I bit the bullet and went to the Rose Bowl, solo

After an overwhelming response to my post in "events" about hitting the Rose Bowl Flea Market(0 responses) I went, hangover and all with my son. We got there at about 11:00 to a parking spot right up front! I put my blinders on and went looking for the tiki items I wish to add to my collection.
I didn't find any of those. But I did find tons of expensive crap. You have no idea how much all your stuff is worth! Most tiki mugs had above ebay prices and were common at that. The rarest mug I found was that two handled Budweiser tiki-nicely priced at $175.00. I passed! Many sellers of Hawaiiana and tiki had new Tiki Farm mugs mixed in with few vintage pieces, so beware and do your research if you plan on hitting this sale.
Having given up on finding my wanted items I did some end of the day bargains. I got this very lamp (you all knew I had to get a lamp)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4056&item=753404820
but I only paid $12.00 and I think mine is more of a lime green. This will go well with all my other swags just like this. I also got one of those shell plant hangers (sometimes made into lamps) for $5.00. I got a some non-tiki bargains too. My son hit every Hot Wheels stand and charmed his way into a few freebie toys at closing.
I have to say the hangover helped because I didn't have the energy to bargain on things I really didn't need so I saved a lot of dough.
Now it's off to Bahooka with my buddy Keith. I'm going on with my plan as posted. Ha, Ha

dig the lamp!, but lamps are a hard thing to"stash" around the apt. how many full size lamps do you have?

I decided to go at the last minute and it was too late to get in touch with any TCers by then. I just hoped I'd run into you!

I got there at about 9:30. There was this ceramic fish that you are supposed to hang on the wall and you can put cut flowers in it. It was very fifties and cute. The lady said, 'They are going on ebay for $125.00, so I think $70.00 is fair. I just gave her a blank look and kept walking. This sort of ebay hubris was everywhere.

I noticed that the booths immediately surrounding the Rose Bowl (the tunnel access areas) had vendors selling mostly new things and I got some cool stuff for dirt cheap. Once I moved to the parking lot next to the Rose Bowl, I saw all the one-of-a-kind vintage stuff and had a blast looking through acres of it. But I have to say that the vintage section didn't seem to be bargain city!

While E-bay can be great, I think that it is really killing the prices at thrift stores and swap meets. I went to the Swapmeet in HB on Saturday and found a fez complete with hat box and they were asking twenty bucks for it. I figured that that is what I'd pay on e-bay anyway so I picked it up. If it wasn't for e-bay, would they have know what they had. I don't think so. Vendors can research very easily now on the internet as to what they have and what it's worth. It's a crying shame for those of us that like the thrill of the hunt.

Now if I can just find a monkey on ebay to wear the fez. They do sell live animals on e-bay, right?

Spike

[ Edited by: Luckydesigns on 2003-01-13 15:12 ]

MIB Fezzes are only $20? I thought it would be twice that much. Unless of course it was a little pet fez...

I'm sorry, Lucky, I have to absolutely disagree with you. First, I have learned so much by looking and shopping on ebay for about 3 years. I've been able to buy things I had been searching for in several states and hundreds of antique malls. How many times have you found an item and raced home to check ebay for prices? Just as many times I have thought "I can find that for 1/3 the price on ebay." Also when you may miss or be out bid on something it WILL show up again. That was the case with one of my beachcomber lamp finds I got out bid on in the summer. Like they say, "even the Hope Diamond shows up on ebay twice a year." It is a priceless tool.

When I went to the Rose Bowl a few years ago, it was just as expensive. The trick is finding that needle in the haystack (probably why I don't go often). Plus, on ebay, I wouldn't have to go past every other booth selling "Shabby Chic" junk and enough flowery crap to make you vomit! I think the next time I go to the Rose Bowl it will be to make insurance videos documenting all the prices on tiki and Hawaiiana.

I feel the change in the antique market happened with all the shows like "Antique Road Show","The Incureable Collector", etc. Things are only worth what someone will pay for them, anywhere.You can allways adhere to my brother-in-laws philosophy, "The only thing worth collecting is dollar bills" (He's a CFO)

[ Edited by: laney on 2003-01-13 16:50 ]

[ Edited by: laney on 2003-01-13 16:52 ]

It's hard to believe that ebay hasn't had a strong influence of the way antiques and collectibles are traded. Those collecting shows may have have raised the awareness of sellers, but ebay informs and even helps establish values just about anything you can think of.

I LOVE that Shabby Chic, btw.

Oh, EBay is an incredible influence. But it's just as positive as negative. Funny, many people are under the misconception that everything costs more on there. Not true. I have gotten--and given, sigh--incredible bargains.

What I hate is when sellers at flea markets--many of whom, I'm sure, have never listed on EBay--use EBay as a buzzword threat, like Floratina experienced. Last time someone did that to me, I looked him right in the eye, smiled sweetly and said: "well, gee, I guess you'll just hafta go ahead and list it, then!" Grrr.

But that sort of thing is just another ploy in the flea market vendor arsenal, really.

I don't know about EBay ruining thrift stores. It's probably partly responsible, but I think "Antiques Roadshow" IS worse, 'cause it's easier to watch that than it is to get your act together and sell on EBay. And that demmed show makes people think that EVERY OLD PIECE OF JUNK is priceless...an attitude that swiftly infected thrift stores, to our detriment. The decline of Salvation Army is a heartbreaking example. Sheesh, the greed.

Plus which, the sad truth is that the generations that produced most of the stuff all of us love is, well, passing away. Eventually, what we will find in thrift stores will be mostly crap from the eighties on up, just because that's how it is. SO let's get it all while we can!!! SHOP!!! heh, I just got a great beaded sweater for five bucks today. NEVER find tikis, though...

By the way, I've heard before that the Rose Bowl is outrageously expensive. Those of you with a traveling jones, come up here for the next Alameda Point. I still find some very good deals there.