By GottaLaff
If you're planning a garage sale or organizing a church bazaar, you'd best beware: You could be breaking a new federal law. As part of a campaign called Resale Roundup, the federal government is cracking down on the secondhand sales of dangerous and defective products.The initiative, which targets toys and other products for children, enforces a new provision that makes it a crime to resell anything that's been recalled by its manufacturer.
"Those who resell recalled children's products are not only breaking the law, they are putting children's lives at risk," said Inez Tenenbaum, the recently confirmed chairwoman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The crackdown affects sellers ranging from major thrift-store operators such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army to everyday Americans cleaning out their attics for yard sales, church bazaars or — increasingly — digital hawking on eBay, Craigslist and other Web sites.
Actually, I'm all for this. But that doesn't mean I can't snark about it.
Mr. Laffy and I always joke about how people hawk their broken down junk, and people snatch it right up. "Hey, want my dirty, ripped, stained old BarcaLounger? We're sick of it, it's threadbare, it causes back problems, we hate the color, and it's a piece of crap!" "Sure, how much?"
Oh, but I kid. I've bought and sold plenty in my day, but nothing with lead in it. Honest.
And for all you shoppers out there:
MOST DANGEROUS RECALLED PRODUCTS:
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has launched a drive to prevent used goods that have been recalled from being resold. Among thousands of recalled products on the market, the federal agency has identified 11 that it considers very dangerous for children:
Product..........................................................................When recalled
Playskool Travel-Lite Play Yards (portable cribs)...........March 10, 1993
Baby Trend Home and Roam.(portable cribs)...............Dec. 19, 1994
Evenflo Happy Camper Play Yards (portable cribs).......June 25, 1997
Baby Express Portable Cribs and Play Yards...............Feb. 28, 2001
Magnetix Magnetic Building Sets..................................March 31, 2006
Polly Pocket dolls with magnets....................................Nov. 21, 2006
Easy-Bake Ovens..........................................................July 19, 2007
Simplicity Drop Side Cribs..............................................Sept. 21, 2007
Simplicity Bassinets....................................................... Aug. 27, 2008
Hill Sportswear hooded drawstring sweatshirts.............Feb. 12, 2009
Evenflo Envision high chairs..........................................April 2, 2009
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