Nearly extinct. Add Yours.

If you make or sell products that are negatively impacted by the CPSIA, like me, you are probably tired of writing to your Congressional representatives blogging, tweeting and generally informing the public of what a disaster the CPSIA is for fans of all things handmade and second-hand.  Let’s face it, it sucks to be the bearer of bad news, and it can be exhausting (rather like beating your head against a wall) to interact with public officials.  I’m not saying we can abandon all that, but here is a welcome change of venue, courtesy of Colleen Jamison at www.TheNaturalToyBox.com:

Email Colleen (see her website above for contact info, or find her at Twitter: @naturaltoybox) a photo of a product you make, sell or buy (yes, you can participate as a consumer) that cannot survive the CPSIA in its current form and will therefore soon be extinct.  Include a paragraph or two (or a link to it) about the impact of the CPSIA on you, your household or your business.  Every day, Colleen will feature a soon-to-be-extinct product via Twitter, and the group of products and stories will be compiled as a powerfully moving message to lawmakers and the still largely unaware public.

Please take a few minutes to email Colleen your story and product.  I sent her a link to this page.

Here is a photo of one of my formerly best-selling hair bows.  Imagine the testing cost for all the various ribbon types in this one bow design.  Multiply that by hundreds of designs, most available in three to five different sizes, and each of those available attached to a wide variety of clips, barrettes and pony elastics.  The possible iterations are endless.  Customization, luxurious detail, and a continually growing product offering (based on seasonal fashion trends) were all hallmarks of my business, and are all reasons it is impossible for me to comply with CPSIA testing, certification and labeling regulations.

This excerpt from my February 2009 letter to President Obama describes my situation:

I have had to close my hair accessory business because testing is simply not an attainable option for a small producer of custom products. Congress has made it painfully clear how expendable and insignificant they consider my plight through their profound lack of response to my repeated requests for CPSIA reform. But I believe my situation is representative of thousands, and worth a closer look.

If family integrity is revered at all, the entrepreneurial efforts of mothers providing their families with needed income while home caring for their children should be valued and encouraged, not ignored, disparaged, or regulated out of existence. And it goes well beyond moms like me, working from home. My local consignment shop, a 26 year old family business, has stopped selling children’s items – previously the largest portion of their sales. I’m afraid to sell my own kids’ outgrown clothing, which typically funds their next year’s wardrobe. Our school district and local library are biting their nails, waiting, hoping for reasonable reform before the stay of enforcement expires. Even many domestic manufacturers far larger than myself can’t afford to comply with testing requirements and are on the brink of collapse. Personally, I have lost my disposable income, and with it, my ability to stimulate the local economy. Multiply these experiences by tens of thousands across the country.

And while businesses hobble along, crippled by the CPSIA, close up completely, or operate unknowingly in violation (risking significant liability) Congress deflects responsibility and plays politics with the CPSC. The complete unwillingness of Democratic lawmakers to even concede there is more to the story than big business vs. children’s safety is excruciatingly disheartening to me as a liberal, forsaken by my own party.

The complete letter is here.  A week or two ago (about 4 months after sending this letter to the President) I received a card from the White House in response.  It thanked me for communicating with the President, but made clear that no one had read my letter yet, as they are very busy.

Thanks Colleen, for your work to amend the CPSIA.  It will obviously require a continued and tireless effort on all our parts.