The streets of Pasadena were quiet and empty Sunday morning as it seems everyone was at this month’s renowned Rose Bowl Flea Market. Treasure hunters and bargain lover from all over Los Angeles flocked to the stadium despite the scorching hot weather. The market place opens its gates to buyers and sellers every second Sunday of the month and the event attracts people of all ages.
Featuring over 2,500 vendors, this famous flea market attracts 20,000 buyers every month. There were tons of antiques, vintage clothing, handmade arts and crafts, and new merchandise to browse and shop around for but it was certain that two lingering trends of 2016 took over this month’s swap meet. As you walk around the circling path just outside the stadium, there were an abundance of booths carrying jewelry and plants, more specifically, choker necklaces and succulents.
The 90s are back and strangling the necks of teenage girls while the rest of us have to relive the nightmare of the “choker” necklace. What once was a fashion travesty became this year’s must-have accessory. It was apparent when anyone walked over any of the numerous jewelry booths. The tables were filled with chokers of different colors, styles, and materials. The new fashion trend attracted a lot of young, teenage girls to the scene as they bargained for cute but cheap necklaces to sport for the fall season.
“I’ve been making and selling my jewelry at the Rose Bowl since 2012 and recently added chokers to my collection this summer because they’re what’s selling right now. They came in fashion again at least two times before and now they’ve circled their way back,” seller Alicia Kee said.
Another trend that was noticeably popular was everyone’s love for cacti and succulents. Anyone observing these plant plastered booths could see that they were flying off the tables. There were tons of different succulents, from all different shapes and sizes surrounded by buyers desperately snatching at their leaves to get the healthiest-looking one.
“I’ve been growing cactus and succulents my whole life and it’s never been as popular as it is right now. It’s kind of the in thing now and I think the drought has a lot to do with that. People are more water conscious and they love buying them for the aesthetic and for their social media pages as well,” seller Bobby Garcia said.
Garcia’s family owns Rancho Garcia Nursery in San Diego and he mostly sells at farmer’s markets down in San Diego county, but about five months ago, he and his sister started doing bigger shows like the Rose Bowl flea market. Everything he sells at his booth is from his own personal greenhouse that he takes tends for himself.
“I love taking care of succulents and propagating them and it’s funny because growing up I really wasn’t into it, I felt it was like work to me but after college I got really interested in doing it myself,” Garcia said.
This month’s flea market brought in some charming vintage furniture, rugs, and knick knacks which attracted all the antique collectors but what was really nice was that there was also a lot of new and trending items for sale, some online fashion boutiques on display, handmade jewelry, and homegrown succulents that really attracted the young crowd and brought everyone of all ages together in the end.
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