Scroll Saw Village

photo by Ehsan Namavar

I’m not a political person in general. But there was one issue that was close to my heart. I’ve written several articles (Good News For Handmade Toys, Save Hand Made Toys, and No More Handmade Toys) about the CPSIA and their new rule to require expensive 3rd party testing on products intended for children. This ruling would force thousands of crafters and cottage industries out of business. But we can now breath a sigh of relief, at least for the time being. The CPSIA has issued a 1 year suspension of the rule so they can further explore concerns  and look for possible options. Etsy.com has a great article about the 1 year suspension that you can read here.   You can continue to keep up to date and see what you can do to help by visiting the Hand Made Toy Alliance.

Awhile back, I wrote a couple articles (No More Handmade Toys, Save Hand Made Toys) about how handcrafted toys and products for children will be a thing of the past due to the new law that takes effect on Feb. 10, 2009.  Well, I’m happy to report a little good news.  The Handmade Toy Alliance was successful in raising enough votes with Change.org to be included in the discussion with the Obama administration.  On January 16, 2009, they expressed their concern and offered solutions to President Obama’s transition team.  Change.org and the Handmade Toy Alliance will be working together to find assistance with an appropriate non-profit group to help further their cause.  They have also opened a forum where you can discuss, offer solutions and help further this cause to save handcrafted toys and children’s products.  You can find more information at www.handmadetoyalliance.org or join in the discussion at Change.org.

Last month, I wrote an article about how hand-made toys will soon become a thing of the past. Why? Because selling or donating handcrafted toys will be illegal without expensive certification. Thousands of small businesses will be closing their doors as of Feb. 10, 2009 simply because they cannot afford the 3rd party certification the ‘big boys’ do. From stay-at-home moms making dolls to sell at craft shows, to small cottage industries who sell online and to boutiques. Charities will be affected too. You can no longer donate handcrafted toys, a practice many crafting organizations take part in every Christmas.

The bill has already been passed and will go in effect on Feb. 10, 2009. But there’s still some hope. Ideas For Change In America will be presenting the top 10 ideas directly to President Elect Obama just before inauguration day. The Hand Made Toy Alliance has offered their ideas and are currently in 6th place. If you value hand made toys, or are a crafter who may be affected by this bill, please offer your support to the Hand Made Toy Alliance. You can do so by voting to include this bill in the discussion with President Elect Obama. The Vote Now button is in the upper left corner of the page next to the proposal.

You can read more about the Hand Made Toy Alliance on their official website. You can also refer to my previous article “No More Handmade Toys.” Be sure to sign their online petition on their website too. Every bit of support will help.

We all remember the massive toy recalls back in 2007. Toys made in developing countries, namely China, contained dangerous amounts of lead and other chemicals. This brought a lot of fear and concern about regulations regarding toy manufacturing. As a result, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) was passed in August 2008. This act requires third party testing and certification of all toys distributed in the US. This testing could cost up to $4,000 per toy. Large manufacturers could easily absorb this cost. Unfortunately, it will kill the handcrafted toy industry. Thousands of home crafters who make toys to supplement their income will have close up shop because they can’t afford to have their toys certified. Parents who want a natural alternative to Mattel products will no longer have that option. Can you imagine a world without handcrafted toys? No more wooden cars and trucks. No more plush teddy bears or dollies.

The Handmade Toy Alliance has a website that explains the details of the CPSIA and how it will affect crafters. I urge you to send a letter to your Senator and Congressperson and request changes to the CPSIA so we can save handcrafted toys. You can find a sample letter and the name and address of your representatives on the Handmade Toy Alliance website.

Addendum:
You can also sign an online petition here.

Rick (aka Scrollzlilla) from Spitting Image WoodWoodworking is running a charity drive on behalf of Make A Wish Foundation. His daughter’s Senior class is raising money for Make A Wish Foundation by giving Hugs for Hope. In the spirit of giving, Rick is donating all proceeds from pattern sales between March 12-18 will be donated to this worthy cause.

Make A Wish Foundation is a very special charity that has made wishes come true for thousands of children with a life threatening illness. They help make a wish come true for a child in need every 41 minutes! My neighbor’s daughter had a wish come true by this fantastic group of people. Its amazing how a little thing like this makes such a big difference.

You can read more about this charity drive from his website. While you’re there, buy a few of those patterns you’ve had your eye on. The proceeds will help make a wish come true for a very deserving child.

Here’s the last SSG Toy Drive update for 2007. Unfortunately, it didn’t go as well as planned. We had plenty of curiosity with about 30 click-throughs. But no purchases. The plan was using any commissions earned through the Amazon ads to buy toys for children that wouldn’t otherwise have a Christmas. Although we did not earn any commissions this year, I went out and bought a couple board games anyway and donated them to Toys For Tots on behalf of SSG.

Although the toy drive didn’t work in our favor this year, I think I’ll do it again next year. Perhaps with a wider readership we’ll be able to buy a lot of goodies for the little ones next year.

Thank you all for your interest and I hope you had a wonderful Christmas.

We’ve got 4 days left for our little Toy Drive. Unfortunately, the most response we’ve got is several click-throughs. No purchases. So if you are going to purchase anything through Amazon this year for the holidays, please use these links. The commission I receive as a result of these links will be used to buy toys for Toys for Tots. You can read about our little toy drive here.

Well, here’s the weekly update on the SSG Toy Drive for Toys For Tots. Its pretty much the same story as last time. This week we’ve received an additional 7 click-throughs, but no purchases. If you are going to purchase anything from Amazon for the holidays, please use the Amazon links on this page. The commission earned from the purchases made from these links will be used to buy toys for Toys For Tots. We only have 10 more days to make this work, so shop shop shop!

And now back to your regularly scheduled program.

The SSG Toy Drive has been up for about two weeks now. So far, we’ve only received 14 click-throughs, but no purchases. There is an Amazon banner ad at the top of this web page. I also have an Amazon search tool to the upper right corner of this web page to get you started. Remember, these are Amazon links only. I receive no personal information. I merely get a commission based on sales as a result of these links. I will then use that money to buy toys for Toys For Tots. So if you are going to buy from Amazon this Christmas, please use the links on this page so we can make a child’s Christmas extra special this year.

You can read more about the SSG Toy Drive here. You can also find more information on the Amazon Affiliate program here.

Thank You and Happy Holidays,
Travis

Christmas is around the corner. The stores have had their decorations up since September. And we all get caught up in the frenzy of Christmas. But its also the time of year when we step back and realize how lucky we truly are.

One of my favorite charities is Toys For Tots. It’s a great charity and you can read about them here. It’s a nice feeling to buying a toy for a child in need. It’s amazing how many cool toys you can find for under $10. So little goes so far.

Since I have a small, but growing readership, I thought I’d try something new. I joined Amazon’s affiliate program. For each referral that results in a sale, I receive 4% of that sale. I will use the money earned to purchase toys for children who wouldn’t otherwise have a Christmas. 4% may not seem like much, but with even a $25 purchase, $1 will go toward the purchase of a toy. If 10 people does this, a child will have something to open on Christmas morning.

So, if you are going to purchase anything through Amazon this year, please use the Amazon links on this page. Help make a child’s Christmas extra special this year. Spread the word to others too. The more who participate, the more toys we can buy.

Merry Christmas everybody!

OK. Here’s The Fine Print:
I will keep these links up until Dec. 23rd, 2007. All proceeds that result from these links will go toward purchasing toys for Toys for Tots. They will be donated at my local Toys For Tots drop-off. I am not affiliated with Toys for Tots. I’m just a guy who wants to make Christmas special for some deserving kids. I will keep everyone up to date on the progress of our little fund raiser. Cheers!