My first thought was that it was funny that they would blatantly label the items as IMPULSE BUYS instead of using a euphemism. Why would they want to make impulse shoppers self-aware about the nature of their purchases? Who wants to feel like a sucker? Why not call the impulse items "Last Chance Treasures" or something?
My second thought was that there couldn't possibly be anything "good" on the twenty cent shelves. I mean, what can you buy for twenty cents? I'm not a regular gum chewer, but isn't a pack of gum still around 25 cents these days?
As I was having these judgmental thoughts, I found myself browsing the "Select Impulse" shelves, casually at first--just as an interested sociologist, mind you-- and then with a bit more enthusiasm.
First, I found these. They are intended to be ornaments (Christmas? Valentine's Day?), but I'm going to snip off the hanging ribbons and add pin backs. Wouldn't these make cute gifts for little girls to pin on their winter coats or school backpacks? My daughter has already claimed the pink one (not pictured here) for herself.
Next, I found these rubber stamps. I love to make handmade greeting cards, so these will definitely come in handy. The medallion one might make an interesting repeat pattern on a pillowcase border (use a Sharpie marker, instead of a regular stamp pad, to make the design permanent).
When I found this pack of three little baking stencils, I laughed to myself, wondering where I might find an alternate universe in which my baked goods would come out attractive enough to merit a stenciled design. Then I tried thinking like a Martian and realized that a stencil is a stencil, and that my daughter could use these for fine point marker art projects. She has already made several cards with these, and like a good little creative Martian, she has pressed the center of the flower stencil into lumps of play dough to make "sunshine cookies".
Finally, I found pencil cases and a journal. I thought the pencil cases could be recast as purse organizers. The journal...was just cute.
So, they got me! They say a sucker is born every minute. But "Last Chance Treasure Hunters" are harder to come by, as they are only born every 1.5 minutes.
