Love to sell your children's clothing and toys on ebay? Do you own a small business that sells products for children? You will want to read this!

As most of you know I own an online children's boutique and make custom clothing for kids. As of February 10, myself and thousands of others in the children's industry will be deeply affected financially or will be out of business. Remember the outcry last holiday season over lead in imported toys? In order to combat such safety issues, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has passed legislation called the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). The law sets stringent guidelines for children's products containing lead and phthalates (a chemical used in some vinyl products). It is supposed to go into effect February 10th, 2009, and after that date any product intended for children ages 12 and under must meet these guidelines, and have a certificate of compliance from a CPSC-accredited laboratory. This includes not just toys, but clothing, jewelry, blankets, sheets, books, bibs, strollers, carriers, and anything else that a child under 12 might come in contact with. Sounds great, right?

In theory, maybe. But in actuality the law is so far reaching that it may succeed in turning the economy upside down. For starters, the CPSIA requires end unit testing on every product intended for use by children under 12. It is the responsibility of the manufacturer to do this testing, regardless of how small the business. That means that manufacturers (like myself ) will have to pay to get every different product they offer tested. These tests have to be done at a CSPC accredited lab, and cost tens of thousands of dollars. For example if you offer 3 different types of dresses. Each dress contains 2 different fabrics, as well as buttons, and thread, so that's potentially $600 to test one dress. But if you have 3 or more styles, that's $1800. And when you get a new bolt of fabric, you need to start all over again.
At present, there are no exemptions for small businesses and "micro" manufacturers and most handcraft artisans. There is no exception for quantities made, where the garments/products are made or anything else. Nor is there an exception for unadorned fabric components, unfinished wood components, materials which, by their nature, are free of lead and phthalates.

Also, the Act takes a "guilty until proven innocent" approach, which would treat a handmade, unfinished wooden toy that doesn't meet the certification deadline of 2/10/09 as a "banned hazardous substance" which would be illegal to distribute in this country. Each infraction carries a $100,000 felony charge. This legislation is also retroactive for any pre-existing inventory as of February 10th, 2009. This means that everything on the shelves in those big (or small) stores will also be "banned, hazardous substances" - contraband.
Larger corporations that can afford testing will incur thousands, maybe millions of dollars in fees, and this expense will be handed down to the consumer, probably making the prices for children's products go through the roof.
This also means that after that date, even selling your kids old things on eBay or Craigslist will be illegal. Charities will not be able to accept donations without a certificate of compliance either. February 10, 2009 is being dubbed "National Bankruptcy Day" by many people in the apparel and toy industry. If this legislation is not amended, it will affect everyone from port workers to parents looking for legal products. Billions of dollars worth of children's products will have to be destroyed because they can't be legally sold, and this will cause major environmental problems.
While I am all for higher safety standards and keeping our kids safe, this law is so overreaching as to put thousands on manufacturers of children's products out of business -hurting our economy and causing even more loan defaults. Though this legislation was well-intentioned, it cannot be allowed to stand as is.
Please help us defend the American dream and our entrepreneurial spirit! This law affects every stay at home mom trying to help put food on the table and every grandmother knitting blankets for the local craft fair. It makes the thousands of us who have found a niche in the burgeoning children's market have to make a tough decision - continue to produce items illegally and possible incur a $100,000 fine, pay the enormous fees and raise costs of goods sold, or close up shop!

Please help us!
Contact your Congressperson by clicking HERE.
It only takes 30 seconds!
If you have an extra minute send a hard copy of the letter as well!

To sign the online petition click HERE.

Read more about it here at www.nationalbankruptcyday.com

AMAZING DEAL OF THE DAY!!!!

Hi!

If you are familiar with Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart's masterpieces, you know that their intricately designed pop up books delight children and adults alike. Their amazing illustrations, moving pieces and captivating stories will have you reaching for these masterpieces over and over again! Give them as gift or start a collection for your own family...there is something for everyone!

Amazon is offering an AMAZING $4.00 price on "Castle: Medieval Days and Nights," a viewer rated 5 star book from Mr. Sabuda and Mr. Reinhart. You can click on the link below to purchase it through Amazon's site. Do a little searching...there are many of these award winning books to choose from.



Remember that if you spend $25 on many of their books, cds or dvds you will receive free supersaver shipping. Just look for the icon! On top of that, many of those same books, cds and dvds are buy 3, get the 4th free!

Happy Shopping!

This week's 'Designer Spotlight' belongs to...

PETUNIA PICKLE BOTTOM!

In our opinion, Petunia Pickle Bottom is the best designer of diaper bags to date!

Beautifully crafted of gorgeous textured fabrics, these cleverly designed bags combine high style with function. Each exquisitely designed bag has an incorporated changing pad which detaches easily for washing.

We have loved Petunia Pickle Bottom's line for years, but feel that they have truly outdone themselves with their fall 2007 CAKE line. Each item in the CAKE line features European cut velvet in your choice of colors with interwoven vine motif and coordinating tweed. The texture and design of these bags is unparalleled.

Our favorite? The Society Satchel (seen above) can be carried in any of four ways. It may be worn as a backpack, carried by the adjustable shoulder strap, hooked to a stroller with the valet stroller clips or carried by the hobo/clutch style handle. Include a monogrammed cake wipey case, antique brass key clip and organizational pockets galore and you have one perfect bag!

We also love the new CAKE compact clutch style bag for easy diaper changes on the go! They are easy to carry and easy to use.

Please visit PetuniaPickleBottom.com to view their entire collection.

Petunia Pickle Bottom products are high end both in quality and price, but if you shop around, you can find them for less...here is one that we love:



Buy one for yourself or for a gift. We promise...you will love it!

As always, happy shopping!

Search and Save!

Through all of the "shop talk" with friends, I have come to discover how many people are unaware of the easiest way to save money when shopping on (and often off) the Internet. All you need is a computer and a few minutes of free time. I don't know about you, but I so hate to pay shipping when doing my shopping online. I will seek out stores that offer free shipping or a percent / dollars off discount and shop almost exclusively with them. So how do you find the deals????

Google or search the shop that you are interested in and then type the words "coupon code". Be sure to use .com in your search. For example, if you are interested in purchasing a pair of shoes from shoes.com, type in "shoes.com coupon code". Your search results will show links to sites whose primary function is to publish any current coupon codes that exist at that time. Examples of sites are couponcabin.com, retailmenot.com and couponshack.com. Click on a few of the sites and check their listings of current specials / savings / coupons for the store in which you are interested. Be sure to check all expiration dates and read a few of the consumer comments if applicable (not all sites do this). Write down the code that best fits what you are planning to purchase and enter that code into the "coupon or promotion code" box during checkout. If you are planning to shop in store, check for printable coupons as well. Then sit back, smile and enjoy your instant savings! It's that easy!

On that same note, it is definitely worth it to check out Amazon.com for the item that you want to buy. They tend to have some of the best deals around on shoes, electronics and toys and very often offer to ship your packages free of charge. Their inventory and vendors change often, so be sure to check back with them on a regular basis. They carry designer labels from reputable companies so shop with confidence!

Have a wonderful time taking advantage of the MANY deals that are out there. This is the best year for deep discounts in recent history.

Happy shopping!

Kim

Ready, Set, Shop!

Today is the day! Grab your coat, keys and credit cards and run, don't walk to your favorite shopping destination! Now that the hustle and bustle of the holidays is over, it is time to find some of the best bargains of the season!

As gift cards have become increasingly popular over the past few years, many retailers have changed their after Christmas strategies. Instead of deep discounts on their entire stock of fall / winter merchandise the day after Christmas, many are waiting until after the New Year to begin marking their items down to 50% off or more. They know that with so many gift cards out there burning a hole in people's pockets, a large percentage of the population will use the traditional sale shopping day of the year (the day after Christmas or the week between Christmas and New Years) to use them. Retailers quickly discovered that if they wait a week or so after Christmas to begin deep discounts, those shoppers will end up paying a bit more for their items then if they waited until January. The result? More money in retailer's pockets instead of yours!

With that said...today is the day! There is still a TON of merchandise in stores which makes for a fabulous selection! Many, many stores are offering an additional percentage off this weekend which makes for amazing deals! For example, my shopping find yesterday was $110 Karen Kane capri jeans for $17. They were 75% off plus take an additional 40% off of that. In our area, Belk, Macy's, Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor Loft are all offering an additional % off of sale prices...that's just to name a few.

Remember too...many retailer's gift cards lose value over time if you don't use it. Check with the individual retailer as to what their policies are. It really is better to use them sooner than later.

Don't forget to shop the net! Now is the time to surf your favorite online shops for rock bottom pricing! Check out the Clearance section at Pottery Barn.com, Pottery Barn Kids.com and Williams-Sonoma.com for some amazing home decor deals!

Lastly, Spring has sprung in stores! If you shop now, you will get first pick of Spring merchandise! Retailers usually stock their most appealing lines during the pre-season...January-March and July-September. They want to entice you to spend you money during the typically slower business months. If you see anything you really love, grab it while you can...

With that said, RUN, don't walk to get your retail therapy this weekend!

Have fun!

Kim