# Shopping at âScratch and Dentâ Stores



## Mid-Atl HS (Feb 23, 2008)

Many of you already shop/prep at what are commonly called âscratch and dentâ stores. Typically, the stores I am referring to sell canned goods and other food items that are dented and/or not with the best expiration dates. The store my family and I shop at is an Amish run store called BBs. There are actually four locations in Pennsylvania. 

Now I would like to suggest two good reasons why these type of stores can be a good place for getting preps. First, the obvious reason is price. Over the last few years we have been able to get a lot of food items at a greatly discounted price. Often, these items are in good condition, and with a good expiration date. The key is that you have to scrutinize everything there before you check out. Not everything is a bargain, and they do not take coupons (or returns). So for some things you are better off buying at regular stores when they have it on sale. 

The second reason I believe that stores like BBs are a good choice for preps is *OPSEC*.People travel from quite a distance to shop there, and so most people there fill their carts with vast quantities of canned goods and other items. I have never heard anyone, customer, or store employee make a comment to the effect, âwow you sure have a lot of canned goodâ. The norm at BBs is for people to buy a lot. I would welcome any comments.


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## cindy71 (Jul 7, 2008)

For me everytime I go in those stores I don't see very good deals. I can get better deals when things go on sales at most grocery stores I visit. That is just me though.


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

I am lucky that the store here has GREAT deals! Tremendously good prices!
They also have organic things as well so I can get things I normally could not.
They get fresh produce as well sometimes.. 2 weeks ago they had nice avocados for a dime each. If I ate them, I would have bought a ton and made and canned quacamole or something.
I have filled my freezer with red peppers though.. a whole case for $4 and they weren't squishy at all.

I love my salvage and make sure that i support them first before any other store in town.


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

We have two of these stores in our area. The one closest to us sell regular gro. items and we've done most of our stocking from there. Lots of time he get items that are still in date but the store may have gone out of business and he buys them out or an item has been discontiued.

The other one sell mostly resteruant supply food. We get lots of stuff from there. We bought a 5lb. chug of chedder cheese that we finely finished for 7.00. We get all our coffee beans and tea there. Good buys.


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

We have none in our area, wish we did, I would be a regular I`m sure. > Thanks Marc


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/discount-stores/97055-salvage-grocery-list-state.html

Here is a list by state of salvage grocers. If you google you may find more comprehensive listings for your area.


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## JuliaAnn (Dec 7, 2004)

We shop at one, and sometimes they have really good buys, and sometimes not, no real rhyme or reason for it. When something is a good buy, we buy as many as we can budget for. Other times, the prices on things are about what I'd pay at the 'regular' grocery store. You kind of have to know current prices to get the most for your money. 

I wish there was another one, but as far as I know, there isn't.


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## Mid-Atl HS (Feb 23, 2008)

chickenista,thank you for posting the list of salvage grocers. 
Also, concerning some comments that others made, BBs is definitely a hit and miss place. You never know what they may have. They do tend to have a lot of organic stuff, as well as expensive brands of food.


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## AR Cattails (Dec 22, 2005)

We have a salvage store in our small town and I went in there one time to compare prices of items I could find that I usually purchase at WM. I found WM prices to be a lot more affordable for me. I was actually quite surprised at that. I thought I would find some good bargains.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

This is a good reminder for me - there are a few "liquidator" stores around my area...sometimes the prices are great, sometimes not so much, but I forget to go check them. Can't find the bargains if I don't look for them.

Grocery Outlet is a chain around here that is a step up from the scratch and dents. They carry a lot of the same stuff steadily, along with the closeouts. Good place for vitamins, HBA, spices, snacks, some produce, some of the frozen stuff is good, and they have a really good selection of canned meats. I got a great price on canned corned beef last year - ended up buying several cases. I absolutely LOVE conned beef hash and it's a great "stretcher" meat...a little meat flavors a lot of onions and potatoes. But I digress. If there is a Grocery Outlet in your area, you might want to check it out.


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## Mid-Atl HS (Feb 23, 2008)

I should mention a couple more things about BBs, the "scratch and dentâ store I shop at.
They have a huge walk in refrigerator which often has some great deals on cheese and other dairy items. They also have a smaller walk in freezer, which one spends very little time in, because well it feels like you are in a freezer.:happy0035:


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

We have a Mennonite grocery/salvage store that we shop and we do find great bargins. They carry excellent fresh vegetables and a full line of 50# bags of wheat,rice,beans,sugar. I especially that they carry Prarie Gold wheat and flour,too. Plus a huge selection of bulk foods in smaller quantities. They also get case lots inof seasonal fruit like peaches or apples so able to pick up at very reasonable prices for canning. 

We shop there once a month as is 45 miles one way. Also is a cheese plant in the same small town. This store in Cabool, Mo...they also have another store furthur west near Mt.Grove. DEE


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## Trixters_muse (Jan 29, 2008)

My first job as a teen was in a local grocery salvage that closed a few years ago. Man, How I miss that place! We checked expiration dates before we put it on the shelf so nothing was expired. We did sell bins of expired canned goods, for 10 cents a can, nothing more than a month expired. We also sold dry dog food, cat food and chicken feed that had been broken open, rebagged for a few cents per pound and we sold laundry detergent and dish soap that way too, rebottled for a few cents a bottle. 

Even though my mom and I didn't make much money we ate well and always had clean clothes, lol.

Wish I could find a place now that sells rebagged soap and feed, I would just show up with my 5 gallon bucket and say fill er up!


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## TheMartianChick (May 26, 2009)

chickenista said:


> http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/discount-stores/97055-salvage-grocery-list-state.html
> 
> Here is a list by state of salvage grocers. If you google you may find more comprehensive listings for your area.


Thank you for posting that link Chickenista! I was under the impression that there were none left in NY state. Nice to know that there is at least 1! Now to think about planning a trip...


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## bee (May 12, 2002)

:hijacked: speaking of canned corned beef...anybody see ANY of any brand on store shelves in your area?? Here it is like it has vanished off the face of the planet... I know there was several recalls but that was only one group of brands(Libby)..why is there none and how long does it take to get it back on shelves? I hope not as long as it took to get canned pumpkin back..a whole growing season???:stars: I hate to keep raiding my stash for my corned beef cabbage pot dinner....


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## salmonslayer91 (Oct 10, 2010)

see i dont think grocery outlet has any GREAT deals some good nut not GREAT we have a mennonite store here in albany a scratch and dent and we shop there first ALWAYS canned veggies 35 cents a can 10 lbs potatos usually 2.00 a three pack of gum 1.50 cat litter 3.00 for the good stuff i find they have pretty good deals but oh and the flour they sell is SUPER cheap like 1.50 for 5lb bag


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## Sweetsurrender (Jan 14, 2009)

@Mid-Atl HS

If you like BB's you will love Sharp Shopper. I don't know where in PA you are but there are 6 locations. I discovered BB's first and then happened to stumble onto Sharp Shopper, that is our first stop now and then we stop at BBs.

http://www.sharpshopper.net/index.html

They have a lot of the same stuff than BBs but cheaper every time.


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## Mid-Atl HS (Feb 23, 2008)

Sweetsurrender said:


> @Mid-Atl HS
> 
> If you like BB's you will love Sharp Shopper. I don't know where in PA you are but there are 6 locations. I discovered BB's first and then happened to stumble onto Sharp Shopper, that is our first stop now and then we stop at BBs.
> 
> ...


Thank you for telling me about Sharp Shopper. We go to the BBs in Newburg, but if we are near one of the Sharp Shopper we may check it out.


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

bee said:


> :hijacked: speaking of canned corned beef...anybody see ANY of any brand on store shelves in your area?? Here it is like it has vanished off the face of the planet... I know there was several recalls but that was only one group of brands(Libby)..why is there none and how long does it take to get it back on shelves? I hope not as long as it took to get canned pumpkin back..a whole growing season???:stars: I hate to keep raiding my stash for my corned beef cabbage pot dinner....


Try Big Lots -- I purchased a dozen cans last week.


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## lorian (Sep 4, 2005)

Been shopping at B.B.s for 10 years, I live right down the street from them. I have saved THOUSANDS of dollars there. Sometimes I get stuff at 90% off!! You have to have the mentality of a hunter though, I stay away on Saturdays...that's when all the city people come, and you can hardly move down the aisles.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

salmonslayer91 said:


> see i dont think grocery outlet has any GREAT deals some good nut not GREAT we have a mennonite store here in albany a scratch and dent and we shop there first ALWAYS canned veggies 35 cents a can 10 lbs potatos usually 2.00 a three pack of gum 1.50 cat litter 3.00 for the good stuff i find they have pretty good deals but oh and the flour they sell is SUPER cheap like 1.50 for 5lb bag


Yeah, I agree, mostly good but not great deals...but if someone doesn't have a local scratch and dent, but do have Grocery Outlet, they can still save some money shopping there. Just wanted to give another choice.  

In Longview and Chehalis there's Prospector Liquidators - I've found great deals on a few things there. There are liquidator stores in Toledo and Winlock, but I haven't checked them out yet...seems like I'm usually going through there when they are closed.


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## NewGround (Dec 19, 2010)

Nice tip, thank you for posting link to state list

didn't realize we had one around here...


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