BRIDAL BARGAIN HUNTERS SOMETHING NEW ON SALE AT GOODWILL.

Byline: Brent Hopkins Staff Writer

Stuffed full of long white sleeves, bejeweled bodices and trains that fan out in a wave of satin, Goodwill Southern California's auditorium looks like a bridal explosion.

The nonprofit organization recently laid its hands on a most unusual windfall - 2,000 brand-new wedding dresses, donated by an anonymous bridal shop. Labels blacked out and tagged for as little as $99, Goodwill will sell the never-worn gowns in an intense four-hour sale today at its headquarters near downtown.

``It's like saying to a bride, go pick whatever you want,'' said Mark Shmagin, the organization's chief operating officer. ``At this price, it's almost free. Think 500 brides running around in a candy store.''

Hues that shine like an iceberg, off-white, cream, and even a few shades of pink fill out the range of colors that hang from Goodwill's crowded racks. Sizes range from a slight 4 to a more full-figured 22, with prices from $99 to $499. With a variety of smaller sizes and $10 tiaras to boot, organizers also hope to lure celebrants of the traditional Latina quinceanera, the 15th birthday celebration.

``These aren't Vera Wangs, but they're new, good-quality dresses,'' said Pete Duda, Goodwill's director of retail operations. ``We've got some strapless, some with what I'd describe as a rather daring style. We thought it would all be the same kind, but this was a very generous donation.''

Selecting a wedding dress can often be an intense, frustrating experience. With friends, relatives and soon-to-be in-laws clustering around, a bride-to-be usually finds herself in a very different atmosphere than amid the frenzied pawing of racks that Goodwill expects. She generally finds herself with a much heftier price tag, as well.

``If you get something off the rack, you can get it for a couple hundred, but if you get something specially made, you'd pay several thousand,'' said Linda Vogel, owner of the Pasadena-based wedding coordinator Dream Makers. ``Most people pay between $500 and $1,000, so it's almost unheard of to find them that cheap.''

The proceeds from the sale will fund Goodwill's job-training programs for people with disabilities, with leftover dresses to be distributed to its 43 area stores. If it goes smoothly, the nonprofit hopes to make large-scale sales into regular events to clear out similar large donations.

``I expect to see a lot of frazzled women,'' chuckled Kathi Castro, the charity's donated goods manager. ``They won't be able to narrow it down, we have so much good stuff.''

Brent Hopkins, [phone]

brent.hopkins(at)dailynews.com

IF YOU GO

Event: Bridal Gown Super Sale

Location: Goodwill Southern California, 342 N. San Fernando Road, Los Angeles, CA 90031

Time: Today, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Cost: Free admission and parking. Dresses cost between $99 and $499

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- 2 -- color) Headpieces, at upper right, will be sold at Goodwill's Bridal Gown Super Sale today in Los Angeles, along with 2,000 brand-new wedding dresses. The gowns will cost between $99 and $499.

(3) This wedding dress, marked at $199, is one of the 2,000 donated to the Goodwill and will be for sale between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer

Box:

IF YOU GO (see text)