CPSC Sheds Light on Thrift Shopt Guidelines

Earlier today, the Consumer Product Safety Commission clarified the requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, set to take effect on February 10.

The law, which was passed last August by Congress, was designed to make products and clothing safer for kids by setting limits on the amount of lead and phthalates sold in certain children's items like clothing and toys. Concern was mounting from certain retailers like thrift, consignment and secondhand shops that because the law was retroactive, anything that had not been tested would be considered hazardous.

This is not the case. From the the statement: "The new safety law does not require resellers to test children’s products in inventory for compliance with the lead limit before they are sold. However, resellers cannot sell children’s products that exceed the lead limit and therefore should avoid products that are likely to have lead content, unless they have testing or other information to indicate the products being sold have less than the new limit. Those resellers that do sell products in violation of the new limits could face civil and/or criminal penalties."

In an interview held today with About.com's guide to Working Moms, Katherine Lewis, a CPSC spokesperson, Patty Davis said that retailers that sell used children's products do not have to certify that they meet the lead limits or the phthalates standards, but added that the law does require manufacturers and the importers to certify that those products made after Feb. 10 don't violate the new limits.

In the statement, the CPSC also urged resellers to be diligent when reselling items that have higher recall rates, such as cribs, play yards, jewelry, dolls with buttons and painted toys and to be wary of items that are: made poorly and can break, choking hazards and toys that lack required age warnings. This is also good advice for consumers who may be purchasing these items from a reseller or, receiving one as a hand-me-down.

This is terrific news for parents with kids of all ages, especially in these trying economic times when it's likely that these types of shops will see an increase in business.

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