Please, if you value locally made, handmade, fair trade, organic, or European toys, please click here to sign the following petition:
Like many people, I was deeply concerned by the dangerous and poisonous toys that large Chinese toy manufacturers have been selling to our nations families. And, I was very pleased that Congress acted quickly to protect America's children by enacting the CPSIA.
However, I am very concerned that the CPSIA's mandates for third party testing and labeling will have a dramatic and negative effect on small toymakers in the USA, Canada, and Europe, whose toy safety record has always been exemplary.
Because of the fees charged by Third Party testing companies, many small toymakers will be driven out of business. Their cottage workshops simply do not make enough money to afford the $150 to $4,000 price tag per toy that Third Party testers are charging.
I support a reform of the CPSIA so that toys made in batches of less than 5,000 units per year or manufactured within the USA and trusted countries with established toy safety regimes such as Canada and the European Union be held exempt from third party testing requirements. They should be held to the same high quality standards defined by the CPSIA but will not need to pay for expensive third party testing or batch labeling.
These toy makers have earned and kept the public's trust. They provide jobs for hundreds and quality playthings for thousands. Their unique businesses should be protected.
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You can also write to Congress and the CPSC urging reform of the CPSIA to protect small toymakers. Visit www.handmadetoyalliance.org for more info. Thanks!
5 comments:
I've signed :)
I've signed the petition, written my congressman and the CPSC, and sent messages to all of my friends and family letting them know about this. There has to be a way to check for lead content in toys and still keep high-quality businesses running. It will be nothing less than a tragedy for everyone if changes are not made.
Will you be able to keep Peapod's open if changes are not made before February 10th? What will happen?
Yes, of course we'll stay open. It's a question of how many of our unique small manufacturers will be able to survive. Big companies like Plan and Haba seem to be adapting, but our smallest suppliers are endangered.
I'm glad you will still be open. I live in India, but am from Savage, and am planning to visit your shop when I visit home (still not sure of the date). But I'll be sad if your small suppliers go out of business.
I heard that HABA is withdrawing from the U.S. market. Is that true?
Rochelle--Haba has told us that they will continue in the US market, although they are discontinuing their jewelry. Selecta Spielzeug, another German toymaker that we've carried for years, is the only company to officially exit the market so far.
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