This place may not be unique to L.A., they have locations in California, Nevada, Arizona and one or two other states, but I'm blogging about it because it's a block from my house, and I do love a bargain. That being said, I am also trying to live more green, so there are many items in this store I truly cannot endorse. The tupperware I've bought in there I ended up using for beads, because it just didn't smell as food-friendly as the better known brands. I won't buy a piece of shit can opener that is going to break after one usage and end up in a landfill. However, if I'm organizing a school function and I need cheap little doo-dads, paper goods, cocktail napkins, that kind of thing, it is handy to be able to walk over there. You have to embrace the tackiness of it all - the ultra-bright flourescent lights, the utter lack of merchandising involved in the display. You have to be OK with encountering a man on line who may have just gone off his meds and is mumbling and ranting about cheap shit from China (this happened to me the last time I was in there). If you can get past that and find some useful stuff (juice, snacks, mouthwash, cheap stocking stuffers, party favors) remember to bring your own bags - they charge you for every plastic bag you use - that's kind of green, I guess... If I happen to be over by Target in Culver City I will stop into the 99c store there. It's about 5 times larger than the one by my house....which means you will find five times the great finds - it also means you will find 5 times the crap, so shop discerningly! As my English teacher, Charles Aschmann used to say, when discussing essays that went on and on pointlessly, "five pounds of garbage smells worse than one."
This place may not be unique to L.A., they have locations in California, Nevada, Arizona and one or two other states, but I'm blogging about it because it's a block from my house, and I do love a bargain. That being said, I am also trying to live more green, so there are many items in this store I truly cannot endorse. The tupperware I've bought in there I ended up using for beads, because it just didn't smell as food-friendly as the better known brands. I won't buy a piece of shit can opener that is going to break after one usage and end up in a landfill. However, if I'm organizing a school function and I need cheap little doo-dads, paper goods, cocktail napkins, that kind of thing, it is handy to be able to walk over there. You have to embrace the tackiness of it all - the ultra-bright flourescent lights, the utter lack of merchandising involved in the display. You have to be OK with encountering a man on line who may have just gone off his meds and is mumbling and ranting about cheap shit from China (this happened to me the last time I was in there). If you can get past that and find some useful stuff (juice, snacks, mouthwash, cheap stocking stuffers, party favors) remember to bring your own bags - they charge you for every plastic bag you use - that's kind of green, I guess... If I happen to be over by Target in Culver City I will stop into the 99c store there. It's about 5 times larger than the one by my house....which means you will find five times the great finds - it also means you will find 5 times the crap, so shop discerningly! As my English teacher, Charles Aschmann used to say, when discussing essays that went on and on pointlessly, "five pounds of garbage smells worse than one."
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