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                                                                    Exhibit 24.6

                            SPECIAL POWER OF ATTORNEY

THE UNDERSIGNED, W. ERIC CARLBORG having his address at 14123 Denver West
Parkway, Golden Colorado 80401, does hereby appoint William G. Kelley, Albert J.
Bell and James E. Eggenschwiler, Jr., respectively and each of them, and each of
them having full power of substitution for the other, as his lawful
attorney-in-fact, and hereby empowers each of them to act singly or in concert
for the limited purpose of preparing, executing and filing on behalf of the
undersigned any registration statement, prospectus, underwriting agreement, and
all periodic reports required to be filed by Consolidated Stores Corporation on
Form 10-K, Form 10-Q, Form 8-K, Form 3, Form 4, Form 5, Form 144, or such other
form as may be required, respectively as the case may be, with the Securities
and Exchange Commission and with any securities exchange on which such security
is listed or traded, as may from time-to-time be required pursuant to the
Securities Act of 1933 as amended, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as
amended, or the rules which are promulgated from time-to-time under either of
such Acts, or the rules of any securities exchange. 


This Special Power of Attorney is limited to the specific acts herein described
and is made effective the date last below written, and shall continue in full
force and effect until revoked by the undersigned. This Special Power of
Attorney, and the appointment and empowerment herein made, shall not be deemed
revoked or superseded, or otherwise affected, by the illness, incapacity or
death of the undersigned until such time as the earlier occurring of either (i)
a period of one year shall have elapsed from the date of such illness,
incapacity or death, or (ii) the receipt by each of the above named appointees
of a writing which revokes this Special Power of Attorney issued by the lawful
Personal Representative, Custodian or Conservator, of the undersigned.

                                                           /s/ W. Eric Carlborg
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                                                          W. ERIC CARLBORG

STATE OF    Colorado     )
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                         ).ss

COUNTY OF   Jefferson    )
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BEFORE ME, the undersigned Notary Public in and for said county and state, did
personally appear on this 29th day of May, 1997, the above-signed individual
known to me to be W. ERIC CARLBORG, and upon oath duly sworn did testify that
the signing of the above and foregoing instrument did constitute his free and
voluntary act and deed.

/s/ Julie R. Rigazio
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NOTARY PUBLIC
[SEAL]


My Commission expires:

9-14-98
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