Shopping

On a recent evening, only one customer lingered in a local Best Buy's cushy Magnolia showroom, where the chain store shows off its high-end, state-of-the-art televisions. He was sitting on a leather sofa, fast asleep. In these tough times, shopping for a TV has become less about state of the art and more about state of the economy. Luckily, it's a good time to snag a bargain, experts say. This is a time of year when TV prices traditionally stabilize.

When Clifton Moore ran the Los Angeles airport system from 1968 to 1993, there wasn't much emphasis on dining and shopping for people waiting for their planes at LAX. About all they could get were the basics: a newspaper, a cup of coffee, cafeteria fare and a preflight libation. The mantra was "We are an airport, not a shopping mall," and people on the staff were proud that Los Angeles International Airport had the least concession space of any major airport in the United States. Not anymore.

Marketing consultant Shauna Dawson likes good food and good deals, and that has turned her into a bold shopper. ? The 34-year-old Carthay Circle resident will troll a Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, checking to see whether the "sell by" date on a product is that very day. It's almost like food bingo. When Dawson finds something she wants, she asks a clerk for 50% off. ? "I bought a package of fresh cream puffs this way -- just the other day," she said. ?

In A LAND where citizens are implored to shop as an expression of patriotism, where little girls can attend summer camp cruising the stores of a mall, and where the average credit-card holder is $1,673 behind in payments, buying things in the United States is more than a hunt for daily provisions. It's a national pastime, a form of therapy, a means of self-expression. But for more than 1 in 20 Americans, shopping is something darker.

Los Angeles psychotherapist Eileen Gallo, author of "The Financially Intelligent Parent," has led many shopping-addicted patients into the light. The road to solvency, she says, starts with a journey of self-discovery. When shopping begins to cause marital discord, missed appointments and financial woes, Gallo says, "it's time to take a look inside and find out the motivation for the behavior. Some shop just to fill themselves up, and of course it doesn't last long."

SHARON LYNN BEAR can't be dissuaded by the price of gas, the time it takes to unearth the perfect piece or the disappointment of ending a shopping excursion empty-handed. Whether the Irvine resident is browsing for a 19th century vase or a vintage Italian footed bowl, her venue of choice isn't EBay or Craigslist but the old-fashioned storefront overflowing with antiques.

THE INTERNET has made it easier to find antiques, compare prices and talk with sellers worldwide, but antiquing online has drawbacks. Some shoppers underestimate shipping and insurance fees, which can be exorbitant. Other considerations: Unscrupulous sellers: Some websites have feedback ratings and list the number of transactions that dealers have completed. But are they qualified to assess antiques? Can you direct complaints to a retail store? Will they buy back a piece if you're unsatisfied?

She portrays herself in campaign appearances as an average working woman with small-town values, a hockey mom who shops at Wal-Mart, the wife of a union member who works with his hands. So the news that the Republican National Committee has bought Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and her family nearly $150,000 worth of clothing since September has fueled charges of hypocrisy by her detractors and sparked questions about the legality of the expenditures. At a time when GOP presidential candidate Sen.

Teri Gault stops in her tracks in the personal care aisle at Ralphs when she learns someone has never heard of a BOGO. "How about peelies or blinkies?" she asks, with disbelief. "Catalinas?" A look of urgency passes across her face: "You don't throw your Catalinas away, do you?" Gault is the Santa Clarita-based creator of the Grocery Game ( www.thegrocerygame.com), an online service that helps members strategically navigate the world of supermarket sales.

Prices are way down on the stock market and way up at the grocery store. Just thinking about it could make you lose your appetite -- or, alternatively, give you a serious craving for some comfort food. Indeed, as the economy flags, sags and drags, there's talk that it could affect the way people eat, and even how much they weigh. You might imagine that high food prices could put the nation on a diet as people, strapped for cash, tighten their belts and eat less. Forget that idea.