SHOPPED TILL THEY DROPPED BRAVING BLACK FRIDAY: IT CAN BE DONE ON BUDGET.

Byline: JULIA M. SCOTT Staff Writer

I have had a lot of tough assignments as a reporter, but this one seemed impossible: Armed with a $500 budget, buy holiday gifts for 10 people and a pet in just four hours.

I brainstormed a few gift ideas and set out at sunrise on Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

My destination? The newly renovated Westfield Topanga mall.

In the parking lot just before 7 a.m., I ran into Michael Maghsoudi, who had stayed up all night Thursday to get an early jump on his retail mission.

``Now, we're walking the mall like zombies,'' said Maghsoudi, 23, of Sherman Oaks, who persuaded a bleary-eyed friend to purchase three pairs of pajamas. ``I don't know what to buy.''

Determined not to let my lack of sleep sabotage me, I headed to the tool department at Sears, where I found a sturdy compound miter saw for Dad for $70, marked down from $90.

At B. Dalton Bookseller, I snagged a yearlong $13 subscription to Golf Magazine for my boss, who will get a monthly reminder of a certain hardworking employee.

Across the way, I browsed the sparkling display cases of Kevin Jewelers, which boasted price reductions of 75 percent. On my budget, I couldn't afford gems, but I settled on a $75 pair of 14-karat gold hanging earrings for my aunt.

The hottest toys sell out quickly on Black Friday, so I headed to The Disney Store, where everything was marked down 20 percent until 10 a.m. The store was buzzing with customers and a line zigzagged to the rear.

William Shang was waiting to buy matching pink princess tea sets and pianos for his 3-year-old daughter and her friend. ``My daughter is just a princess fanatic,'' said Shang, 42, of Calabasas.

For my niece, I wanted something just as playful. A sales clerk pointed to a floor-to-ceiling array of 16-inch dolls, marked down from $19.50 to just $8 each. Giddy from the incredible savings, I grabbed Little Cinderella, Little Aurora and Little Ariel.

At 7:35 a.m., I had already crossed four people off my list. Time for a quick cup of coffee from Coral Tree Express, then on to the Apple store.

Inside Apple, I scanned a treasure trove of laptops and iPods, items on many people's wish lists but too pricey for my budget. Instead, I grabbed two accessories for my best buddy -- a $24 Nike+iPod Sport Kit with a chip that fits into your running shoe and measures how fast and how far you tread; and a $29 Nike Sport armband that holds an iPod nano that saves the data.

With caffeine pulsing through my veins, I nearly zoomed past David Dempsey, who was asleep on a mall bench.

Dempsey, 19, of Van Nuys pulled an all-nighter with friends before hitting the sales.

``It's just really hard to stay awake,'' said Dempsey, who was too sleepy to shop.

Around the corner at Napoleon Perdis, I picked up a $45 five-pack of Lip Couture gloss for my sister, then headed to the Discovery Store. A $30 pair of MiJam electronic drum sticks was an easy choice for my nephew.

Down the breezeway at Target, I selected a $40 plush Luxe Cuddler animal print bed for Fido and a $6 Australian bottle of Little Boomey shiraz-cabernet for my neighbor.

A display of heavily discounted picture frames caught my eye, and I picked up three for $9 to fill with pictures for Grandma.

Taking stock of my purchases, I had spent $385 and had only one more gift to buy, but it was an important one.

Heading across the mall, I spotted Thelma Geronimo, who was snacking on Korean BBQ at 9a.m. after shopping for three hours with her two children and a niece. They had risen early for one reason -- the deals -- and bags of gifts formed a barricade at their feet.

``It's hard to budget, but with these sales it goes a long way,'' said Geronimo, 54, of Canoga Park.

I would only need a small bag for my next purchase from the Spa Nordstrom. For Mom, I splurged on a $90 gift certificate for a 60-minute longevity massage, which claims to revive aching muscles and relax tight ligaments.

After 2 1/2 hours of breakneck shopping, I might ask Santa for one myself.

julia.scott(at)dailynews.com

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CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) At $8 each (marked down from $19.50) in The Disney Store, reporter Julia Scott buys Little Cinderella, Little Aurora and Little Ariel dolls for her niece at the Topanga mall.

(2) Reporter Julia Scott bought a gift for her dad at the Topanga mall Sears store: a sturdy compound miter saw for $70, marked down from $90. It was her first buy on a $500 budget.

(3) Armisetti Duncan gives reporter Julia Scott a longevity massage like the one she bought for her mom at Spa Nordstrom.

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer