interesting predicament. very interesting.

the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act kicks in on february 9. in a nutshell, it requires safety testing for any product sold for a child's use. it came about after the horrible toys-with-lead scare a year ago. however, this now means that handmade toys are subject to the same requirements as those mass-produced on the cheap by large corporations. the hooping community, as well as other crafters and retailers who sell handmade toys, is starting to buzz... because it costs a heck of a lot of money (thousands) for these product tests and could put many people out of business.

i'm happy to take the "child" size off my site, or at least gear that size towards more experienced hoopers who want a smaller hoop. the question is if someone buys a smaller size for their child's use, since hula hoops have historically been a child's toy. i have a few weeks to figure out what to do... i can't afford any fines. hrm.

more info is here:
http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/