What If You Don’t Want to Shop Till You Drop?

Right about this time, I come down with my annual case of agoraphobia. By the week before Christmas, I’m looking for places to shop that are free from the milling throngs, with plenty of easy parking and quality merchandise to please any age and sex, where four is a crowd and the prices will satisfy the most jaded bargain hunter.

In short, stress-free shopping. Here’s an itinerary for a serene shopping day that could not only help your nerves but your wallet as well.

* First, stop at the J.R. Collection, a genuine factory outlet where the furnaces for blowing glass are on the premises and roaring full blast daily till 3 p.m.

Wine goblets in vibrant shades of lime, violet, orange or aqua are an easy choice at $10 each. A major specialty shop tags these at $34 each, so if you go for four for $40 you’ll look like a big spender. Vases, bowls and glassware are at wholesale prices. No stress here, and parking is just outside the door.

The J.R. Collection, 1726 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West Los Angeles. (310) 473-7728.

* Athena International, an importer of gift ware from Europe, saves a corner of its warehouse for the public and offers some of the best deals in town.

Necklaces made of blackened sterling and delicate crystals are flying out of specialty stores at $45 each, but here they’re only $18.50. Silver-plated address books are $10 and matching pens cost $15; the pen, all by itself, retails for $45.

You can pick up elegant perfume bottles and paperweights for just about cost (from about $10 to about $40). A set of four angel ornaments costs $17.50 (retail: $30), and you can decorate your gift or your tree with aurora borealis crystals for $2.50 each (retail: $12).

There’s plenty of free parking in this industrial complex and not a sign of Santa anywhere.

Athena International, 606A Venice Blvd. (at Abbot Kinney Boulevard), Venice. (310) 578-7312 or (800) 228-1307.

* Plan your visit to Designer Bloopers when you’re starting to droop and need rest and nourishment. The place feels like a luxurious home: You can wander from one elegant room to another as you check out the treasures--a lot of them close-outs from the Pacific Design Center.

A pair of brass candlesticks shaped like palm trees should run around $400, but Bloopers’ price is $125; a bronze dolphin riding the waves can be yours for $98 instead of the $250 retailers are asking. Solid carved eagle heads make handsome bookends for $35 (retail: $130). While you’re trying to decide what else you want, sink into a cushy sofa and enjoy some complimentary refreshments.

Designer Bloopers, 12600 Washington Blvd., Culver City. (310) 398-9396. Closed Mondays.

* Now that you’ve had a nibble or two, it’s safe to go to Surfas, supplier to gourmet restaurants, caterers and professional chefs around town. Les Surfas is a restaurant designer who opened this place as a sideline. It has become one of my favorite sources of delicacies at prices to fit any budget.

The packaged candies from France make great gifts: A box of Pa^tes de Fruits Mignonettes (made from apricots) runs $9.95 (retail: $14), while a box of Valrhona Equinoxe, whole hazelnuts coated with possibly the best chocolate in the world, costs $9.99 (retail: $12).

The entire line of D’Artagan pa^tes and terrines is priced at least 20% lower than at fancy foods stores. And caviar prices may be the best in town, with beluga running $32.40 an ounce (it’s $50 at one specialty store in Beverly Hills). The personnel are knowledgeable and helpful, and there’s loads of adjacent free parking.

Surfas, 8825 National Blvd., Culver City. (310) 559-4770.

* For the ultimate in serene shopping for quality bargains, head for the gift shop at the Monastery of the Angels, hidden away in the foothills of Hollywood.

The sisters in this cloistered order make sweaters and scarves and caps and afghans during the year; around holiday time, they bake and make candy like crazy. Their pumpkin bread is outstanding at $5 a loaf (advance notice is required for a large order), with fudge and peanut brittle coming in close seconds. Men’s hand-knit sweaters cost between $50 and $100.

No crowds here, no congested parking lots and for an extra shot of tranquillity, there’s a chapel just across the courtyard.

Monastery of the Angels, 1957 Carmen Ave., Hollywood. (213) 466-2186, Ext. 17. Closed Sundays.