By Truman Lewis
ConsumerAffairs.com
January 8, 2009
With just a month left before new federal regulations on toxic toys take effect, thrift stores are complaining that they don't have the resources to test toys, clothing and other children's items to be sure they're safe.
President Bush signed legislation implementing the new regulations last August, to the applause of consumer and safety advocates who had long pressed for tougher measures to protect children from products containing lead, phthalates and other potentially hazardous materials. The measure becomes effective Feb. 10.
But now, the thrift stores — who did not speak up when the legislation was being considered in Congress — say they may have to stop buying and selling children's products. Most thrift stores sell used clothing, toys and household goods that they either buy from consumers or take in as donations.
There are an estimated 25,000 secondhand stores in the U.S. and, along with informal yard sales and online auctions, they are a major pipeline by which recalled and unsafe products make their way into consumers' homes.
While large retailers are able to track recall announcements and test products for hazardous content, the thrift stores say they don't have the resources to do so, even though the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) maintains a comprehensive online database of recalled products that could be checked by store employees.
The Wall Street Journal said its reporters checked with a number of secondhand shops in the Washington, D.C. area and most were unaware of the new regulations. The executive director of the National Association of Resale & Thrift Shops, meanwhile, claimed her members around the country "are just in an absolute panic."
Realistically, the CPSC does not have the resources to check more than a few thrift shops and intends to concentrate on working with manufacturers, importers and major retailers to ensure that unsafe products are not sold in the first place, a spokesman said.
