Save handmade toys

I haven't written much about this as so many other websites have much better information related to new Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act, which will effect both the makers of handmade children's clothing and toys and retailers who sell second-hand children's clothing. This law was created to protect children from toys with toxic lead in them. Unfortunately the law is poorly written and as it currently stands as of Feb. 10, makers of handmade children's products, toys and retailers who sell second-hand children's clothing would be required to test all products aimed at children 12 and under for lead and phthalates starting. Phthalates are chemicals used to make plastics more pliable.

The problem is that the law doesn't distinguish between items that might contain lead and phthalates, and those items which would naturally enough not have them in them, or which were deemed safe to sell to the public previously (i.e. used clothing) which many families depend on being able to get from thrift and second-hand stores to affordablely clothe their kids. For more information you can simply click the save handmade button which will link you to a bunch more articles on this topic and also places to advocate for changes in this law. While I don't, at the moment, sell handmade toys for children--the dolls I've sold are meant as art pieces for display rather than play, if I were to start making toys for kids I would have to comply with this badly written law or risk breaking the law, fines etc. Now, we don't know how strongly this law will be enforced, but the people who make and sell handcrafted toys, clothing and such for kids (from my own observation) do so with care to make the products safe for kids, even more so than big manufacturers would.