Columnist Muriel Stevens: Don’t wait for holiday bargains

Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2001 | 8:18 a.m.

What's my idea of a good sale? The $900 Misrahi hip-length coat (ideal length for driving) I bought for $62 at one of those special morning sales at Saks Off 5th at Belz mall. What's more, this was the real thing, not a promotional item.

Halloween was barely over when a number of stores advertised the kind of sales usually reserved for TDAT. And there were many unadvertised sales. Stores at the Forum Shops at Caesars and Desert Passage at the Aladdin had sales.

Sunday's paper was filled with tempting ads. Take the time to carefully peruse each ad. ULTA stores, devoted to cosmetics and beauty and hair enhancements, offered a good discount on one item of your choice. What I bought gave me a return of $8 on a $40 item. I almost missed it, even though it was on the front cover. ULTA's coupons are good for one week.

My next stop was Cost Plus World Market. At this time of the year Cost Plus is a fine place to buy wrapping paper, baskets, kitchen things, glasses, dinner ware, napkins and placemats. Gadgets galore -- a stainless steel poultry thermometer is a useful tool. Follow the instructions for placement and it tells when the bird is cooked. Forget those pop-up plastic ones. They're rarely accurate.

The selection of foodstuffs and wines is terrific. I could spend hours walking the isles. Tea drinkers will find Republic of Tea, decaf and regular teas at excellent prices. The ones I like are generally $12 for 50 tea bags. At Cost Plus they're $6.99. ROT green teas cost more, but are still less than most other sources.

The store on Maryland Parkway was so packed with merchandise I could barely walk through some of the aisles, and each time I came around the same aisle I found something else I had to have. One thing I miss is the coffee bean and candy counter. It went when the store was reconfigured. There are still plenty of coffee and candy choices, but none from those big bins. I'll have to find another source for my favorite Swedish gummy fish.

I did buy, on sale, some Spice Hunter cardamom and Oetker (German) baking aids. The cardamom was not ground, but the aromatic seeds were out of the pod, so all I have to do is grind them in the small coffee mill I keep just for that purpose.

Cost Plus also has a good selection of German holiday cookies and buttery stollen (coffee cake). Cost Plus has two versions. I wanted one. The sign said "Two for $10." It rang up as $5.99 for one. Within seconds the cashier called the manager, Ginny (young people never seem to have last names), who explained the sale was over, but since the sign was still there she would honor the price. I knew she would. Cost Plus has always been fair with customers.