Law May End Second-Hand Store Sales

[OhioChick]

4:56 pm EST January 7, 2009

CLEVELAND -- Owners of used clothing stores all across northeast Ohio are growing more nervous as each day passes because a new federal law may put them out of business.

Consumer reporter John Matarese reported that a new consumer safety law takes effect in February that will require all products for children to be tested for lead and phalates. The two dangerous substances that have led to millions of recalls.

Major manufacturers should have no problems complying with the new law, but resell shop owners said they can't afford to test used children's clothing for lead.

They said they may have to stop selling used kids clothes, as well as used strollers and baby toys next month.

Goodwill, the largest seller of used clothing nationwide, said it is looking into the new law and is hoping Congress allows an exemption for used clothing.

http://www.newsnet5.com/money/18431915/detail.html

[peacebird]

1. give me a break - can't the law specify NEW sales? Many folks rely on second hand stores

This smacks of protectionism for corporations as opposed to *real* concerns for kids safety.....

[OhioChick]

2. That was my first thought.

Most Clevelanders are pretty damn poor and rely on thrift stores.

[babylonsister]

3. You've got to be kidding me.

Sigh. When these stores might be needed most.

Someone had better come up with a simple, cheap test fast.

[JitterbugPerfume]

4. K&R

because this will really make it rough on the poor if it goes through .

[Blue Diadem]

5. H. R. 4040

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpsia.pdf

http://www.cpsc.gov/ABOUT/Cpsia/cpsia.html
consumer product safety improvement act. Very interesting reading there. This is going to affect a lot of stores and manufacturers with unsold inventory, not just the 2nd hand stores. Effective on the date, those products not tested or in compliance can not be sold.

[Dreamer Tatum]

30. Sponsored by Bobby Rush (D-IL)

No Dem senators voted No. Interesting.

[jberryhill]

6. Simple....

Just put some "do not remove this tag" tags on them.

[Azlady]

7. Not only is the new law going to hurt 2nd hand stores but also

the mom/pop kids clothing/toy industry in the USA..... Many will have to stop making their already safe clothing/toys because they can not afford the testing process. They started their companies up because of toxic yuck in materials/toys, picking organic or non-toxic colors in toys. I understand the law, the reason for it... all the crap coming in from other countries filled with toxins... but there must be a way of dealing with our USA made products, mom/pop businesses. Geez.

[ljm2002]

8. It's ridiculous...

...and in the meantime, the law mandates the use of neurotoxins as flame retardants in children's clothing and bedding...

Shouldn't we be asking ourselves, just who the bleedin' hell is the law supposed to serve anyway? As it is, it only serves the big corporations who have the time and resources to deal with all this stuff, while consistently grinding the mom 'n pop stores -- not to mention the rest of us -- down into a fine powder.

[gollygee]

9. The point of this law is to make Walmart the only option

Well Walmart and similar stores. The more small stores that go under, the better. The less used clothing bought the better, because people will have to buy new. It will force everyone to keep that consumerist thing going one way or another.

[Donnachaidh]

11. and it will most likely cause a black market for used clothing.

Ahh, another way to arrest the poor - because they are trying to find clothes they can afford, without going to Walmart.

[undergroundpanther]

14. I agree

Maybe we should in massive numbers just go in and TAKE what we want,from the BIG stores.
They cannot arrest thousands or millions at once.

Just have enough people decide to do it ,Gather up as much as possible walk out of the store .Just TAKE IT ,and then give most of it AWAY!!

What could the corporate piggies do if thousands of people descended upon them and took everything in the store away?
What if this happened all at once all over the country.
What if tons of People decided THEY would set the prices and they would decide WHOM got what, if enough numbers did this all at once all over at random WTF could the pigs do really to thousands storming every isle,taking it all than scattering away in a thousand different directions?

They gotta have shop open to make money....They could maybe arrest a few, add security but not enough to contain a massive number of people all at once..but they could not close the doors.

Just a thought,a fantasy.

[Donnachaidh]

10. planned Obsolescence

The driving force for corporations and the thieves that aid them.

I'll bet no one wants to put laws into effect that will slap the original retail outlets (like WALMART) who brought the bad merchandise in in the first place. :sarcasm:

Let's just get rid of another outlet for the middle class and poor.

[ChromeFoundry]

12. Since this is a federal law...

Fox Mulder and Dana Scully will be spot checking garage sales for this contraband? Ridiculous!

They won't do anything about outsourced jobs and the Chinese poison in our foods, but they have time to force us to walk around naked. Way to go, Congress!

[undergroundpanther]

15. Repug pervert fantasy

come true.

fuckers.

http://911review.org/Alex/Republican_Pedophiles.html

http://www.cfcamerica.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=496:gop-gay-old-pedophileswhat-a-list-of-republican-sex-scandalsold-story-but-interesting&catid=3:news&Itemid=1

[undergroundpanther]

13. They want people

To not reuse anything, because it does not send profits to the BIG CORPORATE PIGS. They want us to buy new and buy it only where they SAY we can buy it.
They want WASTE because waste is PROFITABLE to corporations. They want us to CONSUME THEIR corporate approved SHIT ONLY.

Are the clothing companies and greedy old Walmart saying they cannot compete with good will,thrift stores and flea markets now?

Cry me a god-damned river. :nopity:

So what do these piggies do ? they WHINE to congress..So there is a LAW made that fucks over the poor yet again,secondhand stores will be forced out of business by this,all in the name of the children crap.
Yet these fuckers in congress made a LAW so private owned farms can't test THEIR OWN CATTLE for BSE!!..AAARGH.Yeah they CARE about the children, MY ASS. It's about GREED. It's about CONTROLLING the consumer and limiting the market to their own advantage,ALWAYS..

FUCK THE RICH,To HELL with the greedy ones, They DESERVE NOTHING !!!

Those that have and choose to should have a right to share and to give their excess things to others,and give to those in need or who are poor.If the rich can't compete with thrift shops maybe their corporations exploiting Chinese slave labor making clothes only well off people can buy, or those who can afford 8 bucks for a shirt should DIE.

[OhioChick]

21. Bingo. You nailed it. n/t

[cascadiance]

16. How about mandating posting warning signs, etc...

... at these stores instead. That way people still have the options to buy stuff, and can take risks when they feel they need to, but they will be more educated about what potential hazards exist out there in various goods, so that they can be more discriminatory over what they purchase if their finances will allow them to.

I think that would be a better practical compromise than just forcing the testing of used products, which as noted here is impractical.

It's kind of like putting warnings on cigarettes, which though it didn't stop many from buying cigarettes, I think ultimately built up more awareness of the risks of cancer with smoking, which I think has a lot to do with the reduced demand for such products today than earlier times.

New products should still be better tested as the law requires.

[lib2DaBone]

17. Our CONgress at work. Will anyone challenge CHINA?

..didn't think so....

[Waiting For Everyman]

18. There's no way this would stand up in a court challenge.

It's interfering with commerce. People have a right to buy and sell what already exists. There's no way to logically stop that. What ought to be, is some kind of lable attached to it.

Even kids' stuff is often bought with no intention for a kid to use it - collectors, for instance.

[MadHound]

19. This isn't just going to effect the second hand market,

But it's also going to kill a lot of small retailers. There are a number of small businesses around here that make kid's clothing and simple toys. They can't afford the testing, and though if you took a look at their materials you would know that their product is non-toxic, they're still going to get driven out of business while WalMart continues to monopolize the market with cheap Chinese crap.

The Amish, Mennonites, etc. along with thousands of others are going to get hit hard.

[Dulcinea]

20. Ridiculous!

What about people who buy & sell on eBay? I sell a lot of my kids' gently worn clothes online.

[OhioChick]

22. Good point. Also, what about garage sales? n/t

[deaniac21]

23. We have to protect the people.

[NeedleCast]

27. No matter what the cost!

We have to protect people, from themselves...no matter what the cost!

(sarcasm thing goes here)

[deaniac21]

29. YES!

[Dreamer Tatum]

24. So this instance of consumer protection is BAD.

Got it. Bookmarked.

[4_TN_TITANS]

25. Retail stimulus package in disguise....

This will get that inventory moving out of those poor Kohls, Sears, and Peebles stores!

As fast as my girls have grown, I cannot imagine how we could have clothed them if everything had to be bought at new retail prices. Hello vast blackmarket for used clothes!

[K Gardner]

26. Holy crap ! They DO want us all to be starving and naked.

[knitter4democracy]

28. Crafters are going to be screwed, too.

Small-time crafters on Etsy and at craft shows will fall under this and won't be able to do all of the testing. Lead kits aren't that much, but phalates aren't as easy or cheap to test for.

I think there should be exceptions for used stuff and crafters/small retailers with sales under a certain dollar amount.