|Exhibit 31.1
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|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
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|I, Glen L. Shank, Chief Executive Officer of
Duckwall-ALCO Stores, Inc. (the registrant) certify that:
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|1.  I have
reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ending May 2, 2004 (this
report);
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|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;
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|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;
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|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:
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|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
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|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;
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|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):
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|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
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|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.
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| | By: |  | /s/ Glen L.
      Shank 
      Glen L. Shank 
      Chairman of the Board and President
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|Date:  June 11, 2004
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