Every ol’ second sunday of the month comes a magical time where enough racks and piles of vintage clothes and antique goodies to fulfill my wildest dreams can be found at the Rose Bowl Flea Market. I’ve been going to the Rose Bowl  with my mom since my middle school years and since then I’ve acquired sum trinkets of wisdom on what to look for, how to prepare and most generally how TO “Rose Bowl Flea Market” that I shall share with you.

The number one key to successful flea marketing and vintage shopping is being PATIENT and THOROUGH:

this is the reason so many people fail to find good vintage!!! You have to look through that whole rack of funky, old t-shirts because I bet you anything the one you skipped was something you would’ve bought.

Don’t be too quick to buy something, but also don’t be too LATE!

• yes this is completely contradictory but it’s applicable: that denim jacket or that cool turquoise ring is only one of thousands lingering about in some other vendor’s collection, so don’t settle out of laziness because they’ll be tons more!
• HOWEVER: I fell in love with a typewriter a couple years ago, told the vendor I’d think about it and be back and was disappointed to return and find out that she’d sold it! If you KNOW you love something you should probs get it and not risk coming back to see dat it’s been swooped. Unless it’s some one-eyed creepy ass doll that you know isn’t wanted by any normal person shopping except yourself. Then you probably have leisure time.

Show up EARLY:

it gets hot af in the summer and busy and it’s not fun when you have to be passive aggressive towards the slow-ass lady taking 5 minutes to search that one rack of clothing you want to look at.

Wear a SKIRT or DRESS

this only applies if you’re shopping for clothes: this makes it SO easy when you want to try on five pairs of high wasted shorts in the middle of the aisle as the sketchy man selling them is looking at you out of the corner of his eye. Most vendors don’t have spots for you to change and try on clothes so if you’re in a skirt you can just slip da pants on and off underneath instead of buying something and hoping for the best!!

Bring one of those fancay lil shopping carts if you’re looking for decor items. If not, a smallish backpack so you can put your lil purchases in it.

these ladiez know wassup! outfits on fleek too- who doesn’t want a denim jacket lined with fuzzy, pink fur?

ALWAYS try to bargain but don’t try your chances too low-

ya don’t wanna offend somebody by offering 5 bucks for their fancy silk blouse!!!! c’mon now

don’t be that one dipshit who shows up with no cash-

it’s a f***in’ flea market I mean r u kidding me  

GET THE BREAKFAST BURRITO! so dank

 

So what is it you’re looking for?

Racks on racks of jean shorts?

a costume dress?

patches & pins??

glass bottles n ish??

a cute vintage phone?

dats mine ^

just ONE cowboy boot?

Bikinis and shirts with funky prints and all the gingham and checker  you could ask for??

random ass toys n cars?

Portraits of naked women?

creepy ass baby dolls??

Creepy ass baby doll faces on the boob area of a shirt?

 

a menorah?

They’ve got EVERYTHING here from vintage skis to 50’s aprons to signed records to nasty ass used, beddazzled one-piece bathing suits. 

All da hip fashion-forward folk are trottin’ around the Rosebowl huntin’ for one-of-a-kind pieces (of which there are unlimited) and scouting cool trends (or rather starting them by buying the cool pieces before they get commercialized). It’s the best place to go if you’re tryna be ahead of the game, or rather run the game.

All of my fave pieces are from the Rosebowl ! Here are a few:

It’s also an AWESOME place to buy relatively cheap vinyl of all genres and decades

The COOLEST silk reversible bomber (It’s dark blue on the other side and an embroidered Tiger on the back). I got this probably a year and a half ago and now these jackets are all da rage so clearly my point above is true; da rosebowl is ahead of the fashion gameeeee, if you have a good eye, that is

dis fun lil’ halter top gingham dress

my FAVORITE bright orange Mexican dress. It’s from the 60’s and apparently it’s rare to find em in orange

all of my pins!!!

 

 

keep livin’ & luvin’ & vintage shoppin’ & flea marketin’

~ xoxo Ali ~