MY ROSE BOWL FINDS AND EXPERIENCE:
I haven't been to the Rose Bowl flea market in a year or so and had forgotten how incredibly trendy it's become. I never thought, or have ever seen anyone dress up for a flea market but apparently I was wrong...I wore my track shoes, yoga pants, hair up in a high bun and a grey tank top(That's normal, right?).
Girls were dressed in their best vintage - hight waisted Levi shorts, sling Louis V bags, heeled cowboy boots, frilly floral sun dresses and shoulder padded sweaters.
.???.
Interior designers and design hawks could be spotted a mile away and the vendors who knew they'd be there flock to this apparent cash cow, monthly event to soak them dry.
It seemed that most of the vendors were collectors themselves, buy and restore vintage pieces to sell or know exactly what pieces (treasures) they're selling and exactly what to price them as.
This all makes it really difficult to score on a great piece!
...
Pictured below, a shag seated, gold bamboo legged vanity stool immediately stood out to me. I SO wanted to get my hands on it, replace the horendus orange shag with white or cream shag-like material and make it my new desk chair. I asked the vendor how much he was asking for it and was shocked when he said that he wouldn't take less than $150. Yes, it's an adorable little piece of retro and I would have loved it but this is a
FLEA MARKET. COMMON.
Next, as many of you know, I'm looking for a cow hide rug. A vendor had a few, one of which was the prefect size and color. His price was $250. I WAS SHOCKED and I'm not going to lie, irratated. Ikea is selling them for $200, new. How on earth did he think I was going to hand over $250 for a USED rug, which I would have to have professionally cleaned as well?
All and all, I most likely will not be going back to the Rose Bowl as often as I thought I would have to start collecting for my home. I've had MUCH better luck at thrift stores and estate sales.
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Have any CA girls out there been to the Rose Bowl in the past few years and experienced the same thing? Which flea markets do you have better luck with?
P.S.
LOOOOOOK at this super, extra, over the top, gorgeous, XL Goyard trunk. I didn't even ask the price. But its fabulousness nearly brought me to tears ;)
MY TWO FINDS:
This mirrored framed print from the 40s or 50s.
It's all original, and not only do I love Cockatoos, but it was in it's beautiful and original mirrored frame. The colors are perfect, and not at all faded!
Luckily I caught this vendor as she was packing up for the day and asked her price. She told me $100 but would do $70 because it was the end of her day. She wouldn't take $50 but I really wanted it and knew it would fit perfectly in my home so I gave her the asking price.
.ugh.
But I LOVE it and it really looks amazing above my couch.
I LOVE vintage Pyrex storage and cookware from the 60s and have a few pieces. They're durable, pretty, multi- functional and Tupperware is SO ugly in comparison.
The key is to find ones with the original lids. Ones without lids can be found for a couple dollars, but who wants something with a missing lid? Here is just another example of how marked up everything is at the Rose Bowl...
Both pieces above are from the same brand, with original lids and aprox. the same size. I purchased the one on the left for $1 at an estate sale and I purchased the one right at the Rose Bowl for $10.
I had to have it though.....They look adorable together and even though $10 was more than I should have paid, it was still inexpensive.
