Time to get out of the game?

[Former_Member]

I've tested my products and all have passed without any problem. I've posted the GCC's on my website for the children's products I sell. I've educated myself on the details of the CPSIA, signed petitions, joined CPSIA forums and groups, written letters and made phone calls to my congressmen and senators. I'm doing the best I can to be sure I am in full compliance with the CPSIA and fight for reform.

My issue is this...the CPSIA has taken some of the fun out of designing, creating, and selling children's goods and made it a bittersweet process for so many reasons. The labeling deadline is right around the corner and while I know how I would label my products, I'm just not sure I have the energy the keep jumping through the government's hoops when I know my products are safe. I'm tired as are so many of us.

So, is it time to get out of the game and start phasing out kids' products? I find myself torn between continuing to just do my best to be compliant and keep going or just throwing in the towel. My pride makes me hate the feeling that I might be defeated by the CPSIA.

Unfortunately, our government isn't listening and we all have to make the best decisions we can with the information we have given our own individual circumstances. The CPSC, CPSIA and our government is steamrolling along flattening our businesses and our spirits as it goes. We, the entrepreneurs, small businesses owners, Etsyians, etc., are the ones left trying to keep our heads above water while they feel they are protecting our kids better than we are and making the world a safer place.

Long post, just venting and looking for any insight, opinions or comments from others who are feeling the same.
Thank you.

[Former_Member]

Hi!

I hope you feel better now :) I have a question. How much did it cost to do testing? It does seem like having to keep testing would suck the enthusiasm and creativity right out of a person.

[Former_Member]

It seems a royal shame to push through all of that and not keep working. Maybe you just need to take a break from the blogs and forums and letters and breathe for a bit. I imagine once the sting and the burnout run their course you'll manage to remember what you love about it again, even if it does have to be labeled.

Take a break, but don't give up. :)

[Former_Member]

It is difficult I am going through the same mix bags of emotions here. It seems as we are not being heard I finished a craft show today and did really well. I am suprised to see that so many crafters/artisans dont know about all of this still. It is completely draining to go into my shop and see all the rocking horses that may never get a home.
Monkeysprout it sounds like you need a break take the time off and heal, then you may find the spark once again to get back into doing what so many of us also love to do . This is a long fight and its hard to keep the gloves on.

[SimmonsCreek]

I'm giving up. I don't sell childrens items, but I do own a charity for needy babies. I've done all the 'right' things too and it just isn't going anywhere. I've been booted out of groups, forums, yelled at etc for causing 'issues'. I'm worn out. I'm tired and it's time for me to put it to bed. I wish everyone the best of luck with your individual decisions. It certainly is a tough one.

[Former_Member]

I bailed a few months ago :(

[Former_Member]

I'm probably going to drop my preemie charity too. I'm disabled and there is no way can I afford to have all that testing done. Not to mention that testing will destroy my OOAK items.

Oh, and how are you supposed to put a permanent label on a knit sweater?

*throws up hands in disgust.*

[SimmonsCreek]

And isn't that the saddest part lauria? I think of all the people that need what we can give them and the volunteers that donate their time and talents so that babies and families can have what they need and now they will get nothing. Babies will have to go without. Just turns my stomach. I still haven't figured out how to write the letter to my group. I think they have a good idea because I have been keeping them posted, it's just that I haven't written the final "we're done" letter yet. UGH!

[Former_Member]

It's not like you can buy ready made for a micro, or small preemie. Ready made starts at 5 lbs. The mothers are practically fighting over the sweaters in the NICU, but now suddenly I'm a bad guy.

Right!

[SimmonsCreek]

And isn't the BIGGER crime for all of the donations to end up in the landfill INSTEAD of doing what they were intended to do and that is keep a baby warm? GOD I hate this law!

[BebeChicBoutique]

I'm very close to giving up. I don't have much hope that the law will be changed enough, or at all, to make it feasible to continue. I'm willing to make sure my products are safe, but it has to be through component testing at the supply level, not finished product third party testing. I am also willing to comply with the labeling, but can only imagine what a headache that will be. Besides it kind of confuses me. If I make my own labels, then there is time spent making labels which doesn't help sell my products to a potential customer. I just don't see that it is possible to purchase labels either with all the info that has to be on it. I keep very accurate inventory records now that list every product and the materials used, date made, sold, etc. That alone takes time and is the not so fun part of my business. I'm happy we were granted a stay, but sometimes I think it gave me false hope. I continued to make baby items because that is what I love to do. If we hadn't gotten the stay, I might already be on to something else. I'm happy for those that the stay helped. Maybe it gave them time to figure out how to stay in business. But unless big changes are made, I will will close and I hate it.

[Former_Member]

Everone's story is absolutely heartbreaking.

I would like to give our congressmen the benefit of the doubt that they passed this law without realizing the unintended consequences. Since they aren't willing to swallow a little pride, admit the fallout that is happening with so many of us and make some necessary changes, I don't think that benefit of the doubt is deserved.

I can't even imagine what the landscape will look like when all of these perfectly lovely and safe products aren't available to us anymore.

[Former_Member]

It's getting harder each day to think positively and hope that this nonsense will go away and we can carry on doing what makes us and our customers happy. I'm not in this to make millions of dollars...just wanting to fulfill a dream, even if it is a childish one. This law is so far reaching...and yet it's being widely ignored so far - by way of a resolution, and general knowledge.

Heartbreaking? Extremely. I have no idea what to do at this point.

[Former_Member]

AND my creativity and motivation is really stifled too. *sigh*

[Former_Member]

I want to cry. What will the children's charities DO??

[SimmonsCreek]

As the founder of a childrens charity, I can tell you my experience. I've tried talking to other people who own charities. Lots of them I know because we were involved with the same one at one time and went out on our own. I've gotten nasty mail telling me it doesn't apply to them. Or, I have gotten no answer. All I wanted to know was how they were going to handle it and I got blasted. I will close mine August 1st. Just have to break the news to the group. UGH, I so hate the thought of that!

[Former_Member]

I know that this may seem a little newbish but please forgive my social faux pas; I'm only partially up to date on all the craziness with these new and ridiculous laws, especially the latest labeling ridiculousness. I also have no idea how a children's charity works but all of your stories are so heartbreaking I just -have- to ask:

Couldn't you continue to operate without jumping through all of the hoops?

Maybe it's the Alaskan in me but, I have no idea how the government is going to be 'policing' these new (and ridiculous) laws, and certainly it seems that it would be different for a charity as opposed to a small time etsy seller. But I just wonder... how will they know if you're not doing it? Even people who don't do or cheat on their taxes don't get caught for years, if ever, and even then it's the luck of the draw sometimes; and they have the whole IRS looking into things. Does CPSIA have any kind of policing going on other than us just wanting to follow these ridiculous rules because they say so and they think it's better for little kids to go without clothes at all because we couldn't figure out how to put a damn permanent label on a knit sweater?

[SimmonsCreek]

Well, PlumpPaper, that's the ridiculousness of this law. It does affect charities and I am not one that can just feign ignorance and continue business as usual. As for the 'policeing' it will be the State Attorney General and the local District Attorneys that will be in charge of this. Is it likely that I will get 'caught"? Probably not, but I just can't take that chance. The fines are through the roof! It would devastate my household. We are having a rough enough time of it as it is. I could probably figure out how to attach the labels but it's all the information that needs to go on it that will be the issue. I can't comply and I can't ask my volunteers to do it either. Many are elderly and wouldn't know where to start. As for the "cheat on taxes" deal? I'm not one that does something just because others are doing it. I believe that they will get caught eventually and then it will be worse for them than if they had filed in the first place. Bottom line is, I know the law i out there and I will not break it.

[Former_Member]

I agree plumppaper and I can also agree with Simmonscreek on these issues the one thing about this law that we can see is the huge loopholes in it. The certification will be easy enough to falsify. Like when the government prints new money they almost have to start on making a new print just to stay ahead of the counterfiters. Doing the testing counterfit would keep one in business but it would take all the energy out of it. I just keep on emailing and twittering and spreading the word to government to get this changed. Wouldnt it be great to get on line one night and read on our hoime page that congress has withdrew the CPSIA law due to it being unfair to small businesses! Oh what a great artical this would be to read! Then we all could keep on doing what we love to do working in our small shops.
Till it happens keep emailing and twittering government officals keeping the gloves on will show them that we are not going to lay down and go away. It is what big corporationa are just waiting for us to do.

[Former_Member]

Check this out and let me know what y ou think. <http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html>. The link to the CPSIA guidelines for resellers and thrift shops. I think they are cutting them a break in that they are not required to do testing on children's products that they sell.

[bobbinalong]

What is happening to our American rights? Our American spirit? Here we are sitting here on a Tuesday morning thinking of ideas to get around a law (by breaking it) that is meant to protect kids. Great example we're setting for the kids! I am NOT TALKING AGAINST YOU. I am right with you. But isn't that ridiculous in itself.

I think people in this country are not THINKING. We are not using our brains. People in government, people leading our industries, maybe even us. In all of my life, I have never seen the problems that have taken this country down as I have this year. Are people just not thinking. They certainly can't be that stupid.

I was sewing yesterday, listening to radio. Thanks to the government, I didn't have a black box on my TV in my sewing room. (That changed last night.) But they were talking about some people throwing away their TV's and buying new digital ones because they didn't want the government telling them they had to buy a black box! Must not value their money. I know we needed a band for emergencies. However, now the radios that carried TV that you could take to the basement when the tornado warning came, won't work. And the TV station that you could tune into for this information said they couldn't carry it anymore. Sorry was the word they used. Hopefully, we will not need this, but I see tornados still coming. How are these kids protected? What is Congress thinking? Not.

I am like all of you. I cannot figure how to put a label in a knitted bootie made from one piece of yarn. What about the other bootie? Testing is definitely out for me. For lots of us making kids' items. So what is my recourse.

Why can't we THINK harder. There has to be something that we have overlooked. Why can't we make Congress THINK harder? Why can't we grab our American Spirit and take it to new heights. Let's not be so easily acceptable of violating the law, or giving up. That is the pain talking. This country was founded by smart people. We're smart. We're creative. Let's THINK. I know we have been, but let's THINK harder!

Let's think a minute of some of the things perhaps we haven't done. What if we deluged the "Letters to the Editors" of every magazine we can think of? Not just kids' or parents' magazines. Every one. Readers have kids. What if we deluged every Statehouse and every Governor of every state in the USA with our letters. Many kids involved there. What if we deluged with letters all the Small Business Adminstrations, all the organizations in cities, business organizations. Lots of kids there. The great thing about the internet is that it is full of addresses!

I think there is hope. I think there are ideas we have not come up with yet. We are creative people. Let's grab our horses and ride this thing as far as we can. Are you with me, everyone?

[BebeChicBoutique]

Hey bobbin, you have motivated me today. Maybe as a group we could come up with some concrete solutions to the areas of the law that will make most of us close down. Maybe if we try to work with them instead of just say change it, they will listen. I want to be compliant, but I think there is a way to do it that won't cost us millions. For instance component testing as apposed to end product third party testing would keep a lot of in business. If we could get them to just listen for a minute, wouldn't they see how reasonable we are? We don't want to make them sound stupid because we don't like the law, just appeal to their sensibilities. Maybe this has been tried without success, don't know.

I'm willing to write, email, call again and again. Lets get going.

[Former_Member]

My hope?....2012

[Former_Member]

I was never suggesting anyone cheat on taxes, I would never do that either even though mine are through the roof and suck up about 50% of what I make since I'm a freelance illustrator. It does seem terrible that the only way I can see all these good businesses not drop out of the race is if they ignore this.

As for writing letters, that's great and all, but you know there are a lot of good ways to get attention through the internet, such as making a motivational YouTube video; these days people are more apt to watch a video than read some long (even good) letter, and if the video gets viral enough it could get featured on the news. It's just a thought anyway.