Crayola Stack 'N Store Art Tower - So Much Fun It Should Be Illegal
Written: May 06 '02 (Updated Nov 09 '04)
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Pros: Awesome selection of Crayola products, sturdy organization unit, something for everyone.
Cons: None so far :]
The Bottom Line: The Crayola Stack 'N Store Art Tower is impressive, sturdy and will hold up to even the roughest kids.
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| Freak369's Full Review: Crayola Stack 'N Store Art Tower |
Is your childs play area becoming overrun with markers, crayons, glue sticks and other assorted artistic odds and ends? If so, look no further than the Crayola Stack ‘N Store to help keep everything organized. Manufactured by the company that has taken the lead in children’s artistic entertainment, Crayola once again out does themselves with this addition to their creative line of products.
I came across the Stack ‘N Store a few days ago when I was trying to find something keep all my boys art supplies in. Not wanting to have to go with something that stacks [like Glad disposable containers] or is made of cheap material, I went to the one place that has always steered me in the right direction when important toy and toy related purchases are at the top of my list. Zany Brainy. This isn’t a store that I purchase many items from since they are about 20% more than Toys R Us and they are down right expensive to start with. But for great suggestions, the customer service team they have can’t be beat.
I threw out all the pertinent details of what I was looking for. Sturdy, several drawers or compartments, ability to be portable or easily moved, preferably a thick plastic that won’t warp and last but not least, something that looked aesthetically pleasing. I didn’t want the tacky looking desk organizer featured at Target – the ‘basic colors’ were rather juvenile for my brood. Enter Jeanie with the suggestion of the day. Not wanting to fork out $30.00 at Zany Brainy, I thanked her for her suggestion and headed out the door to Wal-Mart. Having never come across them at Wal-mart, I wasn’t sure if this would be a dead end or not. After searching the obvious places – education corner, office supply section and plastic storage aisle, I asked for help and was told that they were at the end of the kitchen supply aisle due to the fact that they were reworking the office supply section for new products.
Seeing this for the first time was a real shock. The price tag of $18.77 was a bit of a shock – that much for a art organizer? But then I took a few steps closer to it and saw that it was literally jam packed with Crayola products!
The Products
As I mentioned earlier, when I first saw this I was taken back by the price, but when I added up all the items that were tucked away, I realized that the final price of the organizer – after the items were deducted – came to about $8.50 and that isn’t including the items that I couldn’t find a price on. Not bad when you do the math huh? The one thing you have to keep in mind about the items found inside the Stack ‘N Store is that the colors and items may vary. I have added the price that these items cost after the description, this should help validate the total cost of the Stack ‘N Store.
Coloring Book
What looked like a Lisa Frank type coloring book at first glance turned out to be a nice 44-page activity book. Filled with word games, puzzles, fill in the blanks and pictures to color, this would be best suited for a child between the ages of 4 – 6. Some of the activities are rather easy and might not interest those older than that age range. If this isn’t something that your child can use you can always hold on to it for when company drops by expectedly and you need to entertain a youngster. [$2.95]
16 Pack Crayons - Basic
These are the same crayons that are sold on the shelf or on hang tags. These are full sized crayons that features all the standard colors in the Crayola line. No metallic, glitter or neon colors are in this set. [.88 cents]
16 Pack Crayons – Pastel
The pastel crayons are a little hard to find outside sets like the Stack ‘N Store. Usually I come across them at Office Depot when they have pre-school sales. They are full sized, feature a nice selection of colors and are non-toxic. [.99 cents]
Washable Markers
The 8-count washable marker set has become a staple in most households. This set features the larger markers [but not the kiddie chunky ones] in eight colors. Instructions for cleaning are provided on the outside of the cardboard packaging so give it a glance before you toss it in the garbage. [2.19]
Sidewalk Chalk
The 6-count sidewalk chalk is a great item to have handy for the summer. These are the larger, chunky styled pieces of chalk and come in pastel colors. One chalk stick was broken in half when I opened the package, but that was the only damaged item in the lot. [1.29]
Crayola Glue
Until now I had only seen the Crayola glue sticks, but the 4 ounce liquid version seem to do the same thing albeit a little messier. The bottle comes sealed so be sure to snip off the top of the tube and replace the cap before handing this over to a child. Make a small cut at first – because you can always trim off more if needed – but you can’t replace what you snipped off :] [cost unknown]
Construction Paper
A sealed pack of full sized construction paper was a nice touch. The sheets came in basic colors plus black and white. I’ve never seen a 16 count package of construction paper before so I am assuming that there were made specifically for the Stack ‘N Store and other Crayola promotions [cost unknown]
Model Magic
Two small packages of Model Magic and instructions for use are also provided in the organizer. We haven’t used this as of yet so I can’t comment on how the product works. We received one pack of blue and one pack of red; but remember, colors may vary. [cost unknown]
Scissors
A blue pair of plastic paper scissors was the next find as we dug thought the drawers. These are introductory scissors capable of cutting a few sheets of paper at a time, and not much more. They would be a great starter pair of scissors but aren’t very practical for older kids. [1.09]
Glitter Glue
Two full sized tubes of glitter glue were found at the bottom of the pile of goodies. One silver and one gold tube rounded out the nice selection of products and were quickly and quietly confiscated so I could add them to my own personal stash. [$1.39 each]
Stack ‘N Store
So, now that you know what comes with this organizer, here are the details about the item itself. The Crayola Stack ‘N Store is a three drawer unit that is constructed of heavy duty plastic. The outer colors of the unit may vary, but I picked up the one that had black trim with almost clear drawers. The total size of the Stack ‘N Store is 15.5 inches long, 11 inches wide and 10.5 inches high. With a little hard work you can remove the top piece and add another unit to the organizer but from what I can see, they should be able to stack on top of each other with no problem.
The drawers slide in and out with no hesitation however, there is no stopper at the end of the drawer so chances are the contents of the drawer might go flying if a child is a little rough with the organizer. This can be remedied easily by adding two small plastic tabs to the back part of the drawer to prevent the drawer from being pulled completely out of the slot. These can be picked up at any hardware store and apply in less than a minute.
The outside portion of the organizer is slotted which will make it a pain to clean and dust but gives it a nice, cool look. The outer shell of the Stack ‘N Store is very sturdy even without the drawers. With all three drawers removed, the unit is a little less stable but still able to handle a medium amount of pressure. This is strong enough to be moved for cleaning or from room to room but not exactly something that you can take on the road with you. If you are looking for something that can be used for storage as well as a portable unit – I suggest looking into Plano tackle boxes. Granted they won’t look as nice as the Stack ‘N Store but sometimes looks have to take a back seat to functionality.
There are two drawers that have compartments in them and one that is plain. The one without slots or compartments would be great for paper, coloring books or other large items. Drawer one features three equal compartments and drawer four has four equal [square] compartments. The drawers can be moved around from slot to slot depending on your personal preference.
I took a marker [non-washable] and wrote on the top of the organizer to see how easily it would clean up. I let it stand for about fifteen minutes and used Orange Glo and a paper towel to clean it up. After a few wipes, the marker came off completely. This will be easy to clean in the future since the drawers are completely removable. Even if you add the plastic safety tabs to the back of the unit, the drawers can still be removed by tipping the front part of the drawer upward and pulling the drawer out [the same way kitchen drawers are removed]
The Bottom Line
Crayola has always been the first choice for me, while some of the products may be a little higher in price when compared to other knock off items [RoseArt, generic etc], the quality can’t be beat. The Stack ‘N Store is a visually impressive item, built to last and easy to use – it would be a great addition to any childs art center.
I am planning on picking up a few more of these since I underestimated the number of art supplies they boys had tucked away in their desk drawers. I am going to head back to Wal-Mart and see what other colors they have and will update this review with more information. I am curious to see the variety of products from set to set as well as the color variance. So far, this has been an awesome addition to the playroom. I look forward to getting some more of these for the boys rooms as well as picking up a few in the near future as gifts. If you are looking for something sturdy, well constructed and that will keep your art supplies in order, I highly suggest checking out the Crayola Stack ‘N Store!
As always, thanks for the read :]
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2004 Freak369
Other Crayola product reviews ...
• Big MiniStampers • Doodle Pad • Watercolor Pencils • Art & Craft Brushes – 8 Count • Create-A-Kid • Collecting Keepsakes • Halloween Treat Pack • Halloween Boo Bucket • Washable Water Colors – 8 Color • Pencil Pouch • Crayola Crayons – 24 Count • Metallic Crayons • Superfine Markers – 5 Count • Gel FX Washable Markers • Tub of Fun • Crayola Sketch Pad • Point Tip Scissors • Sidewalk Chalk – Chicks & Eggs • Art & Craft Brushes – 4 Count • Twistables – 16 Count • Stack-N-Store Art Tower • Washable Water Colors – 24 Color • Sidewalk Chalk – Animal Assortment • Crayola Lap Desk • Click ‘Em On Washable Markers • Washable Markers – 16 Count • Alphabet & Number Pad • Blunt Tip Scissors • Spinning Desk Top Organizer •
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): $18.77
Type of Toy: Arts and Crafts
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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