interesting predicament. very interesting.

[swingchickie]

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/

Comments

[southstman.livejournal.com]

here's my two cents: KEEP the small size and remove all mention of 'child' in the description. Then mark clearly on your site that "All hoops available on your site are meant for use by people XX and older." (find out what the cut off age is for child, as defined by the CPSIA) and then asterisk that statement.

Further down - in smaller print - declare:

* Due to the recent implementation of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, any item sold for a child's use must go through rigorous testing which, as an independent business, is something I cannot afford to do, since testing could cost hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars per hoop. I continue to stand strongly behind my product and welcome any questions that you might have.

To find out more about the issues surrounding CPSIA, please visit: http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org

[swingchickie.livejournal.com]

that's exactly what i was thinking -- maybe call them "beginner" (large) and "professional" (smaller) size. i'm updating the site today, so we'll see how it comes out. thanks!