Thrift Store changes

It's half-price Wednesday at the Salvation Army's Odessa Thrift Store, and customers are filling the aisles looking for bargains on top of the store's already cut rates on secondhand items.

But for customers searching for children's clothes and toys, the bargains could soon be running out. Melissa Temme, a spokeswoman for the Salvation Army's national office, said the organization is reviewing what to do with a new federal law going into effect Feb. 10.

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 requires retailers to test all items aimed at children 12 and under for the presence of lead. Temme said a recent clarification from the Consumer Product Safety Commission allows an exemption for secondhand stores, but the law still holds them liable if an illegal product is sold.

She said the organization is now reviewing whether to continue selling children's clothes and toys in its 1,300 thrift stores, but the Salvation Army needs more information from the safety commission. And similar organizations are doing likewise.

"Right now, we're kind of in a holding pattern," Temme said. "All of our peers seem to be in the same position until we hear from the CPSC."

While she applauds the efforts to keep children away from dangerous materials, it could cost it could cost the Salvation Army $70 million in annual revenue nationwide if it stopped selling children's items, Temme said. That's not including the millions it would have to spend in "dumping" fees to get rid of the items, since it could still be held liable if it gave them away.

Most Salvation Army thrift stores give revenue to residential drug and alcohol treatment programs, Temme said.

"It's a fairly costly program to run," she said. "A hit to our revenue makes it a little concern - or a lot concern."

With the nation in a recession, Temme said it would also be a bad time to eliminate a cost-saving measure for families.

Local Salvation Army leader Maj. Carl Hughes, said that as far as he knows, the Odessa store would have to pull children's items after Feb. 10. Sending items for inspection would be too costly and require more employees.

"It would cost more than we charge for the piece of merchandise," Hughes said.

But not selling clothes for children would be bad for the local organization, Hughes said.

"That's something we're going to be watching real closely," he said.

Faye Rodriguez, executive director of Catholic Charities in Odessa, said the legislation could be confusing as to what her organization's thrift store can sell. But it has long been proactive in keeping potentially dangerous items away from children.

"We normally look at everything," she said. "We're very careful especially with the toys because we don't want to put anything out there that would hurt a child."

Susana Mendoza, who was taking advantage of Wednesday discounts at the Salvation Army store, said she could get by if she wasn't able to buy children's clothes there.

"It's not going to be ‘Oh my God' devastating to me, 'cause I can get it somewhere else," she said.