Big Al’s Super Values

Cheap
tacky
and
very cool
Big Al’s is sort of a famous place. Located right on RT 1 and impossible to miss, everyone that goes through here sees Big Al’s and I suspect most people have stopped in, at least once. Look up the words «tourist trap» in the dictionary and you’ll probably see a picture of Big Al’s.
Big Al claims he has over 10,000 items and although I’ve never counted, it’s easy to believe. There’s stuff piled up in front of the store and piled in heaps or hanging on the walls or from the ceiling inside. Weird, unique and incredibly strange things every place you look.
Yeah, most of it is cheap and tacky. The usual souvenir stuff, crummy T-​shirts and hats, cheap mugs, refrigerator magnets, weird garden thingies, toys and beach stuff and of course the «as seen on TV» crap.
A great place to find cheap and tacky souvenirs for cheap and tacky friends and family members and In between the heaps of cheap and tacky crap there are some interesting and cool things, you just have to look for them. And that’s part of the fun of this store.
Big Al’s is a cool and fascinating place. You can even get free coffee while you dig through the piles of stuff. The type of place where you just might find a hidden gem or something really cool. But then again sometimes cheap and tacky is just what I’m looking for.

Junk store that has everything! And not all of it is junk! Amazing right? This is always my go-​to place. A place every tourist should go for giggles

If you enjoy shopping at places like Reny’s or Marden’s, you will like Big Al’s. If you do not enjoy shopping for great deals on random items, then you won’t dig this place. I however love Big Al’s. :) Have a bite at Sea Basket across the road after you’re done shopping. :)

It’s certainly not worth going out of your way for it, but if you’re in Wiscassett and have nothing else to do, this is a cool place. It’s a large shop full of a variety of items at very cheap prices. I saw a couple tee’s and mugs at super cheap prices. They really had a little bit of everything. This is kind of like a dollar store though — its at great prices, but you probably don’t need anything in there. As a tourist though, it was refreshing to find a beautiful mug for 2 bucks as opposed to $ 20 or a tee for $ 4 as opposed to $ 25 and up. Really great deals and its actually not all junk!

Always worth a stop on a visit to Maine. Conveniently located on Route 1; if you’re heading North, it’s also a good place to stop and stretch your legs before the traffic starts to get backed up at Red’s. They also have a really nice bathroom, which I was not expecting. Yes, there’s a lot of junk here, but you can find some good stuff. I picked up a new shower mat for $ 3.88. They also have shower curtains and other bathroom accessories that you’d be hard pressed to find cheaper. Interesting selection of books, but a lot of outdated stuff (like medical books from 2003). I was psyched to find a bar set for $ 6.88. Give yourself some time and you’ll find something good. I went up and down every aisle at least once. There is a lot to see. Also, they take all major credit cards.

Big Al’s is a great place to stop for odds and ends. I really enjoy going through all the different stuff. Also Big Al’s now carry’s fireworks! Great place to hit in the summer when the traffic is backed up!

Yes the stuff is cheap. That’s because most of it is garbage, I’m sure there are a few quality name brand items among the thousands of items in the store, but the vast majority is as low quality as can possibly be made.
The store is clean and the people are nice, but it’s amazing the number of people who don’t believe you get what you pay for.

After gorging ourselves on fried seafood at the Seabasket, we had to pop across the street to experience Big Al’s Odd Lot Outlet — an enormous jumble of leftovers, made-​in-​China knick-​knacks, and excess inventory, all offered to the Rt. 1 tourist traffic at unbelievably low prices.
Pet supplies, kitchen gadgets, kitschy signs and décor that you just don’t need, t-​shirts, mugs, plain old Americana. I almost felt guilty for being in the store, knowing that the majority of the inventory had been manufactured in China by almost slave labor. I spied a shower curtain, sans packaging, that was identical to the one I purchased at Target 2 years ago. There were boxes and boxes of JC Penneys Shower Curtain Rings at a low-​low-​low price of only $ 1.99! Elizabeth Arden’s «Sunflowers» body lotion was a bit pricey in comparison, at the not-​so-​bargain price of $ 13.
Spying a ladybug lawn ornament on the «Free Gifts» table, I asked the sales associate if I was entitled to a free gift even though I didn’t buy anything. «Yes, everybody gets a free gift,» she proudly said. «You don’t have to buy a thing!» You could almost say that Big Al’s is a store that pays you to shop… almost…