Thursday 6 September 2007

One Man's Junk is Another Man's Junk


Photo Credit: ShazzMack

The Frugal Duchess just tipped us off to a great story on bargain bins in ShopSmart Magazine's Aug/Sep issue. Since we all like a good discount,"Dollar Stores" (Or "99 pence" or "One Euro," etc.) are never going away. There are some steals to be found at these treasure troves, but there are also some items to seriously avoid.

Here are the products to buy elsewhere:
  1. Toys: Though the inexpensive dolls, trains, and games in discount stores are tempting options, stay away. Counterfeits can unintentionally be purchased by discount suppliers, meaning these toys have not been tested for safety. This is a big safety hazard for children, as it can mean small pieces that can cause choking, or even lead paint.
  2. Sound-a-Likes: Seeing a pack of Dinacell batteries can cause explosive laughter. It can also cause an explosive computer mouse. At the last count, there were $23 million in fake batteries produced per year--that's a lot of bad batteries. And, as Flickr users have posted lately, the explosion can be both scary and a nuisance. Shop Smart even found some that leaked acid. Best to buy the real thing at the real price.
  3. Electrical Products: We've sung the praises of Underwriters Laboratories before, but let's remind ourselves once again that cheap electrical cords, phones, etc. can burn down your house. Make sure the product has a hologram on the UL logo. That said, try to buy electrical products elsewhere.
  4. Vitamins: In their testing, Consumer Reports found that many of the vitamins purchased at Dollar Stores either failed to dissolve properly or actually lied about their ingredients. The magazine suggested purchasing discounted Centrum or Bayer One-a-Day pills, but we recommend visiting your local health store to get them. These shops offer trained staff and personalized vitamin blends.
So what can you buy at the dollar store? We haven't seen anything against the cute stationary and wrapping papers, so buy away!



Photo Credits: The Felt Mouse