Save Handmade

I'm not sure if anyone has heard of this issue yet, it just came to my attention about a week ago and I've just found a button to add to my blog to help raise awareness.

In a nutshell, the US government in an "effort" to protect children from dangerous chemicals in toys, such as lead, will begin over regulating all toy manufacturing in Feb. of 2009. (This is all under the guise of the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act) This means that anyone who sells handmade toys will now have to pay up to $300 per item for the government to test their products to ensure that their already chemical-free products are actually chemical-free.

Most small toy manufacturers, think just about anyone who sells on Etsy.com, will have to close shop due to a lack of money to pay for the testing. This will also affect small toy manufacturers as they don't make enough money to afford the testing. Failure to submit ones products to this testing could result in fines or perhaps even jail time or a forced closing of one's business as one would be breaking the law. Follow the link on the right side of my blog to find out more info and how to get involved. It only takes a few minutes to send a letter or email to your local congress person and senator. I'm not against making sure the toys we give our kids are safe, however, hindering one's ability to sell homemade toys by introducing an endless slew of needless regulations is yet another stab at the personal freedoms of the American public.