99 Cent Creation

$ 350 for 800ml of dishwash. No cheaper than cvs. False mktg.

In search for a discount or 99 cent store in Chelsea has been a long drawn out challenge. On a humid summer’s morning in hopes of attaining feminine hygiene and shampoo with a budget totaling $ 10.00, the selection is very minimal. Price of these daily life items are average as if one were to attain them from your typical chain Duane Reade or CVS pharmacies. Further more, the aisles are tightly crammed with merchandise stacked on floor and no space to freely walk. There is no air conditioning either!

For a 99 cents & up store, not too bad.
They probably have every kind of odds-​and-​énds you can think of.
We were traveling along the road and wanted to stop by look for some kind of soft cushion seats for the Macy’s spectacular fireworks show — it’s one of those days when you’re looking for something specific, you can’t find it. We asked but it seems they did not have this.
We did however find a $ 1.29 for a 2 pack kitchen sink steel mesh strainer catch all device by chance — I was happy because it could not be found at regular stores. The ones that came close to this at department stores were plastic and $ 8!
I’m happy with my purchase.

I’ve been coming to this store since the late 90s. They’re pretty consistent with what they carry, particularly washable, reusable plastic cups which I use for parties. (At the last event, people walked off with the cups.) I also shop here for some office supplies, batteries, and snack food.
Since they moved to their new location, the stock is easier to see and it seems they get even better variety as well including housewares.
This store is not like other discount stores that smell like toxin-​releasing vinyl. There aren’t many items for 99 cents anymore, but hey, inflation.
I hopped on a train, paying $ 2.50 just to go to this store and was not disappointed. This was after walking into 3 other stores not finding larger quantities of reusable cups. (Plastic breaks down into monomers that stick to toxins including mercury. Fish swallow the tiny particles with toxins attached, and that’s why pregnant women are advised against tuna. REDUCE WASTE. REUSE!) For $ 1.59×2, I got enough cups to serve over 25 people.

It’s a cheap-​o discount store. If you’ve been reading my reviews, you know I like those. However, the name is misleading — few things here are actually 99 cents.
I came back here because last time I was here, I picked up these really nice brand-​name casserole dishes for crazy cheap ($ 5), and decided I’d see if they had any more. They had one more, and now it is mine.
I also got a quite nice hand-​embroidered pillow cover for $ 2, some basic kitchen scrubbies (staple of dollar stores everywhere), and some raw cane sugar which is going to be very nice for making rum punches with the rum I brought back from Barbados. Yay!
Unfortunately, the cashier was very grumpy about selling me the sugar, because she was of the opinion that the price marked (every container of sugar had the same price tag) was wrong, and she wanted to charge me more. Luckily her co-​worker told her she couldn’t just do that.
Also, they’re cash-​only, which is annoying.

Especially convenient when you’re waiting for the movie to start at the nearby multiplex.

Complaining about this store’s service is like complaining about McDonald’s filet mignon. Wrong place. Here they sell great bang for buck at 20−70% less than at most other stores (except for baking soda & a few other things). Variety? Vast.: wrapped, canned, boxed, bottled & jarred edibles, and random non-​edibles like greeting cards, bleach, hardware, lightbulbs, dog toys & underwear. Correctly changed name to «99 cents and up.» Most stuff is $ 1.19 — $ 4.99. Think: Saks, opposite. Service? It’s good enough. Ask ‘em where to find something – they’ll tell you.

Who knew that 99 cents could really get you this much (and this VARIETY of) stuff???
Here’s a list of things you WON’T need to do after visiting this store:
— You WON’T need to drop $ 15 on a Kmart turkey roasting pan at Thanksgiving because they have those aluminum ones for… you guessed it…99 cents.
— You WON’T need to dish out $ 26 on a Kaplan SAT prep book because they have Kaplan SAT flashcards for… yup…99 cents.
— You WON’T need to spend $ 4 on a box of Crayola crayons (that the little anklebiters will just break after a day, anyway) because they have a 24 count box of Crayola crayons for… who would’ve thunk it…99 cents.
— You WON’T need to pay $ 25 for a Yamaha recorder — you remember that simple plastic flute that was likely your first musical instrument? — because they have RECORDERS (man…oh, the memories!) for… amazingly…99 cents.
The store is cluttered with narrow aisles and has a little bit of everything. I walked away with 3-​for-​99-​cents bath loofah pouf things and a 99 cent pack of stay-​put hair rubber bands. That being said, they also have everything from those old school black-​and-​white-​speckled-​covers composition books, shower caddies, welcome mats, spices, frying pans, footie socks, cake mix and «Sherpies» (i.e. the faux-​Sharpie).
Not to get all hoity toity, but I personally wouldn’t buy food from this place — if only because I have a slight suspicion of preservatives with more syllables than my full name. However, there are plenty of other doodads that you can load up on for your household. In particular, I’d recommend this place for teachers as there is a good selection of little flower-​shaped erasers and coloring books that won’t break the bank, but that would still make good classroom prizes or activities.
Come here with an open mind, and you’ll likely come away with a great deal.

It’s amazing what you didn’t know you needed from the local dollar store. 99 Cent Creation has all the basics — kitchen/​cookware, bath/​beauty, office supplies, hardware, toys, home décor, socks/​underwear, even food — and a reasonably helpful staff and hardly smells at all. (At this price point, an odor-​free store is not a given.)