MARTHA STEWART- ENDANGERED TOYMAKER on SHOW- Rochester, MN 12-16-08
CPSIA 2008′s new safety laws are hurting local toymakers and businesses. Katie Steuernagle of Rochester, Minnesota makes and sells handmade toys out of her home and is concerned that CPSIA 2008′s new testing standards will be so costly, she will be put out of business. Katie, who appeared on the Martha Stewart show last week (December 2008) said she started the business as an alternative to Chinese imports, which proved last year to be the impetus for the new strict lead testing laws that go into effect February 10, 2009. Video from a report by KTTC Rochester, Minnesota, Tuesday, December 16, 2008 Copyright KTTC Rochester, Minnesota All rights reserved www.kttc.com Please go to the page on kttc’s website and comment
if this woman is using organic products she shouldn’t have to be the one testing it the huge manufacturer that produce it should pay for the testing and then she should post the products she uses and the company that has created the product more than likely has certifications for none toxic products. it’s sad that such lovely toys won’t be around anymore, cause toysrus sucks big time now….you can’t find traditional toys , i went to Switzerland to buy some toys there
I don’t know about this video… Ummm… Don’t you think that some of these people are just being a little bit too paranoid?!?!? Imean, if there was just like 1 % of toxic in a toy; all of the parents will be like: “OMG toxic! get that away from my child!”
CPSIA put me out of business, too. No more of those scary toxic hair bows to worry about. Keep pressuring Congress. They can’t stand it when people actually call their offices and write lots of letters, it’s so inconvenient! Demand responses. If they won’t back an amendment, make them tell you why. While the apparent intent of this law is impossible to attack (who doesn’t want to protect kids?) the specifics of this law are impossible to defend. Make them try.
Why didn’t they say to check the toys/items from the countries that had problems? It’s going to be really fun when there is nothing unique for kids anymore, just a bunch of mattel crap. We can stand around on street corners with big overcoats with our toys in the lining and ask people as they walk by, ” Psst, Hey wanna buy a toy?”
Just what we need for this economy
Today, it is children’s products. Tomorrow, it will be all products sold. Because, you see, all children will come into contact with adults and that means, that all products must be tested to keep contaminates away from children. Write, e-mail or even call your congressmen/women today and let them know this law needs to be trashed.
What it doesn’t mention is that when she makes toys one at a time or made to order it would be hundreds to thousands to test each and they cannot be sold for that much. Not being able to afford testing does not mean a person’s product is filled with lead, especially when they are buying materials marked non-toxic.
Thank you for the knee-jerk reaction, Congress. On Jan 26th please send an example of all of your children’s products to the White House. Let’s flood them with what is going to become “illegal” on Feb. 10. Also, if you sell these kinds of items, don’t stop. Think about it, what would they think if thousands of makers of children’s products were suddenly thrown in jail…Thank you Art of Spirit Leatherworks on Etsy for pointing that out…
What videos like this fail to address is it reaches far beyond TOYS and into books, clothing, furniture, teaching supplies, basically anything that is made for children under 12 with very few exceptions. And it includes rigorous testing even for products already proven to not have lead in the past, present or possibility of it in the future. Please educate yourself about the law and alert your Congressmen!
The problem with the law is that NOBODY thought about the small & micro businesses making wonderful safe things for kids.
Toxic toys from CHINA. Let’s take Dick Durbin’s salary and spend it on lead testing. Then, let’s take the pensions of every congressman who voted for this nonsense and give a bailout to all the Americans who will go out of business.
How about we quit importing toys from FREAKING CHINA and quit punishing small businesses IN THIS COUNTRY who make toys that were never toxic in the first place!