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Are dollar store school supplies any good?
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The Toronto Star- By Madhavi Acharya
The first day of school is fast approaching and your children need school supplies. Should you buy them at the dollar store?
Moneyville set out to answer that question by comparing the prices (all before tax) at a Dollarama and Wal-Mart in Scarborough. I bought a pencil case, markers, scissors, and other supplies at the dollar store in Scarborough Town Centre mall for $12.25. Then I went to the Wal-Mart on Kennedy Rd. where I spent $24.36 to buy the same items, though different brands.
At home, we compared the gear on price, quality, and kid appeal. My daughters, ages 7 and 4 helped with the testing.
The low down? The school supplies cost about half as much at the dollar store and in most cases seem to be the same quality as those purchased at Wal-Mart with some exceptions.
Since using school supplies is more of a marathon than a sprint, we’ll find out as we go. Will the pencils be reduced to stubs by Christmas? Will they break? If you have the money and like brand names, head for Wal-Mart. For those on a budget, the dollar store is a better deal — especially if you need to replenish the supplies a few months from now.
Here’s what we found:
Pencil case: The pencil cases are nearly the same size, about 12 cm. wide and 21 cm. long. The one from Dollarama, which cost $2, holds more and has an extra pocket with a zipper, while the one from Wal-Mart has a see-through mesh middle that makes it easier to find things. It cost $2.47. The quality seems the same, with big zippers in good working order.
The verdict: The dollar store pencil case wins by a nose. My kids loved the bright colours.
Coloured pencils: The Studio brand pencils from the dollar store come in a 12-pack and cost just $1. I scoured the aisles at Wal-Mart looking for a pack the same size, but all I could find was a box of 50 Crayola pencils for $5. That means it would cost about $4 to buy almost the same number of coloured pencils at the dollar store. Both sets are already sharpened. The tips of the dollar-store pencils seemed to break more easily.
The verdict: Crayola pencils cost more, but get my vote. They stand up to enthusiastic colouring.
Pencil Sharpener: Both have two holes and are translucent, so you can see when they need to be emptied. My 7-year-old preferred the one from Wal-Mart, which cost $3.67 and seemed a bit easier to hold. It was also easier to open to get the shavings out.
The verdict: The $1 price of the dollar-store sharpener is a steal compared to the other one, so it offers better value. But the Wal-Mart item has kid appeal.
Scissors: Both pairs are blunt-tip scissors. The Dollarama brand ($2) has two small fingers holes of the same size, but the pair from Wal-Mart ($2.88) has a wider opening on one side, which makes it a bit easier for left-handers. The dollar-store pair has clever centimetre markings on the blade in case you need to measure what you’re cutting. After a couple of days of heavy use, both pairs are fine.
The verdict: Good quality and value on both sides.
Markers: The caps on the dollar-store markers, which cost $2, are nice and tight, but that also makes them difficult to pull off. The Crayola markers from Wal-Mart, which cost $4.72, are a bit easier. Both boxes have labels indicating they are non-toxic, but the Crayola markers are also washable — not that children care much.
The verdict: The Crayola markers are more than twice as much but they get my vote because they’re washable and my 4-year-old can easily get the caps off.
Glue: In this category, it’s one bottle of Elmer’s from Wal-Mart for $1.27 versus three small bottles for $1 from the dollar store. Both are non-toxic. The little bottles are easier for my kids to hold and squeeze, but the tops also get plugged up very quickly. And it’s more difficult to twist them open.
The verdict: When it comes to glue, you can go with your gut. They’re both fine.
Ruler: The Wal-Mart ruler ($1.97) is more colourful and made of heavy-duty but bendable plastic. It has three holes down one side and can be secured in a binder. The $1 Dollarama ruler is metal with a glittery pink stripe down the middle.
The verdict: In my book, a ruler is a ruler. Stick to the dollar store, unless your kids need to carry it inside a binder.
Notebooks: The $1 five-and-a-half inch mini-notebooks from Dollarama have great designs and they’re noticeably thicker. The $1.97 one from Wal-Mart is a Hilroy brand, but my kids don’t care about the name.
The verdict: Paper is paper. The dollar store is the clear winner on this one on value.
Crayons: The fatter Disney crayons, which cost $1.25 for a 12-pack, from the dollar store are easier to hold than the Crayola crayons. They also seem to break less easily. The 24-pack from Wal-Mart cost just 75 cents. That means you would need to spend $2.50 to get the same number of crayons from Dollarama.
The verdict: Wal-Mart is the clear winner on price, but the dollar store takes the prize for a name brand.
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