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So in case you haven't noticed, almost everything in the children's section is on clearance at Target and any retail store with kid items. Why, you ask? Could it be that the after- Christmas-sale fever hasn't chilled out? Nope. Actually it will be illegal for retail stores to sell these products as of February 10th.  Well this law passed called the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA)  where children's products cannot be sold if they contain more than 600 parts per million, which will eventually drop to 300 ppm on August 14th. That doesn't necessarily mean that these clearance items are infested with lead, it simply means that they haven't been safety certified, therefore they can't prove that they are or aren't.  Stores like Goodwill and used goods can resell them, however if it's proven that they are exceeding the lead limit they can face civil and/or criminal penlaties. In addition, to all my fellow Californians, a law took effect as of January 1st which bans toys and other kid products from having more than 0.1 percent of phthalates (PVC) which is a substance used in plastic to increase flexibility. The effects of exposure to the substance is believed to cause Endocrine disruption, damage to the liver, testes and hepatocarcinogenity . I think it's hilarious that most of these articles I've read have a lukewarm sentiment about how this is going to affect our economy and the toy industry. Have we really forgotten about what this is really about? Uh, yeah... the bebes. I mean seriously... this being AMERICA why should I have to worry if my baby's toys are safe? Come on people!