Finally getting on board with blogging

Since I've been doing a good bit of writing lately I thought it was time to bite the bullet and get a REAL blog. The posts prior to this date were added today. I am just learning how to "blog" There aren't too many posts there but I think they're worth reading. Particularly yesterday's posting about Congressman Charlie Dent.

For today, I'd like to highlight breaking news from yesterday. The CPSC has announced exception from testing for used goods. Simply put, used goods sold in places like thrift stores and consignment shops are not subject to the third-party certifications that new goods are. They are, however, still subject to the new lead level requirements.

So how do you know if a product contains low enough lead levels without testing it? You don’t, so sell at your own risk.

Read the full memo here: http://cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09086.html

My thoughts on this: This is good news! As a parent, I often will buy (and sell!) at consignment shops for children. So the fact that their businesses are no longer in jeopardy is very positive.

However, since it’s been determined that used goods are still subject to the law but don’t need to be tested, and selling them is basically at the seller’s risk. Why can’t handmade goods be exempted in the same way? The difference with my handmade goods is that I *know* what went into making the item. Sellers could still be held accountable and face civil and/or criminal penalties for selling goods that are in violation of the new limits the same way a reseller of used goods is. So, why not extend the testing exemption in some way to those who handcraft items?