Columnist Muriel Stevens: Remainder shelves worth a look

Wednesday, June 21, 2000 | 7:44 a.m.

Muriel Stevens' shopping column appears Wednesdays. Her dining column appears Fridays. Reach her at muriel@lasvegassun.com or 259-4080.

Shopping the remainder shelves at local bookstores can lead to some interesting purchases.

Remainder books are mostly overstocks from publishers. These are not to be confused with special reprints that are also found on the remainder racks.

Think "special purchase" when you consider these books. Most special purchase merchandise is created for sales and promotions. These are not original items that have been reduced. Quality may not be as good as regular merchandise that has been marked down.

It's the same way with books. Reprints are usually made with cheaper paper and are generally not the same quality as the originals, but the text is the same. It's easy to identify reprints. The dust jacket should have the original price. If it says "originally published at" where the price should be it's probably a replica. I prefer the original publisher's volumes, but I do sometimes buy books that are out of print and are only available as one of the special reprints. It's just a matter of personal choice.

Recently, at Borders Books in the Sahara Pavilion at Sahara and Decatur, I found "Never Pay Retail" by Sid Kircheimer (Rodale Press). Originally $27.95, the price was $6.99. It was published in 1996 so I knew that some of the shopping information might not be current, but the tips and strategies for getting the best possible deals never go out of date.

Most savvy shoppers would like to know how to negotiate to get the best price on a car or truck or appliance without haggling. The book shows how to do it. Information on just about anything you might buy is included: airline tickets (who knew that the time of day you call for a ticket could affect the price?), credit cards, clothing, medications, furniture and much more.

I found a number of catalog sources that were new to me. Following is a small selection: athletic wear -- Road Runner Sports Factory Outlet, 800-551-5558; bicycles -- Performance, 800-727-2453; binoculars and telescopes -- Astronomics, 800-422-7876; cookware -- Kitchen, Etc., 800-232-4070; giftwrap and ribbon -- Current, 800-525-7170; linens -- Designers Secrets, 800-955-2559. It doesn't cost anything to receive a catalog, so just call. There are many more catalogs and information on everything from bakeries to antiques.

If you intend to buy a copy of "Never Pay Retail," don't delay. Remainders as interesting as this one don't last long. Some bookstores track their remainders by computer, but I've found books that were not listed in the computer, so do your own search. And if one store doesn't have it, that doesn't mean that it can't be found at another in the same chain. "Never Pay Retail" was also released as a paperback and could still be available. Look for it in the home/reference section. And, if all else fails, check out the public libraries or used bookstores. Both are good places to find out-of-print books.

More Gourmet Tenderizer: Last week's review of the new gourmet tenderizing system did not include local retail sources for the handy marinating aid. They are: The Kitchen Sink in the Meadows mall; Berry's Bosch Kitchen, 3280 E. Tropicana; and Glen Douglas Products, Fantastic A-6, 1717 S. Decatur.