Tough luck for independent toy makers
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It’s a good thing Santa’s workshop is located in a mysterious corner of the North Pole and not in California. If it was, Santa might be subjected to some new regulations governing toy makers that stipulate that all toys must be tested for lead and lead paint, even if they’re made from natural materials. And then he’d have to send them out to get them tested by a third party and who knows if they’d be ready in time for Christmas.
A story in today’s paper details how the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, which was passed in response to last year’s massive toy recalls, is hurting independent toy makers and retailers who are going to have to shell out thousands of dollars to test their toy wagons and chairs and building blocks. The law will be rolled out over the next year, but the first regulation went into effect Monday.
The law’s supporters, including Congressman Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), say it makes sense: No one wants their kids to play with toxic toys. And as we learned all too well last year, lead-filled toys were slipping by regulators faster than a crawling baby. It’s clear that something had to be done.
Still, companies are saying they’ll go out of business if they have to pay all of the fees for testing. The rub is that the people most hurt by the new law are the ones who weren’t responsible for the recalls last year -- they’re the independent companies that were created to make toys safe for children.
Now if that’s not a sad Christmas story, I don’t know what is. If you want to find some of the independent toy makers and retailers affected by the law, check out the website of the Handmade Toy Alliance. Maybe, if you’re a procrastinator and haven’t bought your Christmas gifts, you can get a handmade rattle or eco-friendly T-shirt for that baby you forgot about and support independent toy makers at the same time. It’s not too late, after all, there are still six nights left of Hanukkah!
-- Alana Semuels
