Last Updated on July 9, 2023
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Pencils are magical — and in more ways than one. They can create new ideas in the most unlikely of places. They can serve as a muse for beautiful stories and images. They can help you solve difficult problems, whether those problems are in Algebra or in life.
The greatest magic trick of all? Pencils can disappear.
If you work in a school, manage an office, or run a reception desk, you know how easily writing utensils walk off on you. Both kids and adults alike too easily forget to put the pen or pencil back where they found it. In some cases this is just a minor annoyance, but if you need the pencils, like in a classroom, not having enough can feel just shy of apocalyptic.
Despite the fact that so much now is digital, people still need and use pencils. Most stores sell them, and for various prices. Dollar stores aren’t a bad place to look for pencils, especially if you’re in a hurry and don’t want to wait in a long big box store line or sit around for a package to arrive. I’ve previously looked at Dollar General pencils, and here I’ll be looking at the Dollar Tree version.
Jot Pencils are a Dollar Tree exclusive, as Jot is a Dollar Tree private label or house brand. At the time I bought them, the package of 16 pencils cost $1, although that may be changing. For me, that comes out to about 6.2 cents a pencil. That’s a hair higher than the 6 cents a pencil I got for the Dollar General box — at DG you can get 18 pencils for the same price. What’s more, Walmart sells presharpened pencils for about 4 cents a pencil, although you have to buy more pencils to get that price.
So while the Dollar Tree pencils aren’t the worst value, they’re not the cheapest ones out there, either.
The Dollar Tree pencils are your standard #2 pencils, which make them suitable for most everyday tasks. They are made with real wood and have latex free erasers. I found them easy enough to sharpen, and the write fine. They’re not top-shelf pencils or anything, but they will do the job.
The eraser, likewise, is adequate if unspectacular. It’s a little flimsy compared to other pencils I’ve used, but it does the job okay.
A Dollar Tree pencil (top) compared to a Dollar General pencil (bottom)
The Verdict:
Dollar Tree’s Jot Pencils are a decent, if not great, option for pencils if you need them. The price isn’t the lowest and the quality isn’t the highest, but they’re still relatively inexpensive and they do get the job done. If you’re in need of pencils in a hurry and you have a Dollar Tree nearby, you could do worse.
