when the products were made -- and stores found breaking the law could face fines of up to $ 100,000 per violation . `` It would just be virtually impossible for me to feel safe that my toys meet the guidelines , '' Seitz said . `` I feel confident that these are safe toys , but anything carries a risk . Since I can be held criminally and financially responsible if I sell a toy that is on the recall list or a toy that tests for lead , I just have to wipe out all my toys . '' Watch why thrift stores fear new rules will force them out of business '' Now Seitz is going to throw away or give away her entire inventory of children 's items , fearing this latest attempt at protecting kids will force the Pennyworth Thrift Store and thousands of others out of business . The ban also applies to children 's clothes and books . The National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops say tens of thousands of secondhand stores across the country are at risk . Adele Meyer , the association 's executive director , said some owners are
SILVER SPRING , Maryland -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As Marilyn Seitz helps customers find just the right size , she wonders how much longer before she 's forced to close her doors . Maryland thrift store manager Marilyn Seitz says the new rules have the potential to put the store out of business . The Pennyworth Thrift Store in Silver Spring , Maryland , is n't suffering from the struggling economy . Secondhand stores across the country are more in demand than ever as many people are desperate to save money . Instead , Seitz is worried her business may become an unintended casualty of an attempt to protect children . After a wave of highly publicized tainted-toy recalls last year , Congress passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act . Then-President George Bush signed the bill in August , and new federal restrictions on lead and other harmful substances take effect Tuesday . The new rules ban lead content beyond minute levels of 600 parts per million in any product for children 12 and younger . The law not only makes it illegal to manufacture lead-laced products , but it also makes it illegal to sell them no matter