As an estate liquidator, making sound decisions relating to the products being sold at an estate sale is not only important, but it\u2019s the law.<\/p>\n
As a re-seller of products, understanding the U.S. Consumer product safety regulations is essential for your estate sale business.<\/p>\n
Understanding the law, will help you avoid selling products that may be harmful to the consumer and their families.<\/p>\n
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission<\/a> or CPSC has a detailed guide, but we\u2019ve researched and extracted specific information relating to items often seen at your estate sales.<\/p>\n Consumer Product Safety and Liability<\/p>\n It\u2019s common to see estate sale company policies<\/a> that include rules such as items “being sold as is”, however examining the inventory during the estate sale staging process<\/a> to make sure they\u2019re safe and compliant with federal laws is a must.<\/p>\n The CPSC laws are clear and not forgiving.\u00a0 They don\u2019t consider ignorance of the laws as an excuse.\u00a0 If you are in the business of reselling items, it\u2019s your duty as a business owner to know the law, rules and regulations that apply specifically to your business and the items sold to consumers.<\/p>\n It is illegal to sell any consumer products that have been recalled by the manufacturer.\u00a0 In the estate sale staging process, to check each item is virtually impossible, however, here are a few items to pay close attention to and determine whether they\u2019ve been recalled or not.<\/p>\n Lead in items used by children is a safety concern.\u00a0 You\u2019re obviously not expected to test products for metal content, but children\u2019s items such as metal jewelry, items with painted surfaces that are intended to be used by children under 12 years old should be taken into consideration.<\/p>\n Most Cribs manufactured prior to June 2011 may not be resold.<\/p>\n Any unstable infant or children furniture or missing parts, should not be included in an estate sale.<\/p>\n The liability involved is not worth the risk, and it\u2019s against the law to sell recalled items.<\/p>\n It is illegal to sell recalled products!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The CPC\u2019s laws and regulations are very clear, they apply to anyone that sells or distributes consumer products.<\/p>\n Whether you own a consignment shop, a thrift store, hold an estate sale or even sell items online, you are required to follow these strict guidelines or you can be held liable.<\/p>\n As a business owner, you want to minimize the liability involved<\/a> in your estate sale business, but you also don\u2019t want to cause harm to anyone, especially children.<\/p>\n If you are staging an estate sale, any products deemed hazardous or do not comply with the consumer product safety standards<\/a>, should be destroyed and not included in the sale.<\/p>\n This is just a quick list, there are thousands of products to look at but here are a few common items you\u2019ll run into at estate sales.\u00a0 When in doubt, research, ask, and avoid selling.<\/p>\nEstate Sales Products to Avoid<\/h2>\n
Recalled Items<\/h3>\n
Children\u2019s Items<\/h3>\n
\n
Estate Sale Product Recall Checklist<\/strong><\/h2>\n