These were just the wooden sticks, not the kits.
The may have been on clearance, but I don't think so.

I buy my dowels at Home Depot, then I lightly sand them to get rid of anything that is not so clean, oils from people handling them at the store, etc, then wash them to get rid of the dust. They work very well. I figure just as many people are handling the dowels at craft stores, so the same treatment is needed. But in the future, I will smell them first to make sure they have not been splashed with PineSol as in jlynnw's case!

This entire post is cracking me up. Here are my thoughts on the posts that I read.
#1 I can tell you without doubt that the dowels you buy at HD, Lowes, Hobby Lobby, Michaels etc.... are all made of North American Soft Wood. None of them will specify the specific species of tree they are made from. It is a craft wood.
#2 Wood is wood and it would not in any way cause a cake to colapse. It blows my mind that Collette said that.
#3 I worked at HD for 8 years and there are no chemicals flying in the air.
#4 Pressure treated wood is manufactured at its own plant.
#5 Anyone who would use a dowel to pick thier butt in a Home improvement store would do it in a factory making items for use with food also so you should be weary of your off set spatula.
I just think people need to use common sense. Clean what you are going to use. If you think it needs it then cover it in contact paper or floral tape.

There. I feel better non. lol

BeeBoos - the reason I sand them is.. Many people do not wash their hands, just pay attention in the rest rooms sometime and note how many people rinse their hands and consider that washing them - it does require soap and water - the equivalent of someone picking their butt as you mentioned in #5. I've seen people drop the dowels and put them back. I have seen small children with snotty noses handling them and adults coughing or sneezing into their hands before handling them! EEEW! How could you not want to sand them to expose clean fresh wood? You can't always control things, but in this small matter which only takes a brief moment of time, you can control the cleanliness of what you create!

TNTF,
I think the sanding is a good idea. I feel that is cleaning them just as I mentioned to do.

Or, save yourself the hassle altogether, and use SPS or bubble tea straws....so glad my days of cutting and hacking and wiping off sawdust from dowels are over...whew!

You can also wipe them down with white vinegar or a weak bleach/water solution.

Lol...of course it would, wouldn't be long enough! I like that I can avoid the whole center dowel alltogether though....either transport very carefully (hasn't failed me yet, because of very careful leveling and bubble straws cut extremely accurately) and/or assemble on site.