At first read, it sounds like an Internet scam. A law has been passed that will prohibit anyone from selling used children’s clothes and toys, effective next month. This would have wide-ranging affects, putting everyone from consignments shops and Goodwill to eBay sellers and yard sale folks out of business.
Everyone from hard core frugal moms who have adopted frugality from the beginning to new to the craft frugalistas who are responding to trends that make frugal cool, to people who suddenly find the necessity of a frugal lifestyle with the failing economy, people are panicking.
As someone who relies on used clothing for about 90 percent of the time, this law could have me in a panic as well.
So could this really happen?
It may already have. Then again, there may be hope.
No, I don’t want to confuse you or be vague, so let me share the details.
It has been a bit hush hush up until now, but the U.S. Consumer Protection & Safety Commission has responded to angry parents who want dangerous lead kept away from our children. As a result, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act has been passed into law. This would require that all toys and children’s clothing be evaluated by a third party for lead before they are sold.
The implication to the resale industry and ordinary folks like ourselves is that there is no provision that excludes already existing toys and clothing from the law. Thrift stores and homeowners who want to resell their goods will probably not be hiring a third party to inspect their stuff.
But don’t panic yet. The fact that the U.S. Consumer Protection Agency has not clarified this means that they probably didn’t consider resale implications in the original law and are now trying to figure out where they stand. And for all of the panicked critics of the agency, have a little understanding that original purpose of the law was probably to protect children, not stimulate the economy by eliminating used goods.
Check back here at the Frugal Living Blog for updates as they become available. The effective date for the law is February 10, 2009.
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, creating a home in the Home Blog, caring for little ones in the Baby Blog and now relationships in the Marriage Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here or subscribe to the blog using the subscription box on the right.
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