Big Bargains Lure Hordes of Shoppers to the Malls : Retail: Thousands descend on area stores to return gifts and spend Christmas cash on stacks of newly discounted items.

A confessed mall maniac, 21-year-old Jennifer Dransfeldt of Camarillo says she and her friends can sniff out a bargain like a shark smells blood.

So when she spotted those leather dress shoes Monday at Nine West in the Oxnard Factory Outlet--priced down from $80 to $50--she knew she could not pass.

“We have nothing in particular that we need,” Dransfeldt said. “We’re just looking for the big sales.”

Thousands of post-holiday shoppers descended on Ventura County malls and retail stores Monday to return gifts and take advantage of after-Christmas sales. For many stores, the surge of shoppers served as a generous supplement to a profitable holiday season.

“We definitely did an incredible amount of business,” said Wanda Fatzinger, customer service manager for The Oaks. “(Sales) were up approximately 15%.”

Some eager shoppers began showing up at county stores as early at 7:30 a.m., even though many did not open until 9 a.m. The Buenaventura Mall in Ventura was bustling with activity, and in Thousand Oaks, traffic around the The Oaks ground to a standstill by noon as shoppers struggled for a place to park.

“We traveled around the whole mall for about 30 minutes fighting for a parking space,” said Oxnard resident Marlene Carty, a patron at The Oaks. “I’ve never seen it this bad.”

Many shoppers knew what they wanted, and it was not what they had received Christmas Day. For some of them, however, the tedium of returning gifts was wearisome.

“I waited at one counter, then I waited at another one,” said Monica Rodriguez of Ventura, who spent 40 minutes at the Broadway at Buenaventura Mall trading in a watch her mother got her for Christmas. “I’ve been waiting a long time, and I’m getting tired of this.”

At Target in Ventura, rows of people waited up to an hour to return unwanted Christmas gifts. Dennis Molloy of Camarillo was in line to return a Mighty Morphin Power Rangers talking pinball machine his 6-year-old, Timothy, had received.

Timothy already had a pinball machine, and Power Rangers or not, he did not need another, Molloy said.

“He wants to get something that Santa didn’t bring,” Molloy said. “Like a new bike.”

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At Toys R Us in Ventura, the return line streamed out the door.

“It was not safe,” said Harian Hochberg of the toy table she bought Alyssa, her 9-month-old granddaughter. “She kept standing up and cracking herself in the head.”

The 14-year-old King twins, Erica and Nicole, were flipping through the CD racks at Sam Goody’s in the Buenaventura Mall on Monday, eagerly looking to cash in the $30 gift certificate their cousin had given them for Christmas.

But they had one problem: They could not agree on what to buy. Pantera or Tom Petty? The Offspring or Nirvana?

“We got a new CD player for Christmas and now we need something to play in it,” said Erica. “Now we just have to decide what we want.”

At The Oaks, a Camarillo resident who was shopping with his son stopped by a pet store to browse, but walked out with a $1,500 parrot for his wife. Afraid his friends would tease him about the impulsive purchase, the man declined to give his name.

“I figure we’ll surprise her,” he said, of his wife’s supplementary Christmas gift. “She’ll be excited--she wanted a bird.”

Pets were popular gifts this year. At the Animal House in Thousand Oaks, puppies and bunnies were top-sellers in the days before Christmas, employees said.

“Christmas Eve we sold seven dogs,” said Jamie Freiberg, assistant manager at Animal House. “For one day, that was really good.”

Most of the store’s 37 pooches were snatched up by holiday buyers, including a golden retriever, Scottish terrier, sheltie, Pekingese and a few beagles. “I think the dachshund went too,” Freiberg said.

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At Victoria’s Secret, dozens of shoppers pawed through piles of satin panties while about 10 people waited in line to return or purchase marked-down lingerie.

“It was a great season,” store manager Kim Kama said. “Today we had a lot of customers coming in not only for exchanges but also for the sales.”

Darting off to a popular teen-age clothing store, 12-year-old Nate Wray of Newbury Park said her $62 in Christmas money wouldn’t last long. “I have lots of money,” she said, “so I’m spending it.”

Miguel Bustillo is a Times staff writer. Tracy Wilson is a Times correspondent.