Save Kid's Clothing Resale, Consignment & Thrift Stores from Closing!

Sign the Petition : 97,969 Letters and Emails Sent So Far

UPDATE: Our letters are making a difference! On Jan. 8th the CPSC revised its position to exclude thrift and consignment stores.

TIME SENSITIVE - February 10th deadline fast approaching!

Dear Senator/Representative:

When you voted to pass the CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act):

-Did you really mean to close thousands of resale, consignment and nonprofit thrift stores and make second hand kid's clothes illegal as of February 10th?

-Did you really mean to put thousands of Americans out of work? Bankrupt small store owners and a large part of an industry and remove a large source of income stream for charitable organizations across America?

-Did you really mean to make it illegal for parents to pass-a-long their gently used children's clothes by selling them online through eBay, Craigslist or through resale and consignment shops or at yearly children's consignment sales?

-Did you really mean to remove all environmentally friendly, alternative sources for gently-used kid's clothes for environmentally conscious, frugal or cash-strapped parents from our economy?

Did you really mean to send enormous amounts of perfectly useful children's goods straight to our landfills in such a time of increased environmental awareness and economic difficulty?

THAT IS WHAT YOU HAVE EFFECTIVELY DONE! NOW, ONLY YOU CAN CHANGE THIS! THE CPSC SAYS IT HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO FOLLOW THE LAW AS YOU WROTE IT! HELP US!

THE DEADLINE OF FEBRUARY 10TH IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER!

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) as signed into law, attempting to be interpreted and carried forward by an understaffed CPSC, will make it illegal for parents to resell their gently used kid’s gear through any venue, come February 10th.

Yet, despite the increasing furor being unleashed on the internet, in calls and letters of protest to Congress and the media to pay attention by a wide range of affected industries, silence and inaction reigns. Are you afraid that the issue is too hot to handle?

The broad scope of the complicated law, and it’s interpretation by CPSC has effectively made it illegal for parents to resell their children’s clothing and gear at a garage sale, on eBay, Craig’s List, through consignment stores or annual children’s consignment sales. If donated to a nonprofit like Goodwill or Salvation Army, those organizations can’t legally resell it, as of February 10th. That’s right. Hand-me-down clothing for kid’s age 12 and under will be illegal to resell. It will be a banned hazardous product. The fines of $100,000, potential jail time and label as a felon for violations are stiff.

Without effective venues for parents to pass along their kid’s gently used items where does Congress think this massive amount of consumer product is going to quickly end up? Landfills here it comes!

I am writing to you today because I believe that the retro-activity for children's clothing be removed from this law.		Save Kid's Clothing Resale, Consignment & Thrift Stores from Closing!

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People signing the "Save Kid's Clothing Resale, Consignment & Thrift Stores from Closing!" petition!

  1. Sat., Feb. 6, 2010 12:13 PM    link jennifer v. | Traverse City, MI

  2. Sat., Feb. 6, 2010 12:10 PM    link cheryl r. | Traverse City, MI

  3. Tue., Feb. 2, 2010 2:30 PM    link Name not displayed | Northbrook, IL

    If it weren't for thrift stores and their reasonable prices I wouldn't have been able to clothe my kids this year - especially winter coats! I'm an out of work mom. Also, this would hurt the non-profit resale stores in my area who make money for their charities because people like me buy from them. I don't understand why they would make this illegal is it just to hurt people or is there a higher/ better purpose?!

  4. This comment has been reported to the site manager. It will be reviewed and removed if inappropriate. Thank you!

  5. Mon., Feb. 1, 2010 2:24 PM    link Name not displayed | Las Vegas, NV

  6. Mon., Feb. 1, 2010 2:21 PM    link Name not displayed | Las Vegas, NV

    I am looking to open my own Children's Resale and Consignment Store in the near future. Please don't pass this law, you are hurting EVERYONE by doing so. Resale stores benefit everyone!!!

  7. This comment has been reported to the site manager. It will be reviewed and removed if inappropriate. Thank you!

  8. Sun., Jan. 31, 2010 7:27 PM    link Name not displayed | San Jose, CA

  9. Sun., Jan. 31, 2010 9:47 AM    link William P. | Fall River, MA

    Our Government needs to realize that the economy in this country needs help. There are enough people out of work, we don't need to put the small resale shops out of business. We also need to think about the kids that would do without if the parents didn't have a alternate place to purchase clothes. The landfill does not need all the reusable clothes filling it up, yet there are children in need that would be very greatfull for that warm coat of the nice outfit that normally their parents couldn't afford. Just because the people who work in the government can afford the new designer clothes doesn't mean that there are many people that appreciate the slightly used clothes for their children.

  10. This comment has been reported to the site manager. It will be reviewed and removed if inappropriate. Thank you!

  11. Sun., Jan. 31, 2010 9:32 AM    link Georgette P. | Fall River, MA

  12. Sun., Jan. 31, 2010 8:54 AM    link dOLORES F. | New Bedford, MA

    Some people cannot afford to buy first hand shame on you for trying to put all the small businesses out of business and for making yet another thing more difficult for small time america while places like Walmart will benefit. Furthermore to mask it by saying it's better for the children, no one from baby gap is going to call me and tell me that a shirt I bought has lead buttons on it simply because i bought it from the gap ... pitiful.

  13. This comment has been reported to the site manager. It will be reviewed and removed if inappropriate. Thank you!

  14. Sun., Jan. 31, 2010 12:06 AM    link Sharleen P. | New Bedford, MA

    There is no possible good that is going to come out of this law. It will put thousands out of work and cause an even larger landfill problem then we already have. Why don't we try strengthing the economy instead of stiffling it and lets help to recycle so we can try to help save the planet. This does not only have local economic implications but local environmental implications as well.

  15. This comment has been reported to the site manager. It will be reviewed and removed if inappropriate. Thank you!

  16. Sat., Jan. 30, 2010 9:01 PM    link Nancy F. | Fairhaven, MA

  17. Sat., Jan. 30, 2010 5:12 PM    link Name not displayed | Green Bay, WI

    We need these stores this would be terrible especially in todays economy

  18. This comment has been reported to the site manager. It will be reviewed and removed if inappropriate. Thank you!

  19. Fri., Jan. 29, 2010 11:07 AM    link Jessica B. | Park City, UT

    This is an outrage! This industry is booming, and provides a real service to families that are struggling during a down economy. I am looking at opening a resale store, and am shocked to hear it now might be illegal. Why not give small business owners a chance-if there is a market, let it thrive! The kids related retail industry is huge, let resale shops have their share of it.

  20. This comment has been reported to the site manager. It will be reviewed and removed if inappropriate. Thank you!

  21. Thu., Jan. 28, 2010 12:02 PM    link Stacey A. | Ware, MA

  22. Thu., Jan. 28, 2010 8:57 AM    link Name not displayed | Fairhaven, MA

    It seems foolish that gently worn/sometimes new items will end up in landfill and
    curtail the consumer to make a little bit of extra money which is so vital in this extremely bad economy. Let alone the number of business that will close and go into bankruptcy.

  23. This comment has been reported to the site manager. It will be reviewed and removed if inappropriate. Thank you!

  24. Tue., Jan. 26, 2010 11:00 AM    link amy m. | Murfreesboro, TN

  25. Tue., Jan. 26, 2010 2:44 AM    link Angela M. | Dumas, TX

  26. Mon., Jan. 25, 2010 12:10 PM    link Bill W. | River Forest, IL

  27. Sat., Jan. 23, 2010 1:12 AM    link Name not displayed | Redding, CA

  28. Thu., Jan. 21, 2010 9:41 AM    link Name not displayed | Leominster, MA

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