HC Blog

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to give you fair warning that there will be a print ad (our first, woohoo!) for Hyena Cart in the “Home Delivery” section of the March / April issue of Mothering. It will look something like this:

I was originally going to make it a surprise, but then I decided you all might like some advanced warning so you can make sure to have some items in-stock. I believe that issue will hit the newsstands on March 1. We’ll see what happens

In addition, I’ve posted some buttons and banners on the HC Marketing page. Please consider posting these on your websites, blogs, forums, etc.

So how does all this marketing activity square with our fears regarding the CPSIA? Here’s my personal opinion (not official HC policy or anything — just my take as a shop owner): I am doing the due diligence to ensure that any products I sell are lead-free. The more research I do, the more I realize that cloth, wool, thread, etc. are as lead-free as it gets. These materials just don’t contain lead. Nor do any of the commonly used acid dyes (Prochem, etc.) contain lead. Thus, I will continue to list my items as I always have. Maybe with a little extra information explaining why they are lead-free (I mean, that’s always good to know, right?) But I am not going to let a poorly written law render my perfectly safe items illegal. Law makers and the CPSC are realizing the flaws in their document, and, I believe, are working to correct them. But in the meantime, I am going to continue with business as usual, whether they correct the flaws before Feb. 10 or not. Here’s a great link that was posted on the HC Forums a little while ago. It is a letter to the CPSC from the House of Representatives. In this letter, the House urges the CPSC to add an exemption to the law for “… children’s books that have no unusual components or materials beyond those of an ordinary book,” and “… children’s apparel that consists entirely of dyed or undyed fabric that is unlikely to contain excess amounts of lead and does not include metal, plastic, or painted components that may contain amounts of lead in excess of the law’s limits.” This would be in addition to the already proposed amendments which would exempt gemstones, untreated wood, and natural (undyed) fibers.

Thanks everyone!

Hi everyone,

By now, many of you have read or heard discussions regarding the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) which is scheduled to take effect on February 10, 2009 (this link will take you directly to the government’s informational page). I’ll quote from Jen Taggert’s blog, The Smart Mama, as she sets up the background very succinctly:

On August 14, 2008, President Bush signed into law the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA).  It was drafted as a toy safety law in response, at least in part, to the numerous recalls in 2007 for lead in children’s toys and jewelry.  It was also drafted in response to the tragic death of a 4 year old after ingesting a charm that was almost pure lead.

It was designed to be a toy safety law, but its reach is much, much broader.  And, like all broadly written, reactionary laws, it has very significant, it appears largely unforeseen consequences.  Like perhaps putting out of business thousands of small manufacturers of children’s products, including some of my favorites - the small manufacturers of reusable cloth diapers, natural wood toys, handcrafted costumes, and innovative children’s products.

I want to address two specific points with regards to this legislation: 1) how will this specifically affect what you sell on HC / will HC be making any changes in reaction to this law? and 2) what actions can you personally take to keep this law does not negatively affecting your business?

So, point 1:  how will this specifically affect what you sell on HC / will HC be making any changes in reaction to this law? In short, HC will not be taking any action at this time. The law is not clearly written, and it would be premature to do anything differently for now. If you, as a seller, wish to make changes to the items you offer, that is, of course, your choice. Just bear in mind that there is a lot of misinformation and rumor in the internet community and your best bet is to refer directly to the government’s site for answers. In addition, it seems there is still time to amend the law (more on this in point 2). Finally, a CPSC spokesperson has been quoted as saying, “There are exceptions to the testing rule for crafters making only one unique copy of each item.” (see this article). Unfortunately, this statement has been retracted. There are currently no exclusions written into the law for one-of-a-kind items.

On to point 2:  what actions can you personally take to ensure that this law does not negatively affect your business? Three things:

1. By Jan 30, 2009, follow the directions on this document to suggest changes to the law, for example:
1. Exempt products made from materials that are very unlikely to contain lead - fabric, paper, wood, etc.
2. Exempt categories of items such as books, unadorned textiles, or handmade items made in the USA and Canada.
3. Exempt products from Canada or the EU that are already certified under standards that meet or exceed the CPSC standard.
2. Write to your Congressperson, notifying them of your concerns regarding this law. This site has excellent suggestions for the content of your communication.
3. Starting tomorrow, vote for this issue on change.org to bring it to the attention of the new administration as soon as possible.

There’s no doubt that this law is a cause for concern. However, rather than panic, the best thing to do is to take action to influence the legislation and ensure that it fulfills its intentions while allowing our businesses to continue. Please consider taking the actions outlined above to protect our handmade community.

Thanks!