The second Sunday of every month is my favorite day for shopping because the Rose Bowl Flea rolls into Pasadena and brings out the best flea market finds and local artists selling the fruit of their hard work.
Before we moved to Los Angeles I’d see this awesome antiquing extravaganza often on Flea Market Flip and died a little inside that I hadn’t had the chance to visit.
Now, it’s a monthly occurrence!
This past Sunday was our best Rose Bowl Flea yet! We perused the sea of goods and came out with some new art for the house, a vintage 1970s shirt for me, and an amazing lamp handmade from an old theater speaker. Pieces like this help make our house feel like home and I love having a story behind it.
If you’re interested in visiting the Rose Bowl Flea or a similar market, I have some tips for you to give a whirl!
Get In the Mood
I’m a playlist kind of gal… I swear I have one for everything. Road trips, in-flight calming, focus for work — I even had one for the day I gave birth! When I’m on the hunt for goods, I typically like the ’70s feel, so it only makes sense that I’m blasting tunes from the likes of Paul Simon, Carole King, and David Bowie. Maybe that’s what was on my mind when we selected a piece of art for our bedroom featuring Bowie!
Make a Game of It
Sometimes we get creative by thinking up crazy items we’d like to find, like a leg lamp from The Christmas Story or an old, tattered book with a handwritten note inside, even if we have no interest in buying. It’s a fun little scavenger hunt that keeps us on our toes and usually results in a few bargains filling up our trunk.
Stay Hydrated
We always make sure to pack a cooler bag filled with healthy snacks and cool drinks. It is h-o-t when you’re pounding the pavement looking for treasure and it’s nowhere near as fun in the first aid tent getting treated for dehydration. This time around we brought Perrier in their new strawberry flavor that we bought the night before at Target (I recently vowed to try after falling for the watermelon version, both new this year!), some fruit, and splurged for sorbet for Fox. It was so refreshing and summery — 10/10 would bring again!
Don’t Be Afraid to Haggle
It really doesn’t hurt to ask, especially if you’re buying multiple items from the same seller. Oftentimes the seller is aware that they will encounter a someone asking for a discount and items are marked accordingly. We received a discount on each item we purchased with the exception of the lamp, which was already such a great deal that we took it for face value and ran!
Set a Budget
When you’re getting good deals left and right, it’s easy to forget how much it adds up. We make it a habit to take out a certain amount of cash and refuse to go over that limit. No additional ATM trips are made no matter what!
I hope these tips help you on your next trip to the flea market!
What will you be searching for next time?
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