With a stagnant economy causing many people to reel back spending, second-hand stores have become a popular option for Christmas and other holiday gifts this year.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) wants to make sure those items bought and sold second hand are safe.
After a wave of toy recalls in the U.S. in 2007, the federal government decided no more playing around.
"So many parents remember the Mattel and Thomas and Friends and Fisher Price toys. Congress responded to these violations of the led laws, dangerous magnets coming out of these toys," said Scott Wolfson, CPSC Spokesman.
Congress responded by passing laws aimed to keep recalled products from being resold in such venues as thrift stores, yard sales and online. It is now a crime to resell anything that's been recalled by the manufacturer.
Prior to the laws there were no regulations in place.
At second hand stores, like the Goodwill in Little River, managers say they are constantly checking the CPSC for their list of recalled items.
"If there are recalls we get emails, two or three times a week sometimes. Then of course we print them out and look them over and we have a book that we keep by our donations area in the back and we check it against what's on the recall," said Ralph Gentry, Manager at Goodwill in Little River.
To be on the safe side, Gentry says there are certain items they don't take period.
"Old car seats, old strollers, old cribs and old toys. We just don't take a lot of toys because there has been so much trouble with a lot of toys with the led paint and such things like that so we're careful about what we take here at the store," he said.
While some are careful, the CPSC still warns to know exactly what you're buying, or selling.
"We're just trying to use it to educate people - don't pass on a recalled item to your neighbor, to someone in your community, to somebody on the internet, you could be passing on a dangerous product to somebody else," said Wolfson.
Whether you're buying or selling items - from thrift stores and yard sales, to online sites like Craigslist or eBay - the CPSC urges you to keep up to speed with recalled items by visiting their website.
Click here for more information on the Consumer Product Safety Commission's recalled items list.
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