Thrift stores, consignment shops and other sellers of used children products will not be required to certify that those products meet the new lead limits imposed by a new federal law that takes effect Feb. 10 , the Consumer Product Safety Commission clarified Thursday.

"This is good news to me," said Greg Sears, owner of Pac-Rat Palace, a local consignment store.

Salvation Army Thrift store manager Dorothy Young called the decision "wonderful," but acknowledged that her staff still will need to be educated about the new Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, which says that after Feb. 10, children's products cannot be sold in the U.S. if they contain more than 600 parts per million total lead. The total lead limit drops to 300 ppm on Aug. 14.

Resellers of children's items had feared that complying with the new law would put them out of business, but the CPSC issued a clarification that said "Sellers of used children's products, such as thrift stores and consignment stores, are not required to certify that those products meet the new lead limits, phthalates standard or new toy standards."

Sears said he'd abide by the law by posting a "Buyer Beware" sign to the effect that some used toys and other items could contain lead contents above the new limits.

"I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing until somebody tells me that I can't," he said.