For the holidays, I would much rather find and give toys made in the U.S., constructed with loving care by local artists and crafters rather than mass-produced, commercial toys. In fact, Etsy.com has become my go-to source for wonderfully made gifts for children -- from beautiful handmade blocks to old-fashioned felt boards to whimsical stuffed animals. They are made by local business owners, much of the time using all-natural or recycled materials, and are often less expensive than what you would find in the stores and of much better quality.
As I've been doing my holiday shopping, finding these cherished handmade items, I've discovered that these small toy operations -- sometimes a one person show -- are at-risk of becoming extinct due to recently passed legislation intended to address the rash of unsafe toys that put our country's kids in harm's way in 2007.
Ever hear of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008? Neither had I, until recently. Seems like something everyone should support, if you care about the health and safety of our nation's kids.
But if you are a lover of handmade toys, this piece of legislation might mean the end of handmade toys as an option for kids in the U.S. for holidays to come.
I want my child to be safe when playing with toys. We all do. But I also want the right to alternatives to mass-produced toys -- even those supposedly subject to stringent safety standards. In 2007, toys we thought were safe for our kids turned out not be safe. Luckily, Congress took action since the Bush Administration crippled our Consumer Product Safety Commission.
But in an effort to protect our children, Congress passed a piece of legislation that requires mandatory third-party testing from all toy makers -- even small handmade toy producers. According to the Handmade Toy Alliance, third-party tests can cost as much as $4,000 PER TOY. Costs such as that could very well cause handmade toy makers to close up shop for good. As of today, handmade toy producers have 56 days left until the mandatory testing requirements take effect. That's February 10, 2009. (I'll be buying my daughter a lot of handmade toys for her first birthday on February 6,2009 from toymakers that might not be around for her next Christmas or birthday.)
There is a call to Congress to make some fixes to the 2008 Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act that would help small, handmade toy producers and still ensure our kids are protected. The Handmade Toy Alliance has on its website a proposal to Congress that includes exemptions for costly third-party testing for small toy producers in the U.S. and other "safe" countries with high standards, such as Canada and the EU. In addition, toys made from natural materials would also be exempt from third-party testing under the Alliance's proposal.
The Handmade Toy Alliance has a How You Can Help page on their website, which includes a template for a letter to your Congressional members and an online petition.
So, as you are wrapping up beautifully handmade, safe toys for the little ones in your life this holiday season, keep in mind that these treasured gifts could be extinct in 56 days.
That's all we need right now. . . more folks without a way to make a living as a result of the Bush Administration's failure to do their job and Congress's inability to pass smart legislation that protects small businesses.