hard-hitting investigative reporting from the dollar store

I conducted a thoroughly non-scientific investigation of the quality of items at dollar stores all for you, my dear readers. I visited only one store (a national chain) and I understand that inventory at dollar stores is constantly changing.

Body butters. I purchased four different brands, and was extremely disappointed with all. The consistency was more like regular body lotion, and a thin lotion at that. One barely smelled like the promised sandalwood scent. A better and high quality alternative at a low price is a tub of pure cocoa butter.

Hair conditioner. I purchased two different brands and was even more disappointed with the conditioner than the butter butters. Both knock-off brands actually made my hair feel dry and rough. Not sure how that is possible - even $1 Suave conditions! I'm going to stick to my regular brand. Conditioner is one of those items that my hair is quite particular about.

Shampoo. I purchased three knock-off brands. Not quite as good as the original, but it does the job. The shampoo seemed thinner, too. I'll stick with my solid shampoo puck from Lush. Yes, it's $7-$9, but it lasts forever. No, I don't work for Lush...I actually dislike most of their products. Despite the "natural" claims, many products contain suspected carcinogens like cocomide DEA and titanium dioxide. Which is fine, because many chemicals and cancers and anthrax are all "natural."

Hair gel. I purchased two knock-off brands. Not a good buy - they left my hair stiff, sticky, and dry due to the high alcohol content.

Body wash. I purchased two knock-off brands. The liquid was much more diluted than the original, so I'm not sure that this was even a bargain.

Deodorant. Many popular brands in a jumbo size, all made in the US. These will go into my toiletry kits for the homeless. Good buy.

Toothbrushes. Good buy and many popular brands. Did you know you should replace your toothbrush every 3 months?

Toothpaste. I did not buy - every single brand (even Crest and Aquafresh) was manufactured in a foreign country. For an extra dollar or two, I'll stick with an American product.

Disposable razors. 12 popular brand razors for $1. Good buy if your skin can handle disposable razors.

Shaving cream. I did not purchase, but the large containers looked like a good buy.

Dishwashing soap. Perfectly fine. The large size I purchased costs about $4 at my grocery store, so this was a good buy.

Sponges. Again, perfectly fine and cheaper than my grocery store.

Trash bags. I purchased three different brands. All were just as good as popular brands. Good buy. Am I the only one Shocked and Appalled by what grocery stores charge for trash bags these days?

Plastic baggies. Just as good as the popular brands. Good buy.

Dish towels. At $1 per small towel, I can do better at the grocery store. Not a good buy.

Plates/dishes/bowls/glasses. These all felt like good-quality items. Some of the designs were atrocious, but many were plain solid colors. Still, Ikea has cheaper prices on some items. I did purchase a dozen Coca-Cola glasses for a friend. They were heavy and textured and definitely retail for more than $1 each.

Placemats. Some lovely, beaded placemats here! I've seen almost identical placemats retail for more than $12 each. Mixed in with some really cheap and/or ugly placemats.

Disposable eatware. Many popular brands. I don't use disposable eatware, but these looked like a good buy provided you buy the larger sizes.

Cookie cutters. Not good. They were poorly made and flimsy and I dented them on the first use. I can usually find wonderful copper cutters at my local flea market, and other cutters at such retailers as The Cookie Cutter Shop, Cookies in Seattle, or Etsy.

Socks: 3 pairs of white cotton gym socks for only $1. I'll be buying all my gym socks from here from now on. Good buy!

Men's t-Shirts: Another good buy. Thick, quality cotton and no logo. Good for the gym and homeless shelters and, if you wear men's clothing, wearing.

Baby/toddler clothing: I did not purchase because the material felt so stiff and scratchy. I was also concerned about poorly fastened buttons - I worry they pose a choking hazard.

Dog toys. I actually did not purchase these because they were so poorly made that I worried about Jack swallowing loose parts.

Children's toys. I did not purchase. Many of the brightly-colored toys were made in China, and I'd be concerned about the lead content in these.

Children's books. I flipped through a few and found some spelling and grammatical errors. Stik to teh libary.

Children's coloring books. I think it's better to let kids have a blank piece of paper. And some of these coloring books featured scantily-clad teenaged females - knock-off Barbie and Bratz dolls. Bratz...shudder.

Pharmaceuticals. I did not purchase because every item I looked at was made in another country. Be very careful if you purchase non-US pharma products - some countries have lax safety standards.

Food. I bought spaghetti (non-whole wheat), canned veggies, soda, pretzels, granola bars, and beef jerky. I verified that everything was made in the US and well within the expiration date. Everything was fine, and many were popular brands. I divvied up the snack foods into the plastic baggies to add to my kits for the homeless. Good buy, especially for food pantries. Just be careful about the country-of-origin and the expiration dates.

Conclusion: Home items like trash bags are the best buys. Be very careful about pharmaceuticals, pet items, foods, and children's items. Many personal care products are of such low quality that you are better off to spend more somewhere else.

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Tip/trick/lesson of the day: Etsy has some wonderful items! Everything on Etsy is handmade or vintage, and its a lovely place to do business. Much nicer that eBay. I have a little Etsy shop, too, and I've actually met some very sweet people this way. I do a lot of my gift-buying on Etsy as well - handmade purses, scarves, baby clothes, artwork, and more. If you sell handmade items, consider Etsy. The fees are much lower than on eBay.