# eBay kicked back my lawn darts (Jarts) listing. Is it actually illegal to sell these? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 30, 2004, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-kicked-back-my-lawn-darts-jarts-listing-is-it-actually-illegal-to-sell-these/257646 "2004-07-30T21:06:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-kicked-back-my-lawn-darts-jarts-listing-is-it-actually-illegal-to-sell-these/257646/1 "2004-07-30T21:06:42Z")
I found a virgn, new in the box, unused set of lawn darts (JARTS) and thinking how popular they are as a collectible I spent some time taking pics and prepping the listing, only to have eBay tell me that I couldn’t list it and if I tried I might get my account “reviewed”. [Here is a pic of the Jarts](http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cpeek001/sDCP_2284.JPG) Here was my listing text . > [@](#): > > Yes indeed! These are the deadly “put your eye out” kind. Appear to be new in box and unused. Comes with jarts, 2 rings. box and instructions. All items appear to be in brand new and unused condition. > > You are bidding on a NEW IN PACKAGE REGENT “SLIDER” JARTS LAWN DARTS GAME (Model 01-73930). JARTS is an outdoor skill game for ADULTS ONLY. This vintage game comes to you in its ORIGINAL BOX and COMPLETE with four “SLIDER” JARTS and two target rings. The sliding design fin slides back automatically for ore accurate flight. This set of Slider JARTS is for the Vintage Game collector. Game play can be quite dangerous, and even deadly! Renegade game play is at your own risk!! Here is what eBay said - > [@](#): > > Recalled Item Alert - Lawn Darts > > If you are listing lawn darts, commonly referred to as Jarts, your auction will be ended and your account reviewed for further action. eBay does not allow the sale of items that have been recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and eBay cooperates fully with the CPSC in the investigation of sales of such items. The CPSC has determined that these items are extremely dangerous to children and banned the sale of these items in 1988. More information regarding these items can be found at the following link: > > [CPSC Web Site](http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prerel.html) Now, I know (now) that eBay does not approve, but are these Jarts actually _illegal_ to sell or not, possibly on some other web auction service? ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-kicked-back-my-lawn-darts-jarts-listing-is-it-actually-illegal-to-sell-these/257646/2 "2004-07-30T21:11:17Z")
According to [jarts.com](http://jarts.com/) yup: > [@](#): > > WARNING: Lawn Jarts have been banned for manufacturing and resale in the United States. The government of the United States has asked that all Jarts be destroyed. In no way do we encourage or condone children using Jarts. Injuries from Lawn Jarts can result in serious injury or possibly even death. Those who play in this tournament are aware of the dangers of using Lawn Jarts and choose to take on the responsibilities associated with this sport. I saw the following on a website, but that website also gave instruction how to construct them so I won’t link to it: > [@](#): > > Back in '87, a child suffered a fatal blow from a lawn dart, and her father lobbied Congress until they were declared illegal in 1989. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-kicked-back-my-lawn-darts-jarts-listing-is-it-actually-illegal-to-sell-these/257646/3 "2004-07-30T21:14:32Z")
I followed the link to the CPSC site in your post and did a search on “lawn darts.” The first item on the list was [CPSC bans Lawn Darts](http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/darts.pdf). > [@](#): > > Effective December 19, 1988, all lawn darts are banned from sale in the United States. Lawn darts, used in an outdoor game have been responsible for the deaths of 3 children. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-kicked-back-my-lawn-darts-jarts-listing-is-it-actually-illegal-to-sell-these/257646/4 "2004-07-30T21:19:51Z")
Thanks for the heads up! Looks like I own an illegal Box o’ Jarts. \*Time for mischief! \* ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-kicked-back-my-lawn-darts-jarts-listing-is-it-actually-illegal-to-sell-these/257646/5 "2004-07-30T21:20:12Z")
[Here’s a bit more info:](http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml97/97122.html) > [@](#): > > ollowing Recent Injury CPSC Reissues Warning: Lawn Darts Are Banned and Should Be Destroyed > WASHINGTON, D.C. - After a recent serious injury caused by a lawn dart, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reissued its warning that lawn darts are banned and should be destroyed. Effective on December 19, 1988, CPSC banned the sale of all lawn darts in the United States. Pointed lawn darts, intended for use in an outdoor game, have been responsible for the deaths of three children. The most recent injury occurred last week in Elkhart, Ind., when a 7-year-old boy suffered a brain injury after a lawn dart pierced his skull. Skull!!! Ouch!!! :eek: :eek: :eek: ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-kicked-back-my-lawn-darts-jarts-listing-is-it-actually-illegal-to-sell-these/257646/6 "2004-07-30T22:26:33Z")
I have to say that I’m amazed that only three children have been killed by Jarts. Those were some seriously lethal toys. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-kicked-back-my-lawn-darts-jarts-listing-is-it-actually-illegal-to-sell-these/257646/7 "2004-07-30T22:37:53Z")
I looked for Jarts on eBay about a month ago…THere were lots of them for sale. But they all said something along the lines of being “collectors items” only…“not for use”. (I haven’t looked again though to verify if they were still there…sorry…I’m lazy). ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-kicked-back-my-lawn-darts-jarts-listing-is-it-actually-illegal-to-sell-these/257646/8 "2004-07-30T22:41:34Z")
So what makes this dangerous? Is the purpose to strike your opponent with one? I can’t think of another reason why they should be banned. Jeeze, I practice historical martial arts which includes sparring and practicing tecnique with blunted and sharp steel swords. Obviously not the kind of thing kids should be involved with, will they outlaw swords too? ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-kicked-back-my-lawn-darts-jarts-listing-is-it-actually-illegal-to-sell-these/257646/9 "2004-07-30T22:43:37Z")
Perhaps in the future you’ll have more luck if you don’t draw attention to the fact that the product you’re selling has the capacity to put peoples’ eyes out. That’s what stood out to me when I read the description you posted on Ebay, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-kicked-back-my-lawn-darts-jarts-listing-is-it-actually-illegal-to-sell-these/257646/10 "2004-07-30T22:45:09Z")
Oops, pressed submit too soon. I wanted to say, that archery would also fall into the same category, no? I’m sure people have gotten hurt practicing archery, what’s the difference? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-kicked-back-my-lawn-darts-jarts-listing-is-it-actually-illegal-to-sell-these/257646/11 "2004-07-30T22:45:50Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > I looked for Jarts on eBay about a month ago…THere were lots of them for sale. But they all said something along the lines of being “collectors items” only…“not for use”. (I haven’t looked again though to verify if they were still there…sorry…I’m lazy). I looked in active and completed sales. There were Jart t-shirts and stuff, but no actual jarts (that I could find). ---
**Author:** ![legion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/838e76/32.png) [@legion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/legion)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-kicked-back-my-lawn-darts-jarts-listing-is-it-actually-illegal-to-sell-these/257646/12 "2004-07-30T22:55:26Z")
Does it say anywhere on the packaging “ **Made In Iraq** ”? Only, you know, these _could_ be what everyone has been looking for for so long. ---
**Author:** ![PaulFitzroy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2acd7d/32.png) [@PaulFitzroy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulFitzroy)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-kicked-back-my-lawn-darts-jarts-listing-is-it-actually-illegal-to-sell-these/257646/13 "2004-07-30T23:04:34Z")
It’s so stupid that they ban things because dumbass kids get hurt using them irresponsibly, or because stupid people insist on playing near kids. It’s the same argument made by people insisting on handgun bans because children “accidentally” shoot their friends. A lot of dumbass kids are out there who have been raised on retarded TV shows, don’t know how to read, think Power Rangers are real and think that a pretend Superman cape will make them fly; these kids should not be allowed to play with lawn darts. Furthermore people shouldn’t be throwing these things while little kids are running around on the lawn in front of them. Christ Almighty, when will people get some common sense? We live in a country where there are warning labels on every damn thing because some ASSHOLE out there hurt himself sticking a curling iron up his ass and takes it upon himself to sue the company that made it, thereby forcing them to treat all consumers like idiots and put warning labels all over everything. It’s enough to make me want to move to the goddam sahara desert. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-kicked-back-my-lawn-darts-jarts-listing-is-it-actually-illegal-to-sell-these/257646/14 "2004-07-30T23:05:49Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > I wanted to say, that archery would also fall into the same category, no? I’m sure people have gotten hurt practicing archery, what’s the difference? My WAG is that the illegality is selling them _as toys_. The same as selling a toy car painted with lead paint would be illegal, but selling an antique diecast car in the same paint at an antique fair is legal. And although obvioulsy with tongue-in-cheek, the OP did describe the objects as potentially dangerous. That’d be enough for the eBay legal boys to have a heart attack if legal action occured. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-kicked-back-my-lawn-darts-jarts-listing-is-it-actually-illegal-to-sell-these/257646/15 "2004-07-30T23:27:07Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > My WAG is that the illegality is selling them _as toys_. The same as selling a toy car painted with lead paint would be illegal, but selling an antique diecast car in the same paint at an antique fair is legal. Ok, THIS I understand. Selling them as toys, and not labeling them properly as an adult game only is wrong. But why BAN them. Did the government ask the people selling these things to label them as for adults only with all the warnings attached? Did they tell them not to sell the product to toy departments? If they did and they said “no”, ok, ban them, but I doubt the company would have prefered that to simply changing the label! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-kicked-back-my-lawn-darts-jarts-listing-is-it-actually-illegal-to-sell-these/257646/16 "2004-07-30T23:45:29Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > So what makes this dangerous? Is the purpose to strike your opponent with one? I can’t think of another reason why they should be banned. > > Jeeze, I practice historical martial arts which includes sparring and practicing tecnique with blunted and sharp steel swords. Obviously not the kind of thing kids should be involved with, will they outlaw swords too? They are dangerous because the whole idea is that you’re meant to throw them quite a long distance on a high trajectory, leaving ample time for some hapless bystander to position himself in the path; because they come more or less straight down, most injuries are going to be head injuries and serious ones at that. I take it that when you practice your swordplay, your opponent is at least _aware_ of the potential for danger. People look around themselves, but they don’t look _up_ a lot; they’d be more likely to spot someone practicing archery (or spot the target, if there was one), than they would notice a silent dart falling from almost directly above them. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-kicked-back-my-lawn-darts-jarts-listing-is-it-actually-illegal-to-sell-these/257646/17 "2004-07-30T23:52:50Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > Did the government ask the people selling these things to label them as for adults only with all the warnings attached? If you look at OP’s photo, the box is clearly marked as “for adults only” and “may cause serious or fatal injury.” [This blogger](http://home.att.net/~planetgarp/jarts.html) (?) claims it’s technically illegal to even play with them. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2004, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-kicked-back-my-lawn-darts-jarts-listing-is-it-actually-illegal-to-sell-these/257646/18 "2004-07-31T00:06:44Z")
**astro** – if my email to you doesn’t make it through the spam filter, email me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2004, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-kicked-back-my-lawn-darts-jarts-listing-is-it-actually-illegal-to-sell-these/257646/19 "2004-07-31T00:14:09Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > People look around themselves, but they don’t look _up_ a lot; they’d be more likely to spot someone practicing archery (or spot the target, if there was one), than they would notice a silent dart falling from almost directly above them. There’s also standard procedures for any respectable archer, to ensure the neighbour’s kid doesn’t wander into the danger zone, which are hammered into anybody in their first archery class (or at least should be). I doubt comparable guidelines exist for Jarts. I’m confident that these things would be classifiable as dangerous/offensive weapons in many places. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2004, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-kicked-back-my-lawn-darts-jarts-listing-is-it-actually-illegal-to-sell-these/257646/20 "2004-07-31T00:22:13Z")
I wonder if selling curare poisoned blowgun darts on E-bay would be legal? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-kicked-back-my-lawn-darts-jarts-listing-is-it-actually-illegal-to-sell-these/257646.md?page=2)