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A Guide To Visit The Rose Bowl Flea Market

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Let’s talk about vintage obsession today – not about politics, ok?

When I say my house was 70% built at the Rose Bowl, I mean it.

My house is filled with old scores I have been collecting throughout the years. Thrift stores, estate sales, flea markets…they are all part of my hunting routine, because I am a hunter and a hoarder… but don’t tell that to George because in our relationship HE is labeled as the hoarder.

In LA,  the Rose Bowl Flea Market is my usual vintage destination because it is one of the ultimate flea markets in the country. Famous beyond boundaries, filled with amazing pieces, and heaven for vintage collectors.

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As good as the Rose Bowl is, there is one problem and that is $$$. You don’t go to the Rose Bowl Flea Market to score a great deal. You go to the Rose Bowl to find beautiful things that others scored at a great deal. Scoring a great deal is hard work, folks. It takes time and effort and a LOT of trips to estate sales, so, if you don’t want to spend that time and effort to find beautiful things for your household, you can go to the Rose Bowl where it is all layout for you in a beautiful, easy, and pricey way.

I take my trips to the Rose Bowl very seriously. I get there early morning – 7am -. I start from the top. Focus. Go vendor to vendor (I already have my favorites). Get out of there by 10am.

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Early bird is my middle name and  I recommend it is yours, too. After 10am it gets SO crowded and hot! It is hard to walk, bargain, and appreciate the beautiful pieces. On the other hand, if you want to get a good discount, it is better to be the last one standing, so it is up to you.

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Here are some tips if you are planning to visit the Rose Bowl:

  • Get there early. 7 am is the time I like to get there. It costs $15 to get in (after 9am it only costs $9). Vendors are setting up, the place is not crowded, and there is plenty of parking.
  • Finding parking is easy early morning. I have my favorite parking place right in front of the Exit doors. If you park on the grass, make sure you memorize some kind of landmark near your car. I have seen too many people get completely lost trying to find their cars on that grass. Beware!
  • Bring cash! Withdrawing money from an ATM on site costs $5, so there you go. Don’t do it.
  • Asking for a 10% discount when bargaining is the reasonable amount. Always ask for that discount, not much more than that.
  • Take a cart. This is major for me. It is hard to go around the market with a bunch of stuff in your hands. Another option is to ask vendors to keep your purchases with them until you decide to leave later, but this is such a big flea market that finding the same vendor again is not your easiest choice.
  • Do not be discouraged if it is raining. Rainy days are the BEST days to go to the Rose Bowl. There are not as many vendors, true, but what you see gets sold CHEAP! Best deals I have ever had at the RBFM happened during rainy days.

rose-bowl-13 rose-bowl-7rose-bowl-10Rose Bowl General Information 

Opens the 2nd Sunday of each month

Schedule: 5am-4:30pm – Ticket office closes at 3pm – most vendors start leaving at this time too.

Regular admission starts at 9am: $9.00 per person. Children under 12 are admitted free with an adult.

Express admission from 8:00am – 9:00am at $12.00 per person

Early admission from 7:00am – 8:00am: $15.00 per person.

Special preview VIP admission from 5:00am – 7:00am: $20.00 per person.

Free parking.

No pets allowed

Food and beverages available on site.

 

Let me know if you have any questions or need any tips. I am happy to answer anything you want!

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One Room Challenge – Week 3 – Vintage Decor

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Hey Interior Design aficionados! If you read this blog once in a while, or follow me on social media, you know that I have been working on the One Room Challenge situation – the challenge for bloggers that Linda from Calling it Home hosts twice a year.

I almost didn’t enter this time because how could I possibly make the time (and the money) to change one of the many rooms at my place that need fixing! Then I came out with the brilliant idea of focusing on a vignette of my living room. A space that is in desperate need of an upgrade. (Here is Week 1 and Week 2 of the challenge).

Paint will be my main tool (I am creating a mural, in case you didn’t know), but, in the mix, I also need (WANT, HAVE TO HAVE) vintage articles, because life is soulless without history and a room is sad without at least one vintage piece – although, in my book, you need more like 20 or 30.

I went to the Rose Bowl last week in search of goodies. Why is this flea market SO AWESOME!?? Every corner has a beauty. Every stand has something worth stopping for. It fills my soul with vintage happiness. I will be writing a post about it soon because I have been to the Rose Bowl so many freaking times, I might as well write a post about it, don’t you think? Stay tuned. Useless to say, the trip was VERY successful and I bought my share of unique, crazy, gorgeous things, because I am a thing hoarder.

But then, perusing my Pinterest feed and my older posts, I found some amazing ideas and decor that I want to try to emulate.  The image above this post is one of them. Here is the other one (BTW, if you don’t follow my Pinterest account, please do so here! I am working hard on getting my stats and followers up on that app. It might just work. We will see):

jestcafe-com-vintage-portraits-frontSeeing these photos has given me the idea of hanging old vintage portraits in front of the mural. Which ones you might ask?

A couple of months ago, I got these two painting from my dad. They have been in our family for as long as I can remember.vintage decor 11vintage decor 6

They are not in perfect condition, but they are PERFECT in my heart! And living room! I want to place them in front of the mural, in some strategic spot that stresses the dichotomy between old and modern. and that shows the awesomeness of seeing two opposites in the same space. It is unpredictable and risky. Let’s see if it works!

Other pieces I am considering using are the following (all of them purchased through long years of thrifting and shifting)

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These theater chairs are close to my heart because George got them for me as a Christmas gift. They are the best gift anybody has ever given me, which is a little bit weird to say because George is not the best gift giver, but with these ones he got a million points that will serve him for years to come. I wonder if I should finish them again, though. Probably yes, don’t you think?

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This vintage mannequin is something else, don’t you think? I saw it at a thrift store and RUN for it… I NEEDED TO HAVE IT. I asked for the price, then requested a discount, paid for it, and left the establishment with a grin. This is NOT how most of my trips to thrift stores go. Usually, they are a humongous disappointment, but not that time my friends, not that time.

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This lectern also comes via my daddy.
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This lamp was $15 at a thrift store. It didn’t work when I bought it but my personal handyman fixed it. I really like it. It can be adjusted to different heights and it has that cute knob to turn it on. It is from the 60s or 70s.

This weekend I am going to finalize the design for the mural and will start painting soon. Wish me luck and wisdom.

Thanks for stopping by! I really appreciate it.

Image 1 via Carla Aston/ Image 2 via Anthropologie

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