For years I bought these off the shelf at a nearby Staples. The last few times I tried they were not on the shelf; I even suspected that they were no longer available. Almost on a whim I asked the clerk if they could be ordered. I was most pleasantly surprised to learn they could be even more pleasantly surprised that they could be shipped directly to my house and yet even more pleasantly surprised that they arrived THE VERY NEXT DAY!!
They are just rubber bands not some sophisticated scientific instrument. They work they do what they are supposed to do. How long they hold their rubber like properties is another story.
I prefer not to comment on the rubber bands. The employees are always helpful. They greet you as soon as you come in to the store. Great at showing their customers where to go for what ever you are looking for.