Don't let CPSIA kill handmade toys in the USA

I'm so annoyed by this whole Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) put together by our Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) which is set to go into effect early this year. Admittedly I have a small handmade obsession stemming from my stumbling upon ETSY. I love handmade goodies. And when I'm fortunate enough to bring one into my household I can't help but think about what each product stands for and how much heart and personal touch have been placed into each individual find. I do love my children and would lay down my own life to protect theirs. And I appreciate what CPSC has done in the way of consumer safety and when it comes to China I realize something has to be done. However, this CPSIA needs to be reworked or else too many good people, not just us consumers, are really going to suffer.

According to the Handmade Toy Alliance "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."

While CPSIA's regulations won't be any skin off major toy manufacturers' backs, small toymakers and manufacturers in the US, Canada and Europe will have to close up shop due to the act's expensive, $300 to $4,000 per toy, mandatory testing.

What can we do to save handmade in the USA? Learn more about the negative effects of this act by visiting
Handmade Toy Alliance's site. Then, sign the petition, send a letter to your local congress person and senator and spread the word to everyone you know. We especially need to act in these hard times when people are seeking ways to supplement their incomes by transforming their good ideas into an entrepreneurial opportunities. We can't let corporate giants have it all. We have to protect handmade.