This Fall 2010 Just Between Friends across the nation will no longer be accepting consignments of drop-side cribs. 

The reasons for this decision are as follows:

• 9 million drop-side cribs have been recalled in the past 5 years.

• Drop-side cribs have been blamed in the deaths of 32 infants and toddlers since 2000 and suspected in another 14 infant fatalities

• The Consumer Products Safety Commission Chairman, Inez Tenenbaum, has pledged to ban their manufacture and sale by year’s end

• Legislation has been introduced to outlaw the sale and manufacture of drop-side cribs

• Toys ‘R Us, Babies ‘R Us, and Wal-Mart have stopped selling drop side cribs

Although drop-side cribs have been popular for years, they are no longer deemed safe. Drop-side cribs have safety problems that can't be addressed during manufacturing. Cribs are often taken apart and stored for a while between babies. When a drop-side crib is re-assembled a few years later, missing hardware, loosened screws or bolts, or assembly errors can all contribute to a drop-side coming loose. Parts or assembly instructions may be missing which can allow errors to happen when it's time to put the used crib together.

Other issues with drop-side cribs are:

• Older cribs had metal rods that guided the drop side up and down. Many newer cribs have plastic tracking guides for the drop side that are prone to breaking and warping

• The movable side can malfunction or detach from the crib creating a dangerous gap where babies’ heads can become trapped, leading to suffocation or strangulation

• Consumers can unknowingly install the drop side or drop side hardware incorrectly. Many have installed the drop-side upside down which can increase wear on the hardware

• Drop-side cribs are less structurally sound than cribs with four fixed sides

There are many safer cribs on the market today.

Cribs with stationary sides avoid the safety issues with moving parts altogether. There are some cribs with stationary sides that have a lower front rail to allow easier access to the baby.

Another available crib type is the drop-gate crib, where a part of the crib side folds down to allow as much access as a drop-side crib would. The hardware and mechanism in a drop-gate crib is simpler than a drop-side crib, though, so there isn't as much risk of incorrect assembly or of the hardware failing and posing a serious safety problem. Cribs with stationary sides, a lower front or drop-gate will still be acceptable consignments at all Just Between Friends events.

For more information visit: http://www.cpsc.gov/
 

CAR SEATS

Car seats cannot be older than 5 years old. Click here for recalls or call the Dept of transportation for recalls. 1-800-424-9393.
Click Here for a PDF version of Car Seats that have been recalled as of January 2010.

In order to ensure that the car seats being sold at the sale meet high standards please fill out our car seat information checklist and waiver before bringing your car seat to the sale.

We will inspect and pull all recalled or unacceptable car seats, so please follow the check list carefully before bringing it to the sale.

Please click here to download our Car Seat Waiver.