CPSIA Prompts Selecta Toys to Exit the U.S. Market

I was disappointed today when the owner of a local natural toy store informed me that Selecta Toys is halting U.S. distribution.

After engaging in a brief discussion about the misguided nature of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) and the legislation's devastating effect on those companies that have been manufacturing high quality, non-toxic toys for decades, I grabbed as many Selecta products as I could afford. 

Here's what I picked up for our baby boy:  a Rombino grasping toy, a Crocolo pull toy and a Turnello dexterity toy. He already has the Rumella, which was the first toy he held.

Those of us who buy natural toys know that safety and quality don't come cheap.  In order to comply with the CPSIA, which requires companies that manufacture children's products to pay for third party lead testing, Selecta Toys would have to raise its prices by at least 50%.  It's clear, therefore, that staying in the U.S. market would prove financially disastrous for the company, even if the economy were booming.