Securing a Bargain

Dennis Barber says he has little use for the federal government. Or even the world of retail. So, no surprise, he isn’t familiar with any edicts of wisdom from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Barber helps run JB’s Thrift Store on Lincoln Avenue in Anaheim. He is unaware, he said, that the federal commission warns in a recent report that most thrift stores are selling some items that don’t meet safety standards. Such sales aren’t illegal, just ill-advised.

“We give a three-day warranty, which is better than most thrift stores,” Barber said. “And we’ve never had a single complaint from anybody.”

Thrift shopping is almost a hobby for many people--there are 9,547 such stores operating nationwide, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. But consumer experts are cautioning: Be wary of buying items that are deemed hazardous by the federal safety regulators.

“We can get recalled products off retail shelves, but we cannot go into consumers’ homes and remove them,” said Kim Dulic, commission spokeswoman.

Commission Chairwoman Ann Brown points out that many thrift store operators are unaware of recalls, bans and current safety standards. And that means that consumers must pay close attention.

In its own national survey, the commission found that 69% of America’s thrift stores are selling at least some items considered hazardous. The top three:

* Children’s jackets and sweatshirts with drawstrings that can present a strangulation hazard.

* Hair dryers that do not protect against electrocution.

* Baby cribs manufactured before stringent standards made them safer.

Brown’s recommendation: If you buy a secondhand item from a thrift store, check with the commission (toll-free at [800] 638-2772) to make sure the item hasn’t been banned or judged unsafe. In some cases, it can recommend a remedy besides just discarding the item.

If you buy an unsafe hair dryer, for example, it can be rewired to meet safety standards. Drawstrings can be removed from some clothing. And you can get advice on making older cribs safer.

In an effort to make sure thrift stores don’t sell unsafe items, the commission has sent out its own checklist to many outlets and to national organizations that operate such stores, such as Salvation Army and Goodwill. You can get a detailed list from its Web site at https://www.cpsc.gov, or write to the commission in Washington, DC 20207. (Put Thrift Store Checklist on a postcard for a quicker response.)

You can do your own checking before buying from a thrift store.

On baby cribs, for example, see if there’s a certification seal. Make sure that slats are no more than 2 3/8 inches apart, and that mattresses fit snugly. Infants have become entrapped in loose-fitting mattresses and could suffocate.

Be aware of missing slats. And don’t buy any crib with decorative cutouts in the sideboards. Infants have been known to catch their heads in them.

On clothing, drawstrings around the neck on jackets and sweaters are not safe. They can catch on play equipment and strangle children. Drawstrings at the waist should not extend loose more than three inches.

Look for hair dryers with large, rectangular-shaped safety plugs.

*

Other unsafe items often sold at thrift stores, according to federal officials:

* Halogen floor lamps. Make sure they have glass or wire guards over the bulb and that the bulb is not more than 300 watts.

* Playpens and play yards. Make sure they have no protruding parts. Also, children can be entrapped by folding playpens that collapse.

* Child car seats and carriers. These have been upgraded greatly in recent years. If you buy an older car seat, call the Consumer Product Safety Commission to see if the model you bought has been recalled. In older carriers, infants can sometimes fall forward and strike the ground because the handle disengages.

* Toy basketball nets. The commission has recalled millions of hazardous toy basketball nets. If the nets come unhooked from the rim or have knots that slide, children could put their heads in these openings--and you can bet they do--tangling the nets around their necks.

* Accordion-style safety gates. These are considered too dangerous to children, who can get caught in them and choke or strangle. Avoid this style altogether.

* Beanbag chairs. Do not buy the type in which the zipper can be easily opened. More than 12 million of these bags have been recalled. Children unzip them, try to crawl inside, and choke on or suffocate from the small pellets of foam filling.

The commission has been trying to reach thrift shops by campaigning with the National Assn. of Resale & Thrift Shops. The association has placed the information on its Web site.

Even the best-run thrift stores aren’t without occasional problems, according to the federal commission.

But Major Glen Doss, who heads the Salvation Army’s 14 thrift stores in Orange County, says it’s making a monumental effort to weed out any problems.

“We have an ongoing program to try to prevent any hazardous items from being sold,” Doss said. “But when the Consumer Product Safety Commission began talking about this about six months ago, we said, ‘Gee, are we doing as much as we can?’ ”

So it began posting the commission’s checklist on its loading docks (so workers who repair items could see it) and in its stores, both in English and Spanish.

It also directs the people who answer its toll-free calls to warn donors what items cannot be donated.

“If we find something hazardous, we destroy it,” Doss said.

At JB’s Thrift in Anaheim, there’s no indication of any hazardous items for sale. But Barber said he skeptical of any governmental meddling in his business.

“The government doesn’t do anything for us,” he said.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Precautions for Thrift-Store Purchases

Items sold in thrift stores may have been banned, recalled or deemed hazardous by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission since the original purchase. The commission has sent a checklist to thrift stores nationwide in an attempt to keep such items from being re-sold. Here are a few examples:

Halogen floor lamps

Light bulbs should not be over 300 watts, and make sure there is a glass shield or wire guard to protect it.

*

Play yards

Older models have collapsible top rails, which can lead to strangulation or suffocation.

*

Baby gates

The old-fashioned accordion-style is too dangerous; children can get their heads caught in them.

*

Toy basketball nets

Those that unhook from the rim or have knots that slide can become undone, causing children to get caught in them.

More hazards

* Children’s clothing: Beware of drawstrings around the neck. Children can choke by catching them on things, such as playground equipment.

* Hair dryers: Many older hair dryers do not have the needed rectangular immersion protection device on the electrical plug.

* Infant car seats: Some models come unhinged too easily, which can throw a baby forward.

* Beanbags: The old kind are too easy to unzip. Children have unzipped them and crawled inside, choking on the foam filler pellets.

Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission