As our brand and product line evolves we are looking to get the word out and start selling! We’d like to try IRL pop-up markets as this seems like a fantastic way to meet the public and start getting feedback. My good friend and colleague Monique Good (of Vintage Valise) and I decided to team up for a collab to create the best shopping experience for our customers. This weekend we visited the Rose Bowl Flea market on a reconnaissance mission to get the vibe and see if we might like to sell there.
If you are thinking about being a vendor or are curious about the market as a buyer here’s what we discovered:
- Come early! Parking was mayhem when we arrived at 10am. We ended up parking up the hill which was fine on the way in but a hassle carrying our haul back to the cars. Plus if you come early you get first pick! There is even a VIP ticket option for serious buyers.
- It is huge! There are 2500+ vendors! It surrounds the Rose Bowl stadium and then some. We only made it through about 1/4 of it. We were on a specific mission to check out the vintage section and to understand what the sites were like and how people sent up their booths (more on that later!) so we didn’t even make it to the arts and crafts section way at the back.
- Even if you are a vendor you will shop! There’s so much cool one-of-a-kind vintage and retro items it’s impossible to resist. I made it out with a sequined sparkly top, a framed photo from my home town in of Lancaster PA and some gorgeous large half clam shells. Monique got an amazing haul of vintage clothes.
- Bring a cart! Which brings me to the next challenge (after parking). Remember to bring a cart so you have a way to carry your haul. It was quite cumbersome lugging around a bunch of heavy, breakable shells. The kind vender Monique got her clothes form held on to it for her, but we still had to lug all that all the way to the cars parks a ways away.
As a potential vendor this market looks like a lot of fun. I love the festive vibe. There is a huge variety from $5 clothes tossed on the ground to pick through, to carefully curated and well displayed shops. Monique and I would like to go on the curated side and are tossing around ideas for an amazing display you won’t want to miss.
Here are some of our favorite vendors with awesome merch and cool setups:
Have you been to the Rose Bowl Flea Market as a shopper or vendor? What was your experience? Share your tips for a great buying or selling experience in the comments.