BEWARE if You Sell Physical Items Targeted To CHILDREN

[MikeAmbrosio]

Originally Posted by Killer Joe

I agree, but what about all those pencils out there?

KJ

Graphite.

They were lead free whan I was in grade school...

[Karen Blundell]

this law makes me angry... because this is Nanny-state-ism at it's finest

yet it's perfectly okay to prescribe Ritalin to kids, huh? You might as well give them Chrystal Meth.

This law isn't about protecting children at all...it's another cash cow for the government!
that's what I think

[Chris Monty]

I am glad I'm not in the "children" niche right about now.

[Karen Blundell]

Originally Posted by MikeAmbrosio

Graphite.

They were lead free whan I was in grade school...

they weren't when I was in school..and I survived!

[kevinw1]

I create custom LEGO instructions and sell them on CDs. While the instructions are pretty advanced (think 3500-piece car ferry model) people do buy them for their kids. Right now I have no idea whether putting a disclaimer on the site that they are intended for over 13's will be enough, or if I even need to bother since I'm in Canada (but my web hosting is in the US).

There's a lot of discussion going on over on Etsy where a lot of crafters hang out. Anyone making OOAK (one-of-a-kind) stuff is completely out of luck because each product-line has to be tested and the testing destroys the item being tested.

This kind of law is not uncommon. For the last few years, here in BC we've been wresting with new meat regulations which make it illegal for farmers to slaughter on-site and sell at the farm gate. In an isolated community like ours where the volume can't possibly justify millions of dollars for a govt-approved slaughter facility, and the ferry trip to the larger island (not even mainland) facilities is several hours and hundreds of $$$, it basically puts local meat producers out of business. Last I heard, the BC govt is finally starting to see sense, but this is after years of struggle and people having already stopped meat production and even lost their farms because of it.

Lawmakers never seem able to predict the side-effects of a new law. One wonders sometimes whether they even bother trying. Something like food safety or child protection is seen to be automatically a good, no matter what, even though the side effects may produce a negative net result.

Kevin

[MikeAmbrosio]

Originally Posted by Floyd Fisher

That solder you mention is commonly known as 'acid core' solder. You can't use it in electronics for obvious reasons.

I'm aware. I mentioned plumbing solder as A reason for the development for lead free solder. While it's much more difficult to use lead free based solders in electronics (due to melting temperatures), there ARE alternatives out there.

If memory serves, Europe had to be lead free back in like 2005, 2006.

My guess though, seeing as most of our electronics come from somewhere OTHER than in the US, there is probably considerably more wide-spread use of lead based solder, so consumers SHOULD be aware.

I was merely pointing out that not every electronic circuit board was just oozing lead...

And the content is quite low. I have been soldering components since 1983... the lead content in my system is no worse than my wife's - who has never soldered anything.

Just don't eat the circuit boards and we should be fine.

Mike

[Bill Farnham]

Originally Posted by MikeAmbrosio

Graphite.

They were lead free whan I was in grade school...

I hear ya. They were stones and chisels when I was in grade school. No color TV, no push button phones, no fax machines, no emails, no text messaging, and certainly no internet.

We had lead in our paint, lead in our gas, they used asbestos as filler in asphalt, our parents and teachers both felt free to whip the daylights out of us if we misbehaved.

Ride your bike with a helmet on? Not unless you wanted to get beat up on the playground for being a sissy.

I'm still not sure how me and all my friends lived this long after watching all the horrible things that happen to young people now that we have legislators that *care*.

Go figure...

KJ

[Dan C. Rinnert]

Originally Posted by jcbradley

And to add one more point to this, how do you think big business is seeing this? Hating it like the rest of us small business or loving it, knowing this will kill away competition not to mention a reason to hike prices

Their lobbyists probably wrote the law.

[Dan C. Rinnert]

Originally Posted by kevinw1

I create custom LEGO instructions and sell them on CDs. While the instructions are pretty advanced (think 3500-piece car ferry model) people do buy them for their kids. Right now I have no idea whether putting a disclaimer on the site that they are intended for over 13's will be enough, or if I even need to bother since I'm in Canada (but my web hosting is in the US).

From what I've read, a disclaimer is not enough. If it is or appears to be something that would be used by children under 13, it must be tested.

I don't know how it would affect you being in Canada.

[MikeAmbrosio]

Originally Posted by Killer Joe

I hear ya. They were stones and chisels when I was in grade school. No color TV, no push button phones, no fax machines, no emails, no text messaging, and certainly no internet.

We had lead in our paint, lead in our gas, they used asbestos as filler in asphalt, our parents and teachers both felt free to whip the daylights out of us if we misbehaved.

Ride your bike with a helmet on? Not unless you wanted to get beat up on the playground for being a sissy.

I'm still not sure how me and all my friends lived this long after watching all the horrible things that happen to young people now that we have legislators that *care*.

Go figure...

KJ

Too funny. We must be near the same age.

The only reason I even remember about the pencils being graphite is because along about the 2nd or 3rd grade I stabbed myself with my pencil (don't ask). I went to the doctor who said we had nothing to worry about because there was no lead in that pencil...

I remember when lead products were all changing over - including gasoline. When I started driving you could still find leaded gas at most stations. You had to TELL them "regular or unleaded".

And the house I grew up in? Asbestos tiles for the siding. My brother and I used to take the spare ones, break them and use them to fling around like frisbees.

We had ONE tv in our household. It did have a makeshift remote...see, my dad would decide what HE wanted to watch, fling the tv guide at the back of one of our heads and say "Channel 4!"

Ah, the good old days...

[Golelen]

The Law of Unintended Consequences strikes again.

I'm going to be sure to tell my wife about this tonight. She is a pre-k teacher and all her kids are sucking and slobbering on their toys. There are a lot of schools out there that would have to throw alot of stuff away if the law applied to then and it would require a lot of tax money to replace all that stuff. My wife still has stuff in her classroom that was used by the previous teacher and is over 10 years old.

[Bruce NewMedia]

Originally Posted by Karen Blundell

this law makes me angry... because this is Nanny-state-ism at it's finest

yet it's perfectly okay to prescribe Ritalin to kids, huh? You might as well give them Chrystal Meth.

This law isn't about protecting children at all...it's another cash cow for the government!
that's what I think

Completely Agree.

And we are about to embark on a new massive round of "government help".
Most people do not even realize all the freedoms they willingly give up for some small perceived "security".
_____
Bruce

[Alice Seba]

Originally Posted by kevinw1

I create custom LEGO instructions and sell them on CDs. While the instructions are pretty advanced (think 3500-piece car ferry model) people do buy them for their kids. Right now I have no idea whether putting a disclaimer on the site that they are intended for over 13's will be enough, or if I even need to bother since I'm in Canada (but my web hosting is in the US).

I don't know the answer to your question, but what a cool business. I, for one, can't put together the sets designed for 7-12 year olds, but I do know people who would love what you do. :-)

Alice

[KathyK]

Originally Posted by Golelen

The Law of Unintended Consequences strikes again.

I'm going to be sure to tell my wife about this tonight. She is a pre-k teacher and all her kids are sucking and slobbering on their toys. There are a lot of schools out there that would have to throw alot of stuff away if the law applied to then and it would require a lot of tax money to replace all that stuff. My wife still has stuff in her classroom that was used by the previous teacher and is over 10 years old.

She's safe - it only applies if she tries to sell it or give it to a thrift shop or something. She doesn't have to stop using it.

[Josh Anderson]

Everyone interested in this thread should read this:

CPSC Clarifies Requirements of New Children’s Product Safety Laws Taking Effect in February

The CPSC responded to the widespread panic with some clarifications...

Here is one quote:

thrift stores and consignment stores, are not required to certify that those products meet the new lead limits, phthalates standard or new toy standards.

I did not see a lot of encouraging things in that article but at least there is a glimmer and there will be more clarifications published because of the outcry I am sure.