A 96-Inch Cover Is Curtains for the Bath

To prove to herself that she isn’t all wet, Barbara Cook of Los Angeles is trying to locate a 96-inch shower curtain , preferably in white or blue. Can you help her come clean, or will Cook have to take a bath on this lengthy problem because it simply won’t wash?

Louis J. Bachleder of Culver City is after some aluminum 30x72 picnic tables that fold in the middle ; this has been no picnic for him because he has been to more than 10 stores. Can you help, or will Bachleder never again be able to spill the beans in his backyard?

Jeanne Balkovic of Los Angeles is trying to pin down some old - fashioned wooden clothespins-- not the spring type--for her holiday baking; she uses them as cookie forms. Can you help put the underpinnings on Balkovic’s holiday mood, or will there be no pin-ata at the Balkovic home this Christmas?

Reader-to-Reader Help Line: Oh, the games people would be willing to play if they only had them. Flo at (213) 399-2339 or (213) 674-7634 is looking for a Parker game from the ‘40s called Bridge for Children ; Adele at (213) 390-5598 is trying to locate Probe , another Parker game that is no longer being made; Jane at (714) 992-2697 is looking for the original Skip-Bo card game, which was put out by J. T. Bowman of Brownsfield, Tex.; Mary at (714) 492-2528 would love to put her hands on something called Squeeze Hockey , which was played with a small ball on a round board that had four holes; Jane at (213) 454-1871 seeks a Jackpot game by Entex, and Fred at (213) 947-8222 is after an old game called Mr. Ree , which he says is similar to Clue. Please help all these readers who are gamely trying to relive past memories before they realize that perhaps the game is up.

Note: The Reader-to-Reader Help Line is only for one-time items and for products no longer available in stores. And you must give us written permission to publish your telephone number, so that others may contact you directly.

Eleanor Cooper of Laguna Hills, who was bidding for eight individual poker chip holders, should not fold her hand yet. S. Meznarich of Winnetka says these chip holders are available any Saturday or Sunday at the Indoor Swap Meet on Variel Avenue south of Victory Boulevard in the West San Fernando Valley. In addition, five readers stated that they had these chip holders and were ready to call Cooper’s bluff, or anyone else’s. A stamped, self-addressed envelope will hit the jackpot.

Patricia Rose of Downey, and a few other readers who couldn’t find round cotton wicks for the small alcohol burners that go under chafing dishes, no longer need to do a slow burn. Marcella Titus of Oxnard says to go to a ship’s chandler or a boat supply store, but take the wick holder along, because there are various diameters and the wick must have a snug fit in order to burn properly.

Ruth Jensen of Burbank, who a few years ago was in the same boat as Rose, says she was told by a hardware-store salesman to buy some of the flat wicking that is available in sporting-goods or hardware stores and to roll it while she’s pulling it through the alcohol burner. This method worked, and she has been recommending it to everyone looking for round wicking. Mrs. E. D. Mitchell of Los Angeles has forwarded another suggestion: Buy some window-sash rope, which is woven of wick material; it comes in different sizes.

Herb Hain cannot answer mail personally but will, space permitting, respond in this column to readers who need--or have--helpful information. Write (do not telephone) to You Can Help!, You section, The Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053.