she said.

Just watch. They'll try.

[Vaquero]

watch out Ebay.

[CautiouslyHopeful]

And people wonder why the US economy is heading into late Soviet Union territory.

[randog]

Despite that, Ballard said the law appears to be aimed chiefly at manufacturers, not individuals or small stores selling used goods.

Yeah, it'll appear that way until some adventuresome lawyer finds a lead-tainted toy in a thrift shop and sues them into next week.

[rwfromkansas]

I think it’s pretty obvious the law was not aimed at resale.

This is just being blown out of proportion.

However, it needs clarified.

[Oztrich Boy]

Is this for the children?

[razorback-bert]

Once again congress acts before they think.

[Blood of Tyrants]

They tried to make people collect and pay sales tax at yard sales in Tennessee a couple of years ago. Everyone just ignored them.

[4yearlurker]

I believe this is about plastic Chinese junk that has flooded the market. Why not deal with this problem at the source?

[aimhigh]

Democrats - doing everything they can to help the big corporations and put the small businesses out of work.

[dancusa]

The do - gooders have taken the child out of childhood in the last 15 years. It is all a supervised sham of nannyism.

[RightField]

Trader Tots co-owner Anne Bush-Cassady

I hate hyphenated last names. I wonder if one of her kids is named Sundance?

[abigkahuna]

This new law that takes effect Feb 10. (HR4040) is onerous and will require manufacturers to certify that any product they make that can possibly come in contact with those aged 12 and under be free of lead and phthalates.
This means all of us working in the craft and fair industry as a micro-business must follow the requirements. Reading the bill Bush signed into law last August indicates it will force someone like myself to spend an estimated $4000 per item to declare it lead and phthalate free.

I make tye dye shirts, not only do the shirts have to be tested, but the dyes as well. If I use 25 different dyes, thats what, $100K. If I re-order the dyes, one again the testing needs to be done. Same with the cotton shirts.

Relying on the word of the shirt maker or dye supplier will not do. Penalties of five years in jail and up to $15M in fines plus asset forfeiture.

The Mom and pop manufacturing business is now finished.

Retailers are affected too. the selling of non-certified inventory will also be illegal.

From what I am reading on crafter forums, widespread panic has set in, and for good reason. Grandpa can no longer make those wooden trains for sale at the local street fair. Grandma can no longer sew those cute little baby bibs because she has to certify that the material she purchase at the fabric store meets the requirements. At $4000 per piece of cloth—she is now out of business.

Bring manufacturing back to the US? Now congress says we can’t even manufacture anything that might come into contact with children 12 years old or under... Unreal...

[denydenydeny]

The really infuriating thing about this law is that it came about as a response to unscrupulous manufacturing techniques in China. The Democratic Congress being the Democratic Congress, they elected to punish Americans.

[Political Junkie Too]

Is there a Toy Show exclusion? What about a mandatory 2-week waiting period for the purchase of used toys?

-PJ

[EBH]

Trouble in Toyland
http://www.uspirg.org/uploads/UK/NE/UKNEru1SS4LqBkfsij8gAA/2008ToylandReport.pdf