Grand Opening: Walking Over to The Dollar Tree

The Dollar Tree

Richmond, California

Saturday, 11:20 AM.

The Dollar Tree is now open. There was one small banner that read “Grand Opening.” Saw it on Thursday morning. The banner was gone by Friday. Now it’s just “open.” You can find Dollar Trees sprinkled all over the Bay Area and all over the U.S., but none in the wealthiest neighborhoods.

We live on the edge of a wealthy neighborhood, but within easy walking distance of San Pablo Avenue, which exists as a kind of (literal) cross-road between the formerly middle-class and now wealthier El Cerrito, the still sort-of middle-class (if such a thing still exists in the Bay Area) East Richmond Heights, and the edges of less gentrified sections of Richmond (actual middle class) along the El Cerrito/Richmond line.

The walk is about 4/10 of a mile down the winding Barrett Avenue.

I decided it would be a teachable adventure for 7-year-old Rebelle Harmony. She could spend her own money. $10 of her hard-earned savings. She could buy whatever she wanted (except candy) keeping it under a total of $10. The Dollar Tree.

A lesson in buying things for yourself. Saving up...leaving the possibilities open…then adding up the cost in the store and heading over to the checkout line.

Saying "Hello," to the cashier and then "Thank you."

What I knew would be true, but didn’t fully imagine until we were inside, was that The Dollar Tree is one of the few places in Rebelle’s Bay Area existence where she will see poor people inside a store, shopping beside her.

The toy aisle is the main attraction of any store for a kid. Most 5–9 year-old children going into any store are instantly jonesing for some plastic thing. The Dollar Tree indeed has a toy aisle. She’s just young enough for this toy aisle to still be impressive.

She spots the coloring books. One dollar and 25 cents for a mini coloring book. One dollar and 25 cents for a "Fashion Fun" doll.
Whereas Target sells a nicer version for between 10 and 25 dollars. A 4-pack of mechanical pencils, also one dollar and 25 cents. A small rubbery kitten, also one dollar and 25 cents.

Four items, mechanical pencil, the doll, the coloring book and the kitten. In total, she spends $5.59.

We’re in the checkout line. Some folks have dozens of items. Cleaning supplies, paper towels, tape. We wait behind others. Nobody else in the store besides me, except for one fidgety 30-something, is white.

Its our turn. We put our items on the conveyer belt. Rebelle reluctantly hands the cashier her $10 bill. Do we need a bag? Yes. The items are placed in the plastic bag. Rebelle holds out her hands to receive the four ones and the coins.

As we walk back up the street, around the bend and slightly up the hill, she is happy. Our adventure has been a success. She is ready to play with her new doll for the next hour.

If she were 9 or 10, the toy aisle might have disappointed her. She might have complained that Target’s was way better and insist we should go there. Or Five Little Monkeys, the posh toy shop on Solano Avenue in Albany, where we would easily drop $55 on four items.

For now, at age 7, The Dollar Tree was just fine.