Green Daily

NOOOOO! Not Melissa & Doug. I'd start carving toys out of sticks from the backyard but I'm sure they have high lead content from the soil in our yard. :)

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Don't you think we're getting a little ridiculous with all of this? I think we're becoming a nation of wimps. It's up to parents to make sure their kids aren't using their toys as lunch instead of playthings.

It's always important to follow age guidelines and if your not sure then don't buy it!!

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I own and operate Trading Post for little folks. It is a children's & maternity resale shop in Essex Jct, VT. I started this business from the ground up 12 years ago. Since opening, our goal has been to provide a place for families to find excellent quality items at affordable prices for their children. In this economy, we've helped many families take care of their children's needs. At the same time, we've helped our envirnoment by recycling gently used children's items to keep them out of landfills.

The new CPSIA Act that goes into affect February 10, 2009 is a very big concern for me. I understand the reasons for the new law and support it, but I'm very afraid of it and how it's written right now. There's been a modification to the original law, but that hasn't been made into law yet. Despite that, as far as I understand, the modification doesn't make it any easier. We resellers are not required to test every item we have in stock now or in the future for traces of lead, BUT if we sell anything that violates the new law, we're liable and risk civil and/or criminal penalties.

This could be the end of my business! I've helped support my family and the community surrounding me with this business for 12 years and I want to continue doing so. At this point, I don't know how to make sure how I'll be able to comply to this new law, except for the testing. There are no resources or guidelines out there to help me determine what are "safe" products and what aren't. I simply can't afford to do the testing, cover all the other costs I have to run a business, and continue helping to support my family. At the same time, I can't afford the risks of being liable for selling a product that may violate the new law.

This not only affects my business and the thousands of others like mine nationwide. It also affects charaties, Ebay, Craigslist, garage sales, & children's libraries. In this economy many families depend on all of these to get by. How will this affect our landfills? If I don't find some guidance soon, I may be forced to close and I simply can't afford to do that either!

I really want to continue doing what I've enjoyed doing here for so long...supporting my family, helping other families save money and helping the environment.


Michelle Ertle

TRADING POST for little folks
802-878-1327
tradingpost2@verizon.net
http://www.tradingpostforlittlefolks.com

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