A Dollar for Your Thoughts…
Confession time. *sotto whisper* I really like Dollar Stores. There are different names for them, but they all amount to the same thing: cheap goods for cheap. I’m admitting my age, I know, when I say I grew up with a Woolworth store. Oh my, how I reveled in the those aisles of little boxy displays of toys and delights. It certainly was a sad, sad day when the Woolworth closed its doors.
However, my spirits lifted when the dollar store concept arrived redressed and ready to go on the scene; my level of thrill skyrocketed due in part to nostalgia, but mostly due to my (Scottish roots?) of thrift. Here are the top ten favorite buys at a dollar store:
1. greeting cards–two for a dollar!
2. toys–everything from magic tricks to fairy princess dress up essentials
3. gift bags–two for a dollar small to big bags just a buck
4. school supplies
5. decorating items–a bag of multi-colored glass marbles only 100 pennies (a yippee! find)
6. hair dibdabs–barrettes, bands, bobby pins
7. smell goods–candles, oils, incense
8. candy–oh don’t be a snob (just watch the expiration date)
9. kitchen gadgets
10. serendipity finds-I bought a retro purple wool blazer among a shipment of very wrinkled clothing items [do I hear oohs and aahs in the background?]
And of course there is a book section.
However, I can’t help but feel only sadness, instead of glee, at finding great books at the embarrassing price of $1.00. I would hate to be an author and find [gasp] my book on the shelf. I often check to see what titles are among the “finds.” Some books I’ve never heard of, and some are not so unexpected (we all need an inexpensive version of Oliver Twist). But goodness gracious I didn’t expect to see a Thursday Next upon the shelf. I consumed that series and have hungrily awaited the movie version to appear (hint hint).
Haven’t been to a dollar store lately? Well, don’t miss out on these treasures:
Mousetraps at a dollar store (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: Typical Dollar Store, San Francisco (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
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Pam Webb 
There’s a book section? I didn’t know that….. Hmmmm…. I’m suddenly pondering whether to take a gander at my local Dollar store.
All kinds of finds
I remember the old Woolworth’s….tiny blue bottles of the perfume Midnight in Paris and hotdogs with all the mustard and pickles I put on it for what was it? A dime?
Oh and the grilled cheese sandwiches at the counter!
I remember a WoolWorth’s on G St. Downtown. I was a child when we used to go downstairs to browse (purchase) basement bargains. Wow! Thank you for your story and precious memories.