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

Sign the Petition : 97,849 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. Fri., Nov. 20, 2009 9:10 AM    link Lisa G. | River Forest, IL

  2. Fri., Nov. 20, 2009 12:59 AM    link Danielle B. | Carbonado, WA

  3. Thu., Nov. 19, 2009 9:18 PM    link Jennifer H. | Enumclaw, WA

  4. Thu., Nov. 19, 2009 2:13 PM    link Linda F. | Oak Park, IL

  5. Wed., Nov. 18, 2009 11:25 PM    link Vickie L. | Edmond, OK

  6. Wed., Nov. 18, 2009 4:02 PM    link Name not displayed | Ada, OK

  7. Wed., Nov. 18, 2009 8:32 AM    link Name not displayed | Midway, TX

    Has congress thought that the clothes that are beening donated to resale shops are used and that the children they came from wore then without problems. I am sure if they did have complications from waring these items they would have not ended up at resale shops.

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

  9. Wed., Nov. 18, 2009 2:16 AM    link lorena p. | Canoga Park, CA

    This sales help my family get thru economical times.

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

  11. Mon., Nov. 16, 2009 3:24 PM    link leslie m. | Granbury, TX

    why does everything have to be taken to such an exstreme. As a single mother I would not have made it with out hand me downs and second hand stores.

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

  13. Mon., Nov. 16, 2009 3:19 PM    link Peggy B. | Crowley, TX

  14. Mon., Nov. 16, 2009 1:31 PM    link Name not displayed | Hico, TX

  15. Mon., Nov. 16, 2009 8:55 AM    link Terra G. | Humble, TX

  16. Mon., Nov. 16, 2009 7:29 AM    link Lara M. | Hilliard, OH

    This is so RIDICULOUS and UNACCEPTABLE!! What does the government have to do with the satisfaction of parents who pick nice used clothes for their kids to help them reduce their expenses, specially in these days and this recession?? Kids from 1 to 12 are at the age of the fastest growing, and thier needs are enormous, and require a fortune. We all love to own new items, and are always proud of ourself, but life sometimes is tuff, and things for rasing a family come in priority. Saving on used clothing helps on rasing a better family!! Please let people manage their life and the choice they make for their kids!!

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

  18. Sat., Nov. 14, 2009 5:06 PM    link Heather S. | Hacienda Heights, CA

    I think this is completely ridiculous!!! It should be our choice as Americans to sell the clothes if we want to or not. This should not be something that the government should be allowed to control.

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

  20. Sat., Nov. 14, 2009 12:21 AM    link Beth M. | Darien, CT

  21. Fri., Nov. 13, 2009 5:14 PM    link Jessica C. | Springtown, TX

  22. Fri., Nov. 13, 2009 3:23 PM    link Kristi S. | Azle, TX

    I own a upscale (but reasonable prices)resale boutique in a town were people love to buy resale because they can't afford "NEW". With teen pregnancy and grandparents raising grandkids...We have to many happy customers who love our store...Please don't take it away from them!

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

  24. Fri., Nov. 13, 2009 2:19 AM    link Name not displayed | Carroll, IA

  25. Thu., Nov. 12, 2009 4:03 PM    link Sara A. | Englewood, NJ

    I am signing this because my friend is a small business owner specializing in the re-sale of children's clothes. Her business is an excellent idea and needed and at a time when unemployment is at an all time high and many people are facing job loss, why would you intentionally sign something to hurt those people? Please DO your job and serve your constituency by not signing a bill that will hurt thousands!

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

  27. Wed., Nov. 11, 2009 2:45 PM    link Name not displayed | Bridgeport, CT

    My friend owns GumdropSwap.com which allows parents to trade their children's items for clothes that fit. This legislation would destroy her business! I'm so upset.

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

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