Comments on: My Lovely Little Crochet Lady and the CPSIA http://www.toydirectory.com/toyblog/index.php/2009/04/my-lovely-little-crochet-lady-and-the-cpsia/ See TDmonthly.com For Live Coverage of the 2012 New York International Toy Fair Thu, 03 Mar 2011 18:51:04 -0500 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 By: Jill Chuckas http://www.toydirectory.com/toyblog/index.php/2009/04/my-lovely-little-crochet-lady-and-the-cpsia/comment-page-1/#comment-44 Jill Chuckas Fri, 05 Jun 2009 22:08:08 +0000 http://www.toydirectory.com/toyblog/?p=179#comment-44 Thank you so much for your thoughtful and insightful post. We at the Handmade Toy Alliance (www.handmadetoyalliance.org) have been working hard as well at enacting common sense changes to the CPSIA. We all agree that safety for our children is so very important, but the way the CPSIA is written does little to improve safety standards and insteads penalizes the very companies that work so hard to present unique and safe items for children. Although new leadership at the CPSC is a positive first step to change, there are so many things that need to happen to make this law functionable. Harmonization with EU standards, component testing certification, more material exemptions and an overall look at risk assessment as it pertains to children's products are critical to keeping small businesses open. Thank you so much for your thoughtful and insightful post. We at the Handmade Toy Alliance (www.handmadetoyalliance.org) have been working hard as well at enacting common sense changes to the CPSIA. We all agree that safety for our children is so very important, but the way the CPSIA is written does little to improve safety standards and insteads penalizes the very companies that work so hard to present unique and safe items for children. Although new leadership at the CPSC is a positive first step to change, there are so many things that need to happen to make this law functionable. Harmonization with EU standards, component testing certification, more material exemptions and an overall look at risk assessment as it pertains to children’s products are critical to keeping small businesses open.

]]> By: Andy Hoffman http://www.toydirectory.com/toyblog/index.php/2009/04/my-lovely-little-crochet-lady-and-the-cpsia/comment-page-1/#comment-43 Andy Hoffman Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:40:02 +0000 http://www.toydirectory.com/toyblog/?p=179#comment-43 ....My fear is that the offerings of toys will finally be whittled down to the top 40 manufacturers, and everyone from Wal-Mart to FAO Schwarz will have to source the same things from the same places, manufactured as cheaply as possible.... I found this remark striking and insightful, as it pertains to the rarely talked about fact that one of the reasons the TIA and other so-called industry "leaders" originally pressed so hard for CPSIA-style regulation was to drive "up production costs, which helps large companies like Mattel and hurts samll toy makers--particularly those sporting 'Made in America' labels." http://tinyurl.com/pfhmtg Small businesses were thrown under the bus by industry big-wigs--and the hypocrisy of their latent attempts to befriend (and incite) small manufacturers never ceases to amaze me. Having said that, I am confidant that the new leadership at the CPSC will do a much better job at implementing the CPSIA, and that a fair and "final resolution" as you say is in the offing. ….My fear is that the offerings of toys will finally be whittled down to the top 40 manufacturers, and everyone from Wal-Mart to FAO Schwarz will have to source the same things from the same places, manufactured as cheaply as possible….

I found this remark striking and insightful, as it pertains to the rarely talked about fact that one of the reasons the TIA and other so-called industry “leaders” originally pressed so hard for CPSIA-style regulation was to drive “up production costs, which helps large companies like Mattel and hurts samll toy makers–particularly those sporting ‘Made in America’ labels.” http://tinyurl.com/pfhmtg Small businesses were thrown under the bus by industry big-wigs–and the hypocrisy of their latent attempts to befriend (and incite) small manufacturers never ceases to amaze me.

Having said that, I am confidant that the new leadership at the CPSC will do a much better job at implementing the CPSIA, and that a fair and “final resolution” as you say is in the offing.

]]> By: A CPSIA future? http://www.toydirectory.com/toyblog/index.php/2009/04/my-lovely-little-crochet-lady-and-the-cpsia/comment-page-1/#comment-40 A CPSIA future? Thu, 04 Jun 2009 04:08:29 +0000 http://www.toydirectory.com/toyblog/?p=179#comment-40 [...] manufactured as cheaply as possible.” [Linda Hays (Hopscotch Toys, McMinnville, Ore.), ToyDirectory.com] More views from toyland: Handmade Toy Alliance and Cecilia Leibovitz; Rick Woldenberg in Roll Call [...] [...] manufactured as cheaply as possible.” [Linda Hays (Hopscotch Toys, McMinnville, Ore.), ToyDirectory.com] More views from toyland: Handmade Toy Alliance and Cecilia Leibovitz; Rick Woldenberg in Roll Call [...]

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