# Dollar Stores **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 24, 2000, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-stores/10998 "2000-04-24T16:14:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![theuglytruth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@theuglytruth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theuglytruth)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2000, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-stores/10998/1 "2000-04-24T16:14:00Z")
I’m sure we’ve all been to these places. My question is. . . .what is with all the off brand names that are sold there? I’ve never seen many of the names in regular stores. “Lincoln”? Who are these companies? Do they manufacture especially for Dollar Stores? Or are these items that are closeouts? Are they cheapie items made in the Phillipines or soemthing? I know there ARE some name items in Dollar Stores, like Crest toothpaste. Are these closeouts also? Why would Crest sell their toothpaste to a Dollar Store when they could make more money selling to CVS for example? I know I’m going all over the place, so I guess my questions is: are Dollar Stores legit- and where do they get all that junk? ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2000, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-stores/10998/2 "2000-04-24T16:20:00Z")
Many are close-outs or slightly defective products being unloaded by either the OEM or their distributors. Be advised! You’d be surprised how even the most innocent thing, like cotton swabs can be found to be defective - like the cotton tip won’t remain on the stick! (You get what you pay for!) * * * “They’re coming to take me away ha-ha, ho-ho, hee-hee, to the funny farm where life is beautiful all the time… :)” - Napoleon IV ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2000, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-stores/10998/3 "2000-04-24T19:49:00Z")
## It’s also worthwhile to note that some of the ostensible “competitors” are actually owned by the same mega-corporation. In our area, Big Lots, Dollar Bill, Dollar Tree, and All For One are owned by the same mega-corp. Even some of the merchandise is the same. “Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast!” - the White Queen ---
**Author:** ![egkelly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/db5fbb/32.png) [@egkelly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/egkelly)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2000, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-stores/10998/4 "2000-04-24T19:58:00Z")
I’ve been to a couple of these places-a lot of the merchandise is not defective-it is usually stuff made for export markets (Mexico, Canada, S.America, etc.). This explains why you see brands unknown in the USA-you might get frosted flakes ™ under a different name, for the Mexican market. I belived that this stuff is usually wholesaled out, then resold to whoever operates these stores. Some of the stuff is junk, of course.