Mall Excursion : The Fallbrook complex offers deals for brides and grooms and for people looking to spend a buck or two on nonessentials.

I recently spent a couple very pleasant hours wandering through the Fallbrook Mall in Canoga Park, sampling the food and hunting for deals. I first stopped in Priceless Bridal and was once again impressed with the quality and the prices of the wedding gowns, bridesmaids’ dresses and bridal accessories.

Priceless Bridal is the outlet store for a major manufacturer of wedding apparel (sorry, I can’t give you the name), and any bride-to-be should check the racks here before making her big decision. Prices reflect a reduction of 40% to 50% from the original retail price.

For the groom and ushers and any man who doesn’t want to invest in a tux of his own, a new tuxedo rental chain has opened its first California location in Fallbrook Mall. At Formal Wear Club (relax, it’s not a membership deal), the basic rental is $39.95 (Dynasty label) and includes a cummerbund, shirt, tie, studs and cuff links. For another $5 one can rent name labels such as Pierre Cardin, Christian Dior or Bill Blass. Shoes are $5.

Since my only daughter is now happily married and I am planning no weddings, my interest waned a bit, so I wandered into Everything’s $1.00.

Wake-up time!

This new haven for deals is one of several locations for bargain shoppers in Southern California, and it’s a ball.

I haven’t had this much fun shopping since Tangier. For a total of $4, I purchased two hardcover books, a paper holder for my word processor and a package of note pads. If there had been more time, I would have bought more.

For parents, this is a godsend. Loads of seasonal toys--they even had troll dolls for $1. Weren’t they selling for about $12? Donald Trump’s book “Surviving At the Top,” originally priced to sell for $21.95, was $1 also, as was Ronald Reagan’s recent autobiography.

Costume jewelry, socks, mugs (some very nice ones for the money), cutlery and a big inventory of kitchenware, mostly plastic items, were getting a lot of attention from the happy shoppers. Metal picture frames (5 by 7 inches and 8 by 10 inches) all for a buck. Of course, not everything is a dazzling deal, but I defy anyone to drop in here and NOT dig up one or two.

There’s a fast turnover here, so chances of any of the above still being on the shelves is minimal. Management says that new shipments arrive every week from manufacturers who have overproduced or publishing companies that have a solid inventory of remainders or retailers who are liquidating stock.

Judging from the crowd milling around and filling baskets, Everything’s $1.00 might have to expand its spotlessly clean and well-organized store soon.

Where to Shop

Store: Priceless Bridal.

Location: Space 204 in the Target Court, Fallbrook Mall, 6633 Fallbrook Ave., West Hills.

Hours: 1 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover.

Call: (818) 340-6514.

Store: Formal Wear Club.

Location: Space 208 in the Target Court, Fallbrook Mall.

Hours: 1 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Credit cards: None, cash only.

Call: (818) 347-0007.

Store: Everything’s $1.00

Location: Space 230 in the Sears Court, Fallbrook Mall.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Credit cards: None, cash or checks only.

Other locations: Palmdale, Ventura, Victorville, West Covina, Westminster.

Call: (818) 594-5742.