It's the Granddaddy of them all! THE ROSE BOWL Swap Meet held the second Sunday of each month. East, West, North & South; "hunters" know of it and imagine a visit to the Mecca! Yes. It's true. It's unlike any other. So....come along. Be part of the "BIG SHOW!" We're going to The Rose Bowl!!!!
VIP BUYERS: 5-7, $20. EARLY, EARLY BUYERS: 7-8, $15.
EARLY BUYERS: 8-9, $10. REGULAR ADMISSION: 9-3, $8. Parking is free except for the up close area. Outdoor port-a-pots. Mediocre food vendors. Suggest bringing lots of water for hydration. Save your entrance ticket so it can be stamped for re-entrance if necessary.
THE ROSE BOWL is big business. First and foremost...always! Vendors sell the most, hunters find the unusual, and sometimes at the best price. As always, it's best to attend with an open mind. Don't limit your looking. Be open to buy! Listen to your "gut!" I go with an open mind and celebrate the treasures at the end of the day. Be prepared for intense people and product overload? Expect the unexpected.
Endurance. That's what comes to mind when I think of The Rose Bowl: miles of walking on blacktop in churning heat, people bumping, people watching, carts colliding, tempers fraying. It is not for the faint of heart. Forget Africa. This is a safari for special stuff that was manufactured long before our imagination could have imagined.
As you enter it looks like a carnival: New products being hawked. I've never bothered until I saw David from STORAGE WARS selling bumper stickers,"YUUP!" What a perfect gift for my son's birthday.
KEEP GOING.
The areas to the right and left of the arena entrance are filled with "new product" vendors. Don't be dismayed. Many of these items are custom made from new and re-claimed products. There are vendors I've been shopping for years at the Fairfax Market that show here once a month. Suzy and her beaded products have fans on the east coast because I was always buying them and taking back. OMG! Do you know how many Frieda mobile cases I could have sold??? Suzy shares a space with a lady who creates products from kimono fabric. I carry one of her computer bags. It's powerful in the most positive ZEN way.
ENTER THE CENTER!! GENERAL MERCHANDISE.
This can be overwhelming if you don't like crowds. Let me just say that the crowd has an ebb and flow. People congregate at the entrances . Don't turn back. Something has your name on it! (You know, the famous "It!") This area runs north-south. Vendors have their same locations, year after year. I walk the aisles east - west. Sometimes I just have to get out of the fray and I head for the far end, then I work my way back. If I spot something I like, I talk price with the dealer. If we can't find a common ground, and I can let it go, I move on. I may come back later.
The center section is probably the most popular. This is people watching area. On one of my very first visits I say Tory & Dean shopping the furniture area at the southern end. A red wagon, filled to the brim, was in tow. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC was filming that same day.
Furniture and furnishings are in abundance. I've purchased one black bamboo accent chair here. The seat fabric provided the palate for my living room decor. For $75 it was well worth every penny. I've seen an $8000 armorie going for $500 cash. Dishes of every period, pillows, purses, china, California pottery....you name it, it's here. The thing to remember is that most of the items come from west of the Rockies so New England items are rare.
VINTAGE CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES.
The bridge across the LA River (stream) takes you to the western side. This is the area for fans of vintage clothes and jewelry. One hot day in September, I purchased a new pair of hand made deerskin & rabbit fur boots. Original price: $380. I paid $60. It's a beautiful thing when the "spoils" are your size! ( I wore them to an Academy Award party in the Hollywood Hills. Went as Sonia Heine.) This is where LA shops for cut off jeans, Pendelton, t- shirts, crinolines, and just about anything deemed vintage. Jewelry is more costume then fine estate. A recent purchase of three pieces, including a Jessica Kagan Cushman bracelet, for $20 was a late mid-afternoon find. My friend has a Pendelton closet and snagged a full length cape for $15.
FOREIGN BUYERS.
It's only natural that an event as well known as The Rose Bowl Swap Meet would attract a world wide audience. To accommodate their transport needs, international shippers are on the premises to arrange for container shipping.
MANAGING THE MEET
I believe in doing a fast walk in a systematic manner. It helps to get a lay of the land. Sometimes a booth just calls to me. Others, I glance and keep going. This is a process that comes with practice and trusting one's instincts. If you stop and shop everything, you won't make a dent into what's awaiting.
The important thing is to have fun while you hunt for that treasure. The Rose Bowl Swap Meet offers plenty for everyone.
The Rose Bowl Swap Meet is sponsored by R.G. Canning Attractions.
"Try this potato taco." ( A bit of Spanish seeps into the more traditional Mexican fare.)
A huge platter of Huevos Rancheros con Chile Verde arrived. Heaped with richly flavored rice, homemade beans(made with salt pork,) three eggs (cooked in butter,) pork and Verde sauce, this was enough to feed three followed by a run around the Rose Bowl. As a friend likes to remind me, this wouldn't be allowed in Beverly Hills! But an indulgence into this freshly made food with no preservatives, is actually healthy...in moderation. Shared by two, there was left overs. Tavo is very generous with his portions.
The most popular dish is Chile Verde. Big chunks of tender, roasted pork in a fresh, homemade ranchera sauce. Served with rice and beans. Pork, chicken and beef are staples in Mexican cuisine. You can't go wrong with any combination. Because my palate tends towards seafood, my favorites are the crab meat enchilada, shrimp taco, and fish taco. The seafood is always fresh: crab meat very mild and shrimp are sweet. The sauces are delicate as not to overpower the seafood. Recently I tried the Carnitas (pork) salad substituted with shrimp. Perfection and again, enough for two.
