BARGAINS : DOWN-TO-EARTH STORE A HARDWARE HEAVEN.

Byline: Trisha King & Deborah Newmark

If wandering up and down the aisles of a hardware store is your idea of heaven, then A.A. Baker's Hardware Center is your kind of place. Established in 1915, you'll be awe-struck at the vast selection and good old customer service.

For example, anyone preparing for the very wet winter predicted will find sandbags priced at $4.99 a dozen (as much as 79 cents each elsewhere). Plus, they offer a free ``Sandbag Tip Sheet'' with instructions on filling and the most efficient use of sandbags.

The prices at A.A. Baker's are mixed. Some goods - such as a laser level for $269.99 ($350 and up retail) or Meguiars' car care products at 60 cents less than at an off-price chain store - are discounted, while others are closer to retail. Aside from lots of helpful employees, what sets A.A. Baker's apart from the large warehouse stores are the selections and services (including cutting and fabrication).

In addition, on many items, the more you buy the more you save. For instance, if you buy half of a box of bolts, you'll automatically receive a 30 percent discount at the register. Buy the whole box and the discount goes up to 40 percent. Depending on what you're buying, discounts can run as high as 50 percent below retail.

Unusual light fixtures are a specialty at A.A. Baker's. While the discounts aren't all that deep - about 10 percent to 20 percent off retail - you can't beat the selection between the Tiffany-style lamps made with agates and glass for $399 and the Mission-style fixtures in copper with iridescent glass for $349. Our favorites were the acid-etched and reverse painted glass lamps.

Remember, we told you that A.A. Baker's goes out of its way for its customers. Believe it or not, it carries farm-fresh eggs. Instead of paying around $2.69 for a dozen extra-large AA eggs at the local supermarket, you can get them here for $1.35 ($1.19 for large, $1.45 for jumbo).

A.A. Baker's Hardware Center is located at 3925 San Fernando Road (at Los Feliz Road), Glendale; [phone]. Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa are accepted.

Inside info

Create a festive mood for Hanukkah with Jewish music from around the world. Hatikva Music International offers a large collection of religious and secular music, sheet music and videos from around the world. For example, you can find Jewish music imported from Israel, France, Germany, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Tunisia, Kuwait, Iraq and Morocco. Some of the original versions date back to the early 1900s. These cassettes and CDs would cost $20 to $30 overseas. Prices here start at $10, but most sell for about $19.99. Hatikvah Music International is located at 436 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles; [phone]. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and Sunday (closed Saturdays).

For the perfect bedding crib set, call Maternity Express. They can special order almost any brand name available, such as Classic Pooh, Beatrice Potter by Guiltex, Two by Two by Nojo and many more. Best of all, their prices are 20 percent off retail, and they can also order matching accessories. Also carried are hard-to-find items for babies such as preemie baby clothing, nursing bras and other products for mommy and baby. Maternity Express is located at 29134 Roadside Drive, Agoura Hills; [phone]. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

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Photo: Employee Polo Marquez checks some of the merchandise at A.A. Baker's Hardware Center in Glendale. What sets A.A. Baker's apart from the large warehouse stores are the selections and services.

Phil McCarten/Daily News