BARGAINS : TAKE 5 GETTING DURABLE DISHES NOT A PRICEY PROPOSITION.

Byline: Trisha King & Deborah Newmark

If you or someone you know is setting up a new household, Dishes a la Carte has plenty of dishes and decorator items at 50 percent or more below retail.

For example, a 20-piece set of dishes (service for four), with a black and white border of knives and forks was priced at $29.95 instead of $80 retail. Spice jars with decorative lids that sell elsewhere at a discounted price of $6.99 were $3.95 here.

Dishes a la Carte carries first- and second-quality overruns and closeouts from several manufacturers. Most of the inventory is devoted to restaurant-quality dishes, which to the untrained eye look the same as ``regular'' dishes, but in fact are much more durable and resistant to chipping.

In addition to extra durability, the dishes are available in a vast variety of sizes and styles. For example, basic white plates, most common in restaurants, start at 3 inches and ``grow'' in quarter-inch increments to 13 inches. That's 41 different sizes in just plates.

For those of you who truly enjoy a mixture of tabletop items, Dishes a la Carte is a treasure trove. Beyond basic dishes, the owners do a fantastic job of ferreting out great buys on uncommon items, such as large rectangular platters (23-1/2 by 14-1/2 inches), that start at $90 or more retail. The prices here run $35 for white platters and $45 for those with hand-painted designs.

Other items we spotted were coffee mugs in all shapes and sizes for 50 cents to $3.50, 12-1/2-inch bright red mixing bowls for $20 ($45 and up retail) and hand-painted pie plates, pouring bowls, square baking dishes and trivets that retail for up to $36 and were priced at $4.95 to $12.50.

While supplies last, Christmas-themed tabletop items featured in high-end department stores last season are now 50 percent below Dishes a la Carte's discounted prices. A hand-painted Santa Claus cookie jar that was $30 here in December ($60 to $70 retail) was priced at $15.

Dishes a la Carte is located at 113 W. Los Feliz Road, Glendale; [phone]; 5650 W. Third St., Los Angeles; [phone]. Hours for both stores are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. All major credit cards accepted.

Inside info

DHEA lovers will find some of the largest discounts on this product at Nature's Discount. For example, 25 milligram capsules (in bottles of 90) are $9.99 (retail $16.95) and 50 milligram capsules (also in bottles of 90) are $18.99 (retail $30.95). In addition, first-time customers receive an additional 5 percent savings. Nature's Discount also carries designer protein powdered drinks, vitamins and herbs at approximately 25 percent off retail. Nature's Discount is located at 5224 Coldwater Canyon Ave., Unit A, Van Nuys; [phone]. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Get color copies for half the usual price at Color Images. The copies are produced on 100-pound glossy paper, which gives an excellent photographic quality. The price for 1 to 150 color copies is 75 cents each ($1.50 elsewhere); 50 cents each for 151 or more. Color Images is located at 21757 Devonshire St., Unit 14, Chatsworth; [phone]. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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Photo: (1-2) Dishes a la Carte in Glendale features restaurant-quality dinnerware in a wide variety of sizes and manufacturers' overruns and closeouts, all at discounted prices.

Phil McCarten/Daily News