for. “I found a baster yesterday for my Thanksgiving turkey. I use it just once then I toss it. It is far easier to replace a baster than trying to clean the darn thing!”

Elise Brookings of Wayne is another dollar store fan who visits her favorite store at least twice a week. “I go to the store

Sheryl Huenster is a self proclaimed dollar store junkie. The Clifton mother of four makes the trek to various fixed price stores within a ten mile radius of her white clapboard home two or three times per week.

“I’m an addict. I admit it. I can’t go more than a week without visiting the stores, unless I’m on vacation. You better believe that when I go to the Jersey Shore I know where the all the stores are in the Toms River area,” she laughed.

Years after the close of Woolworth’s and other “Five and Dime” stores, dollar stores are filling the void by opening up around the country, but they seem almost ubiquitous to New Jersey. Many of the stores are operated by immigrants who have a knack for buying low priced goods overseas and having them shipped to the U.S. to sell for a dollar a piece. Like Woolworth’s, the dollar stores carry “sundry” items such as hair brushes, small picture frames, toothpaste, games, toys, etc., as well as harder to find items that the more upscale stores don’t carry.

Ice cube trays, magnets, gift bags, flags, paper, coffee mugs, staples, paint brushes, hand cream, eyeglass cases, candles, soap, are some of the things that Sheryl keeps an eye out for. “I found a baster yesterday for my Thanksgiving turkey. I use it just once then I toss it. It is far easier to replace a baster than trying to clean the darn thing!”

Elise Brookings of Wayne is another dollar store fan who visits her favorite store at least twice a week. “I go to the store

unless I’m on vacation. You better believe that when I go to the Jersey Shore I know where the all the stores are in the Toms River area,” she laughed.

Years after the close of Woolworth’s and other “Five and Dime” stores, dollar stores are filling the void by opening up around the country, but they seem almost ubiquitous to New Jersey. Many of the stores are operated by immigrants who have a knack for buying low priced goods overseas and having them shipped to the U.S. to sell for a dollar a piece. Like Woolworth’s, the dollar stores carry “sundry” items such as hair brushes, small picture frames, toothpaste, games, toys, etc., as well as harder to find items that the more upscale stores don’t carry.

Ice cube trays, magnets, gift bags, flags, paper, coffee mugs, staples, paint brushes, hand cream, eyeglass cases, candles, soap, are some of the things that Sheryl keeps an eye out for. “I found a baster yesterday for my Thanksgiving turkey. I use it just once then I toss it. It is far easier to replace a baster than trying to clean the darn thing!”

Elise Brookings of Wayne is another dollar store fan who visits her favorite store at least twice a week. “I go to the store

they seem almost ubiquitous to New Jersey. Many of the stores are operated by immigrants who have a knack for buying low priced goods overseas and having them shipped to the U.S. to sell for a dollar a piece. Like Woolworth’s, the dollar stores carry “sundry” items such as hair brushes, small picture frames, toothpaste, games, toys, etc., as well as harder to find items that the more upscale stores don’t carry.

Ice cube trays, magnets, gift bags, flags, paper, coffee mugs, staples, paint brushes, hand cream, eyeglass cases, candles, soap, are some of the things that Sheryl keeps an eye out for. “I found a baster yesterday for my Thanksgiving turkey. I use it just once then I toss it. It is far easier to replace a baster than trying to clean the darn thing!”

Elise Brookings of Wayne is another dollar store fan who visits her favorite store at least twice a week. “I go to the store

frames, toothpaste, games, toys, etc., as well as harder to find items that the more upscale stores don’t carry.

Ice cube trays, magnets, gift bags, flags, paper, coffee mugs, staples, paint brushes, hand cream, eyeglass cases, candles, soap, are some of the things that Sheryl keeps an eye out for. “I found a baster yesterday for my Thanksgiving turkey. I use it just once then I toss it. It is far easier to replace a baster than trying to clean the darn thing!”

Elise Brookings of Wayne is another dollar store fan who visits her favorite store at least twice a week. “I go to the store

for. “I found a baster yesterday for my Thanksgiving turkey. I use it just once then I toss it. It is far easier to replace a baster than trying to clean the darn thing!”

Elise Brookings of Wayne is another dollar store fan who visits her favorite store at least twice a week. “I go to the store on Hamburg Tpk. You have to go back often as the stock changes all the time; once an item is gone it is rarely seen again.” Elise navigates the store’s aisles with a shopping cart which is quickly filling with gift bags, wrapping paper and what she calls stocking stuffers. “Playing cards, figurines, books, these are some of the items my kids will find in their stocking this year. Most of the stocking stuffers will be things I find in this store; I’ll go to CVS for the candy, but for little else.”

Not all the stores prove to be successful. A store in Haledon and another one in Paterson have closed within the past year, while stores in neighboring towns have opened or expanded. Shoppers will tell you that it isn’t always the location, but the type of inventory carried.

Jan Chavez of Bloomfield is very selective in choosing which stores to visit. “I can tell almost immediately if a store will be a success or not. If they sell items I could get at the Giants Stadium flea market it won’t work out. Too common and not worth the dollar; I can find the same items discounted at my supermarket.” The diminutive woman with toddler in tow added, “When I visit dollar stores I want a real bar