Has anyone been able to reconcile third party lab testing?

[Dannielle]

I can't wrap my brain around how it's even possible to do destructive lab tests on one of a kind items and it's impossible for me to make what I make it batches larger than two. So I'm at a loss.

But I'm wondering if anyone has been able to figure a way to make it work for their business model. Anyone buy in bulk enough to make it work? Or all we all too small scale to absorb the expense, even if it is physically possible for your product?

[Former_Member]

I'm in the same boat as you. I don't have large enough cuts of my fabrics to make a bunch of identical items. They all vary slightly and use different but similar fabrics.

Digestive testing isn't possible for my business without a big investment of full bolts of new fabric that I can neither afford or have room to store.

[Former_Member]

I'm at a loss, too, Dannielle. I don't even know if my squirrels are one of a kind. I mean, if you weigh them, they would weigh slightly different amounts because I glob on different amounts of papier mache. One might be a centimeter shorter than another. If I accidently make more polka dots on one than another, are they a batch or is each a one of a kind? Can I test one and then make all I want? Or are they not "materially identical?"

Of course, I emailed these questions to the CPSC WEEKS ago and no response.

It sure would be nice if the CPSC would say SOMETHING that doesn't have a disclaimer attached that says "may not reflect opinions of the actual commission."

I mean, the clock is ticking!

[Former_Member]

I have no idea... All of my main components are recycled. 100% cotton recycled men's shirts. I can't get more than one of a kind, and I can't get more than 1 dress (and 1/2 a skirt) out of each shirt. Insanity.

[Former_Member]

And, holy crud, but isn't part of the whole creative process getting to lie in bed at night and think, "oooh tomorrow I want to make an orange one!" or walking into the fabric store and thinking "oh I want to use that print this time!"

What happens to our creative process?

I'm sorry I'm derailing your thread here, but, yeah, I don't see any possible way to get OOAKs certified under this law (as of Aug).

[Dannielle]

Yeah when I make dolls I can wrap the legs of two dolls and then I've used up that skein of embroidery floss. If I wrap two doll's legs out of the same floss I tend to go out of my way to finish those dolls differently so they're not identical. But, theoretically, I could make two dolls relatively identical.

Even so, "test one-sell" one doesn't make financial sense at all.

Oh gosh! The creative process! Mine has about been killed already with the stress of thinking about all this. If I wanted to make thousands of identical dolls I'd go get a job in a factory in China.

[Former_Member]

I hear ya Dannielle. My favorite part of what I make is that each one is a little different. I also make a lot of custom orders where the buyer picks the pictures and colors they want from my fabric choices. That's out the window now I guess.