Just posted at Musings from a Catholic Bookstore:
We currently have received certification from one vendor (about 10 products) which means that we have been forced to discontinue 1ooo products that we currently don’t have in stock to avoid breaking the law after February 10th. We currently have about 600 different kid’s items in stock that are discounted and won’t be available after February 10th unless we get more certificates from vendors.
The upshot of this? The First Communion season (February – May) is usually the second busiest season of the year for Catholic retailers. This year, unless our vendors get their acts together, it will be the worst season ever because there won’t be any First Communion dresses, kid’s missals, kid’s rosaries, etc. available for purchase.
I wonder how many Catholic retailers that are currently on the edge this will put over into failure? Knowing our industry it is quite likely that many, in spite of our contacting them, will continue operating as if the law doesn’t exist. At least until they get fined out of existence.
Anyway, stock up on First Communion and other kid’s items now because they may not be available next month.
4 Comments
Doesn’t the Catholic Church has substantial resources (and deep pockets)? Oh, and lots of good lawyers, too? Freedom of religion clause suit in the works?
David Arkush wrote last month “I haven’t heard a single legitimate concern yet” about the law.
Easy enough to hear nothing if you won’t listen.
Bob
[…] “We stopped selling over 1,000 items today because of CPSIA. No other online Catholic stores appear to be aware of the law.” [proprietor of Aquinas and More; earlier] […]
I called the Christian Law Association yesterday and was told that this is hurting many, many churches–all kinds of programming and classes as well as books and toys in the nurseries, classrooms, and church libraries.