Dollar Store cologne knock-offs

**kingfisher** · 10-23-2009, 08:40 AM

OK, this is sure to bring out the ire of some posters on this board, but I just have to ask.

I notice that on the Aftershave board, a lot of people buy an Old Spice knock-off called "Ivy Club." Many of them claim it is actually superior to the current P&G Old Spice and say that it smells more like classic Shulton Old Spice. They buy it at Dollar General or some such place for a buck, and they like it fine.

I was in the Dollar Store yesterday buying some Yardley's bath soap and I noticed a whole bunch of bottles of cheap cologne/perfumes that are made to smell like well-known EDCs such as Polo Black, Cool Water, etc.

Has anybody here ever actually TRIED any of these dirt-cheap juices? We're talking ONE SOLITARY BUCK for a 3 or 4-oz spray bottle. Would it be worth a buck just to do the experiment? I mean, if the stuff smells good, what's the harm?

**slantman** · 10-23-2009, 08:50 AM

The next time I am in DG if they have the Ivy Club I will try it. One buck + tax. How bad can that be

**Spivey** · 10-23-2009, 09:02 AM

Originally Posted by slantman

The next time I am in DG if they have the Ivy Club I will try it. One buck + tax. How bad can that be

Ivy Club Spice is good. Very good. I used it this morning. You won't be disappointed, especially if you have a scent memory of the Shulton product.

edit: I forgot to mention that I haven't tried any of the colognes. Sorry.

**Cains Boy** · 10-23-2009, 09:08 AM

All I can speak for is the Ivory (Ivy) Club, but I'll say that it smells great. I used the following test:

My Grandad: I hate the new Old Spice.
Me: You used to wear it all the time.
Grandad: It smells like crap now. It's not the same.
Me: I've got an idea

*goes to Family Dollar and picks up four bottles of Ivory Club*

Me: Here, try this.
Grandad: Wow - that's EXACTLY how it used to smell. What is this?
Me: Cheap knock-off.
Grandad: I like it!

**azmark** · 10-23-2009, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by Cains Boy

All I can speak for is the Ivory (Ivy) Club, but I'll say that it smells great. I used the following test:

My Grandad: I hate the new Old Spice.
Me: You used to wear it all the time.
Grandad: It smells like crap now. It's not the same.
Me: I've got an idea

*goes to Family Dollar and picks up four bottles of Ivory Club*

Me: Here, try this.
Grandad: Wow - that's EXACTLY how it used to smell. What is this?
Me: Cheap knock-off.
Grandad: I like it!

I miss my grandad.

Miss arguing how he could have walked to school in snow when he lived in San Diego. Ooops, sorry to get off subject.

**Spivey** · 10-23-2009, 09:15 AM

That's a pretty good acid test....

Originally Posted by Cains Boy

All I can speak for is the Ivory (Ivy) Club, but I'll say that it smells great. I used the following test:

My Grandad: I hate the new Old Spice.
Me: You used to wear it all the time.
Grandad: It smells like crap now. It's not the same.
Me: I've got an idea

*goes to Family Dollar and picks up four bottles of Ivory Club*

Me: Here, try this.
Grandad: Wow - that's EXACTLY how it used to smell. What is this?
Me: Cheap knock-off.
Grandad: I like it!

**Cains Boy** · 10-23-2009, 09:22 AM

Originally Posted by azmark

I miss my grandad.

Miss arguing how he could have walked to school in snow when he lived in San Diego. Ooops, sorry to get off subject.

Yeah, although he doesn't shave with a DE anymore, we mostly see eye to eye on fragrances.

Old Spice and Stetson are his everyday fragrances.
Pino Silvestre and Aque Velva remind me of him getting ready for Wendesday night church.
For special occasions he'd wear British Sterling.

Well, I said "mostly".

I shaved with his 1955 SuperSpeed when I first started DE shaving although he said, "you're gonna use THAT? You'll slit your throat!"

Too bad he gave my uncle his Aristocrat.

Grandads don't seem to have abandoned the cheapies like dads have.

**Cains Boy** · 10-23-2009, 09:23 AM

Wow, I think I exceeded the emoticon quota for a singular post.

**Robxcarlson** · 10-23-2009, 12:05 PM

Originally Posted by slantman

The next time I am in DG if they have the Ivy Club I will try it. One buck + tax. How bad can that be

You won't find it at DG. You'll have to go to FD. Oh, and it's a buck sixty.

**Topgumby** · 10-24-2009, 01:47 PM

Back to the original question...My bride loves "Obsession for Men" and while she was out buying school supplies at Big Lots she picked up a bottle of the knock-off. I'm not the biggest fan of the stuff but I've been married fifteen years and I took that as a hint, so I got some of the real CK stuff of Ebay.

The knock-off was reminiscent, but much more watery and had very little longevity. Put another way, it smelled like the real stuff, but not quite like the real stuff, and it was pretty transient.

Being a cheapskate I couldn't just throw the knock-off out, so I got the top off (took some pliers to do it) and mixed it about three to one with Witch Hazel and produced cheapskate Obsession After Shave. It serves that role well.

**M. McCord** · 10-24-2009, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by kingfisher

Has anybody here ever actually TRIED any of these dirt-cheap juices? We're talking ONE SOLITARY BUCK for a 3 or 4-oz spray bottle. Would it be worth a buck just to do the experiment? I mean, if the stuff smells good, what's the harm?

I stood in the aisle and sprayed a couple different ones. Like Topgumby said, very watered down compared to the name brands.

**masonjarjar** · 10-29-2009, 06:55 AM

Originally Posted by slantman

The next time I am in DG if they have the Ivy Club I will try it. One buck + tax. How bad can that be

You have to hit Family Dollar for Ivy Club "old spice" and the Ivy Club Brut version as well.

At Dollar General you'll find Barbasol brand aftershaves (Brisk and Pacific Rush) and a Brut and AV Ice Blue (Swan) knock off. No spice version there recently.

Dollar Tree has the cheap cologne knock offs. And sometimes deals on other aftershaves. Their stock is highly rotational. It's where I picked up a couple bottles of Skin Bracer Cooling Blue for a few bucks last year.

**appleuser** · 10-30-2009, 08:48 PM

Ivy Club Spice is amazing!

It smells just as I remembered it from my childhood. I cannot speak of the new Old SPice formulation because I have not checked it out, but as for Ivy Club, definitely worth it. I got mine at Family Dollar for $1.60. Now I just have to decant it.

**sandmountainslim** · 10-31-2009, 05:35 AM

Ivory Club is available at Family Dollar and for a little cheaper at Fred's Dollar Store, ALL of my friends prefer it to the new Old Spice formulation when they to a test. You can get the Brut knockoff by ViJon at both FD and Dollar General and it is also good stuff.

As to the colognes there is a brand of knockoffs sold at Dollar Tree which the Cool Water version smells just like the real thing and last just as long as Cool Water EDT in my opinion...I LOVE the stuff. It will say "Jean Phillippe Paris" on it.
Wp

**justice4all** · 11-02-2009, 06:49 PM

I found a Fred's brand spice and was wondering if it is the same "Ivy Club" stuff that you can get @ FD?

**s1mp13m4n** · 11-02-2009, 06:53 PM

I do own and use the Swan knock off of Aqua Velva classic and I like it. I do not like the barbersol AS however, it is too strong with menthol for me.

**Robxcarlson** · 11-02-2009, 07:43 PM

Originally Posted by sandmountainslim

Ivory Club is available at Family Dollar and for a little cheaper at Fred's Dollar Store, ALL of my friends prefer it to the new Old Spice formulation when they to a test. You can get the Brut knockoff by ViJon at both FD and Dollar General and it is also good stuff.

As to the colognes there is a brand of knockoffs sold at Dollar Tree which the Cool Water version smells just like the real thing and last just as long as Cool Water EDT in my opinion...I LOVE the stuff. It will say "Jean Phillippe Paris" on it.
Wp

I actually dropped by the Dollar Tree tonight and looked at some of these. They smell alright, I wondered if they wouldn't perhaps make a nice car air freshener?
I don't think I'd buy one for cologne, though.

**Topgumby** · 11-02-2009, 08:30 PM

Originally Posted by justice4all

I found a Fred's brand spice and was wondering if it is the same "Ivy Club" stuff that you can get @ FD?

Check the small print. If you see Vi-Jon or Phoenix Labs listed, it's the same stuff.

**Cervantes** · 11-03-2009, 09:24 PM

Having purchased some Old Spice last week for... about $7 - $8, this talk about Ivy Club Spice intrigued me. So I stopped by Family Dollar and got some.

The smell really brought back memories. (Scent's are strange that way!) Anyhow, $1.60 and I like it at least as much as the real Old Spice!

Ivy Club Spice gets two thumbs up from me!

Jeffery - Cervantes

**Wingnut** · 11-04-2009, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by kingfisher

Has anybody here ever actually TRIED any of these dirt-cheap juices? We're talking ONE SOLITARY BUCK for a 3 or 4-oz spray bottle. Would it be worth a buck just to do the experiment? I mean, if the stuff smells good, what's the harm?

This afternoon I stopped by Odd Lots, and they had "Our Version Of..." by Crystal Collection, LLC in various men's EdC's for a buck for a 2.75 oz. spray. I figured, "What the heck, how bad could they be? ...And even if they're terrible, I STILL only lost a buck!" I picked up their knockoffs of Drakkar Noir and Cool Water, but have yet to give them more than a cursory spritz. So far, though, they're not bad... as long as you don't expect them to be long lasting or try comparing them to the actual scents they mimic!

I got various other stuff - mostly food - and walked out of there for less than $11.00. Ya gotta love Odd Lots!