The best part of shopping, especially in today's stagnant economy, is the thrill of actually being able to buy something. That's why dollar stores are enjoying the same kind of renaissance that five-and-dime stores had during the Depression. Back then, Woolworth's and Kresge's were stocked with cheap sundries, canned goods, candy, school supplies and beauty products; dollar stores sell the same stuff, though now it all costs a buck instead of a dime. Of all the various incarnations of these buck shops (Dollar General, Dollar Plus, Dollar Tree), we prefer the clean and well-lighted Deals -- Nothing Over a Dollar stores (operated by Minnesota-based Supervalu). They're the most fun to wander through, attractively stocked with a truly bizarre assortment of name-brand and, more frequently, off-brand products. Instead of Barbie dolls, the store offers the cheaper and trashier "Dazzling Dez" and slutty-looking "Betina." But where else can you load up a yellow or red shopping cart with gummi cola bottles, Spa Mystique bubble bath, toilet-seat lifters, Stone Cold Steve Austin water bottles, plastic wineglasses, Ramen noodle six-packs, clothespins and bags of "Psycho Pop" suckers for a buck each? For shopping addicts, it's nirvana.
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