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

Sign the Petition : 97,792 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. 6, 2009 4:44 PM    link Seth H. | Richland, WA

  2. Thu., Nov. 5, 2009 10:32 PM    link Jessie R. | Jacksonville, FL

    Almost single parent, Economic hardship/poor child support ethic,nonscence court hassle, to start with forces hard working parents into having every possible resource for our childrens best interest and daily nessecitys. "politics"

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

  4. Thu., Nov. 5, 2009 1:23 PM    link Name not displayed | Duluth, GA

    This is RIDICULOUS !!! Times are so hard right now second hand stores really help out parents. Children grow so fast and i cant afford to buy my son new clothes. kids resales are vital for many families. Please dont stop this!!!I thought america was going green and where do you expect these gently used clothes to go?

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

  6. Wed., Nov. 4, 2009 8:14 PM    link Augusta L. | Oak Park, IL

  7. Tue., Nov. 3, 2009 10:56 PM    link Danitza A. | San Diego, CA

  8. Tue., Nov. 3, 2009 11:47 AM    link Maria B. | Lower Lake, CA

  9. Mon., Nov. 2, 2009 10:25 AM    link Diana L. | River Forest, IL

    Now more than ever we need to have resale stores.

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

  11. Sun., Nov. 1, 2009 7:35 PM    link TERESA H. | Macon, GA

  12. Sun., Nov. 1, 2009 1:52 PM    link Name not displayed | Byron, CA

    We parents need more stores like this that are affordable please don't close these.

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

  14. Sat., Oct. 31, 2009 4:34 PM    link Name not displayed | Portland, OR

    resale, garage sales and Craigs list is how we have purchased most of the clothes in our 3 month old son's closet. we could never afford the clothing at full price in stores and he most definitely would not have a pair of Nike shoes or any name brand clothes.

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

  16. Sat., Oct. 31, 2009 11:25 AM    link Joy Z. | Oak Park, IL

  17. Fri., Oct. 30, 2009 12:54 PM    link Christa N. | Sonora, CA

  18. Thu., Oct. 29, 2009 10:36 PM    link Stephanie B. | Oak Park, IL

  19. Thu., Oct. 29, 2009 10:08 PM    link Name not displayed | Pawhuska, OK

  20. Thu., Oct. 29, 2009 8:40 PM    link P H. | Los Angeles, CA

  21. Thu., Oct. 29, 2009 8:31 PM    link maria a. | Taylor, TX

  22. Thu., Oct. 29, 2009 6:30 PM    link Ashleigh B. | Richmond, VA

  23. Thu., Oct. 29, 2009 6:13 PM    link Name not displayed | Fayetteville, NC

    This is ridiculous. For those of us who can't afford to buy everything brand new, this will be a shame!!

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

  25. Thu., Oct. 29, 2009 5:31 PM    link Name not displayed | Raleigh, NC

    Please rethink this law. How will we afford to cloth our children? Where will the new landfills go to accomodate all of this still good and useful waste if we have to throw away what our children are done with? This is insane. How many children have been poisoned by clothing?

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

  27. Thu., Oct. 29, 2009 11:03 AM    link Pamela R. | Newton, IA

    Please- as parents we need to buy kids clothes from consinment shops-we can't afford to buy new no longer than they wear them. Please help us!!

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

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