Product Safety Law Problem For Homecrafters
Kiki Fluhr, who runs the All the Numbers Handmade homecraft business from her Quincy, Massachusetts home, warns that the new Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, which becomes effective from February 10 next year, will turn micro-businesses like hers into illegal manufacturers of “hazardous substances’ overnight.
This law includes hand-knitted, quilted and hand-sewn clothes, wooden toys and the myriad of other products for children which traditionally have been sold by arts-and-crafts shops countrywide for decades. These are usually produced by cash-strapped people at home.
She says that even granny’s home-made quilts sold in the local arts-and-crafts shop won’t be exempt from this new law.
Also disastrous is the fact that thousands of tons of these often exquisitely-handcrafted products in the pre-existing stock of shops also will have to be dumped as contraband which under this law will be deemed to contain ‘banned, hazardous substances’ after February 10 — because the Act is retroactive.
Each product will have be tested at huge cost and produce a certificate of compliance before it can be sold. Handcrafters say they can’t afford this huge price-tag of $4,000 for each test.
Photo by plex.
cassy on December 25th, 2008 4:36 pm
Law must be follow,i agree all product must be check if it is safe for the consumers and not only that, this new product safety law is also a protection for the legal manufacturers.
Jim T on December 30th, 2008 3:19 pm
I don’t do hand-made crafts, but I do buy them. This is typical “save the people” legislation that looks good on the surface but is terrible in implementation. We’re in an employment and economic crisis, and now those that work with their hands will be faced with unbelievable barriers because of tainted imports from China?
Write your legistlators. This needs to be fixed.
DeBorah Beatty on December 30th, 2008 3:25 pm
Where can I get more info about the new law?
consumer product safety on December 30th, 2008 5:23 pm
It’s too bad the law will affect small businesses in this way, but may be a necessary evil.
phillippa lack on December 31st, 2008 8:33 am
OK, consumer product safety!! think of thehouston, chicago, long beach paducah aand other quilt shows that bring BILLIONS into the economy. Are they all going to go away? it will not only ‘affect small businesses,’ it will completely KILL them.
Laura on January 6th, 2009 7:48 am
A necessary evil?? OH yes….those cute little handmade hairbows are going to kill millions of children, aren’t they? OH…and watch out for Grannies hand-quilted booties…they are lethal!
Come on….my friend will have to fork over a minimum of $500 to test one $3 hairbow…..how is that even considered SANE??
Just because we had a horrible plague of toys imported from China….shouldn’t have to affect the rest of us……this law should SERIOUSLY be re-written in consideration for the millions of home crafters who depend on thier crafts for income!
Jessa on January 8th, 2009 12:22 pm
If you would like to know more about this issue, a good start is http://coolmompicks.com/savehandmade/
Please look into it and do what you can to help. This is NOT a necessary evil. My hand painted wall letters are not going to hurt anyone, but having to quit my homebased business will send me back to work, put my daughter in day care, take money out of my letter supplier’s pockets, and so on and so on. This law will affect MILLIONS of crafters. You can’t even begin to realize the full extent of damages.
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