Exhibit
  31.1


CERTIFICATION
  PURSUANT TO 
  RULE 13A-14 OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, 
  AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO 
  SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I,
Glen L. Shank, Chief Executive Officer of Duckwall-ALCO Stores, Inc. (the registrant)
certify that:

1.
I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ending August 1, 2004
(this report);

2.
Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material
fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of
the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to
the period covered by this report;

3.
Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included
in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results
of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in
this report;

4.
The registrants other certifying officers and I are responsible for establishing and
maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules
13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have:

| | a.
Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such      disclosure controls
and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to      ensure that material
information relating to the registrant, including its      consolidated subsidiaries, is
made known to us by others within those      entities, particularly during the period in
which this report is being      prepared;
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| | b.
Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrants disclosure controls      and procedures
and presented in this report our conclusions about the      effectiveness of the
disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of      the period covered by this
report based on such evaluation; and
| | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

| | c.
Disclosed in this report any change in the registrants internal      control over
financial reporting that occurred during the registrants most      recent fiscal quarter
(the registrants fourth fiscal quarter in the case      of an annual report) that has
materially affected, or is reasonably likely      to materially affect, the registrants
internal control over financial      reporting;
| | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5.
The registrants other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most
recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrants
auditors and the audit committee of the registrants board of directors (or persons
performing the equivalent functions):

| | a.
All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of
internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect
the registrants ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information;
and
| | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

| | b.
Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have
a significant role in the registrants internal control over financial reporting.
| | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



| | By: | /s/ Glen L. Shank                  
| | --- | -----------------------------------
| |     |                                    
| |     | Glen L. Shank                      
| |     | Chairman of the Board and President

Date: September 9, 2004



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