Baby items and new law governing secondhand sales

People in the Inland Northwest love garage sales. If they’re not driving around rown scoping out other people’s stuff, they’re probably throwing a sale of their own.

For parents, these sales often mean great deals on used kids’ clothes, toys and nursery furnishings. Throwing a garage sale can also be an efficient way to make a little extra money while getting rid of stuff that the children have outgrown.

If you’re thinking of having a sale before the end of the summer or considering selling items on Craigslist and eBay, make sure your product is safe. The Consumer Product Safety Commission recently launched a campaign called Resale Roundup, which now makes it illegal to resell anything that has been recalled by the manufacturer.

“Those who resell recalled children’s products are not only breaking the law, they are putting children’s lives at risk,” Inez Tenenbaum, chairwoman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, said in a press release . “Resale stores should make safety their business and check for recalled products and hazards to children.”

A 1999 CPSC study found that nearly 70 percent of resale stores sold at least one recalled or otherwise hazardous product, according to the press release.

The commission already keeps an eye on thrift stores to make sure recalled items aren’t being sold. Although it won’t be sending inspectors to garage sales any time soon, according to a recent story from McClatchy News, the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s new law will make sellers on eBay or Craigslist more accountable.

Garage sale shoppers and others who frequently buy items on Craigslist and eBay should also be on the lookout for dangerous recalled products by checking out the CPSC website .

Here’s a list of the agency’s Top 10 most dangerous products for children:

• Playskool Travel-Lite Play Yards (portable cribs)
• Baby Trend Home and Roam (portable cribs)
• Evenflo Happy Camper Play Yards (portable cribs)
• Baby Express Portable Cribs and Play Yards
• Magnetix Magnetic Building Sets
• Polly Pocket dolls with magnets
• Easy-Bake Ovens
• Simplicity Drop Side Cribs
• Simplicity Bassinets
• Hill Sportswear hooded drawstring sweatshirts
• Evenflo Envision high chairs