PLEASE don't close your shops... Idea...

[#1]

I have a suggestion. For everyone who carries kid's items and cannot comply with this insanely complex law:

If you close your shop on the 10th and just go away, we all lose.

Try leaving your shop open- but empty- while we keep lobbying and see how this all plays out.

Put in your shop announcement WHY your shop is empty. Something like

"Due to the new CPSIA law I cannot sell children's items due to innability to test my products. If you want more information on this law and proposed ammendments, please visit (link or onfo). If this law is repealed or ammended, I will be able to resume selling safe, toxin free children's items. Thank you for your support."

Let's see how all our buyers react when they go to your Etsy toy or clothing store and find it all boarded up and empty with tumbleweeds blowing around it. It may help our cause if this whole mess is not fixed by the 10th.

What do you think? Like I said, this is just an idea- if you don't agree, that's fine. Just don't bite my head off; like many of us I'm a little stressed and sad right now.

[Former_Member]

Hi, I have some questions... can I still make diaper bags...but not burp cloths & bibs?


Thanks!

[Former_Member]

Acorngirl...I like it!!!

[thepapertagprincess]

acorn.....and we love our Etsy artists too!

[Former_Member]

Great idea, and if there's some way to keep the photos up of the cute stuff you *used* to sell, just not have it actually for sale... all the better. Let people see what they are missing.

In those items, too, put exactly what they are made of: 100% cotton fabric, etc. so people see how crazy this law is.

[acorngirl]

Fairycute, that's what I'm doing also. I love your shop! Maybe tutu's for grown ups? Those seem pretty popular right now. :)

[happywhosits]

Great idea Acorngirl! Like you, there are a lot of things we won't be able to sell unless we can get some reasonably priced testing arranged before then.

Eileen...

[acorngirl]

2sweetboutique says:
Hi, I have some questions... can I still make diaper bags...but not burp cloths & bibs?
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Maybe. Probably. But don't quote me; that law is as confusing as H-E-double-hockey-sticks.

[Former_Member]

acorngirl, Thanks and yes, we do make adult tutus, but they are usually custom and we don't have a bunch in stock right now...we will soon though! They are SO fun! :)

[acorngirl]

(((Eileen)))

[happywhosits]

tinkymcfrog,

People will be able to see what they are missing if they check your sold items. Or if you have pictures of them somewhere like flickr. You can put a link in shop announcement to a flickr page, or direct folks to your sold items.

Love the name, btw.

Eileen...

[happywhosits]

(((Mary!)))

[Former_Member]

2sweet, I am not sure you can list them as "diaper" bags but you should be able to sell them as general purpose bags and not mention "diaper".

[Former_Member]

Great idea AcornGirl..!

[agru]

Even though I'm not directly affected by the new regs, I've been following all this with interest since anything that affects a portion of the crafting world affects us all in the end.

I'm thinking someone should design a unifying banner for each closed shop stating something like "CPSIA forced this hiatus" or something more clever than what my small brain can conceive.

That could make people understand it's a unified movement, rather than a bunch of individuals acting on their own.

[Former_Member]

I like that idea, agru!

[acorngirl]

Me too!

[Former_Member]

why not just say "this is art and not intended for children" even on baby clothes. No SANE person is going to abide by this law.

[happywhosits]

This is why knottybabywear

http://www.rescuemarketing.com/blog/2009/01/18/have-any-of-you-ever-endured-an-inspection-by-the-cps...

Eileen...

[Former_Member]

thats exactly how I feel for the most part...if we all quit and run home, the gov't wins.
Gov't-1, Etsy sellers-0

I'll keep letting people buy my stuff after the 10th though. I don't have a darn clue where to buy lead to rub all over my ouchie pouchies, and everything I by is already lead free.

[Former_Member]

You can always give the item away free but charge for the box you put it in. I have seen that work with other items. They could not touch them because the item was free. So it wasn't against the law.

[Former_Member]

I'd been thinking about something like this, but I'd dismissed it. I'll have to put my store in vacation mode anyway, at least until I hear back from suppliers.

Can't we do more? Maybe, not shop at all on Feb. 10th?

[PunkeyMonkey]

Great idea, we aren't closing either but we will have to stop selling some of our items for 12 and under and just list for teens, etc.

[Former_Member]

This is why knottybabywear

http://www.rescuemarketing.com/blog/2009/01/18/have-any-of-you-ever-endured-an-inspection-by-the-cps...

Eileen...
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lol I read that, doesn't seem like the "police" are too threatening! The reason it was never resolved is because they still can't prove that they were sold as nightgowns. They can't blame her if a parent let their child sleep in it. My son has slept in onsies before, but that wouldn't be Carters fault if something happened. It would be mine. In most cases parents need to be just that, parents!!! Don't sue the bracelet naufacturer because your kid swallowed a bead and got hurt. Don't let your kid eat beads, things happen, thats life. But don't blame someone because she was interested in how they taste. kwim? sorry if this was wayyyy off topic. lol

[acorngirl]

Treasures4All says:
You can always give the item away free but charge for the box you put it in. I have seen that work with other items. They could not touch them because the item was free. So it wasn't against the law.
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I don't think that applies here, because it will be illegal to ship untested items. :(

[acorngirl]

Moving this up.