Monday, January 19, 2009

handmade toys

Ok, I'm on my soapbox for just a minute...

In 2007, large toy manufacturers who outsource their production to China etc, sold toys with high lead content, unsafe parts, and made from dangerous chemicals. In response, Congress passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) , which among other things, mandates third-party testing and certification for all toys. This testing will be easy for large corporations who churn out thousands of each toy a year.

However, the way the current act is written, it puts most small toy-making businesses out of business. All the Etsy sellers, crafts fair artisans, etc in America would also have to pay the $300-$4,000 fee for third-party testing for EACH toy that they make. This makes the crafts-fair toymaker extinct while Mattel and Bratz prosper.

Please visit the Handmade Toy Alliance for more information, including a sample letter and a list of state representatives and their contact information:
www.handmadetoyalliance.org

You can also sign the Handmade Toy Alliance petition here:
petition

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for posting this! I personally know some awesome artistians who are affected by this new law.

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