Say Goodbye to Thrift & Consignment Stores

I think Up North Mommy said it perfectly when she said, "The US government is bound and determined to protect us right into a miserable existence."

Have you heard of the CPSIA, or Consumer Protection Safety Improvement Act, that will be going into affect on February 10, 2009?

This law will mandate that everything made for kids under the age of 12 must be tested by a third party for lead and phthalates. So what's the problem? The problem is that what this means is everything made before that date has to be removed from shelves unless businesses can afford to have their products tested.

So get ready to say good-bye to not only your favorite thrift and consignment stores but we may have seen the last of our favorite children's toys on Etsy as well. These types of stores or the SAHM's trying to make extra money by making handmade items and selling them will not be able to afford the hundreds, possibly thousands of dollars, that this kind of testing will cost.

This Act is bound to do more harm than good that's for sure. With the direction things are going in I wonder how much longer the middle class will exist in this country.

How can you help?
Call your local congressmen and senators!

Check out these sites for more information:

Blissfully Domestic-Save Handmade

Up North Mommy

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