Pots and pans for someone starting out

http://www.chefscatalog.com/catalog/sale-items.aspx?scommand=refine&qstateid=c60e7deb-f8cc-4c43-a745-b0895e4b41b8&rbc=Category&rbv=Cookware&rf=0&re=
I have lived this catalogue for years. Now they are going out of business and everything is on sale. I would grab a few good pieces. They can fill in the gaps as they grow. Since they are just starting out, they are probably only cooking for 2-4 most of the time. So huge pots and pans aren't necessary. At least right now.

I like to cherry pick my kitchen tools from vendors that specialize in them. If you can't afford something like All-Clad, I would do what cv said and hit up your local restaurant supply. There you can buy, high quality, reasonably priced (albeit not dirt-cheap), pots and pans, and you can choose what you will find useful for this person. I find sets (whether its pots, pans or knives) often come with tools I don't need and are often lower quality. Check some consumer reports or Cook's Illustrated articles for help.

Sets are fun & sometimes good. But the material that is good for one cooking purpose may not work as well for another, or in another size. If you know the cook well enough, pick two or three pieces and buy them separately, within your budget.
For a new cook, cooking most often for only one or two people, I would go for a covered 10 or 12" cast iron fry-pan (can make everything from pancakes to stew to cakes), a 1.5 quart covered saucepan in a good heat-conducting metal and maybe a cheap large pot for boiling pasta.
Also, have a look at a couple review articles, like this one:
http://www.epicurious.com/archive/kitchenequipment/essentials/firstkitchen

A few years ago, I snagged a set of Bodeux pots and pans from Overstock that has impressed me at every turn. They appear to still carry some in this line.

Rachel Ray brand looks good for the price. I have one pan from her and Avalon? I think and its a low maintenance workhouse.

Do they still make copper clad stainless steel Revere ware? It's stood my family well for two generations, but a lot of fine old products (Sabatier Knives come to mind) have sold their names for a handful of bitcoins.

I agree with CV. Unless you know this person very well and what kind of kitchen habits they may have or may develop, Ikea is a great place to start. Amazon also has some good starting sets that are reasonably priced. I think I saw a Kitchenaid set for just under $200.

There was a thread a while ago about this sort of thing and there were tons of suggestions. If I find it, I'll come back and link it for you.

If I magically became young today, I'd tell my younger self to go with one of the starter sets from IKEA.

As I get older, I can selectively choose to upgrade certain pieces (from whatever manufacturer) based on a deepening knowledge of my my own cooking patterns/habits.