BARGAINS : GET DEALS ON NEW AND USED SKIWEAR AT ENCORE SPORTS.

Byline: Trisha King & Deborah Newmark

If our warm and muggy days of late have you daydreaming about snow and ski lifts, you'll be delighted to know about Encore Sports. The Toluca Lake store sells new and recycled ski clothing for men, women and children at discounted prices.

Let's start with recycled ski clothing for children. One-piece snowsuits by Obermeyer (bright blocks of primary colors) and Tyrolia (shades of purple and turquoise) that looked new were $30 each instead of the original price of $100 or more retail.

Encore Sports is a mixture of new and gently worn sports clothing. New items - close-outs, samples and overruns - are purchased from national and international manufacturers and are deeply discounted. Goods that are ordered directly to fill out the store's inventory are discounted 15 percent below retail.

Men's resale skiwear included a goose-down filled Nubuck jacket by Nautica for $225 (about $500 originally) and Spyder waterproof, breathable stretch pants for $130 ($375 new). Both items looked brand new.

In new merchandise, a men's Tyrolia ski suit in a dark teal that retails for $375 was $125. And for young men, CB two-piece system jackets - featuring a windproof, waterproof shell with an inner fleece zip-out jacket that can be worn separately - were $119 rather than $175 retail.

The best selection at Encore Sports is for women. Waterproof, seam-sealed cargo pants made for snowboarding are $115 ($150 retail). CB ski suits run $125 to $158 ($250 to $375 retail), four-way waterproof stretch pants From a Swiss manufacturer in over- or in-boot styles are $175 ($210 retail), and a very elegant Kaelin ski jacket made of quilted microfiber was $223 ($279 retail). All of these items are new, not recycled.

Because we're still experiencing warm weather, Encore Sports doesn't have its skiwear selection out on the floor. If you don't see what you want, just ask. The warehouse, filled with skiwear, is on the premises.

If you or your children have ski clothing in good condition that you no longer wear, consign them to Encore Sports. Sales are split 50-50.

Encore Sports is at 4446-1/2 Forman Ave., Toluca Lake; [phone]. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. 5 p.m. Saturday. American Express, MasterCard and Visa are accepted.

Inside info

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