Takes fleas

No, not on the Vega Dog.



Flea markets.



I know what your first thought is....AJ....there are flea markets everywhere. True. But L.A. couldn't possibly do things without its own special flair.



True, your run of the mill yard sales occur here every weekend. But on one special Sunday a month, the yard sale puts on its L.A. best and heads for Pasadena to take over the Rose Bowl on a grand scale.



I can hear you now - 'we have flea markets here too!'



Oh yeah? How much do your fleas cost? Everything has a premium here. Ours even charges early bird admission for the real thrill seekers.



Does your sell $5000 Rolex watches?



Do people wear tuxedos to yours????



No? Then come to L.A. for the show.



Pay your $8 and you, too, can stroll miles of....uh....stuff. The website claims "Name the item and the Rose Bowl Flea Market is bound to have it." This is no understatement. You can buy all of someone else's unwanted treasure you want. Housewares, jewelry, vinyl records, old furniture, antiques, 'vintage clothing' you could wear to a costume party and 'vintage bikes' that might not get you down the block (banana seat, anyone?). Arts and crafts of every variety - candles, soap, jewelry, art - and creative inventions such as the football helmet dog beds, customizable to any team. And who has a marshmallow thrower on their Christmas list?



You can linger by the resellers of antiques such as Hummels and old Playboy Magazines, and brand new items such as the skin we picked up for my blackberry or any variety of socks you could possibly want.



Not impressed yet? What about the Rolex's, you ask? Yes, indeed, you can drop serious cash at this rummage sale on gorgeous, real watches. Rolex. Omega. Cartier. Vintage Mickey Mouse. Pocket watches and grandfather clocks.



Okay...high end watches...what else? Does your flea market have articles from movie sets? No? Well, come to Pasadena and you too can own the stools used by John Goodman in the live action Flintstones movie. Or perhaps one of Dracula's coffins. (To be pulled out as the guest room bed the next time an unwanted in-law drops in.) If you have ever wondered what happened to old stage sets, you might want to check out our little (you know....only 2,500 vendors) rummage sale where you, too, can buy furniture that looks like it walked off a Jetson's set or out of the Brady Bunch house. You could re-create an entire bowling alley from just one of the vendors (or have a lovely pair of bowling shoes for every family member at your next reunion).



Doesn't that sound like something people would wear tuxedos to shop for? Okay, maybe not the WHOLE tux...only the white coat. With tails. Over his white half shirt. And white cut off jean shorts. It's truly an upscale affair. Have a beer as you stroll among the treasures - who cares if it's 10 a.m.? You need something to wash down the kettle corn.



Now, don't worry if you didn't pack your tux...you can buy a vintage one at the market. Lace and all. What color would you like? How about sea foam green? It will blend right in with the entire bedroom set of the same color that is available. Not the right blue for your decor, you say? How about the set of four (still attached) royal blue theater seats....removed when cup holders became all the rage. Didn't you want those for your breakfast nook?



If you're not in the mood to buy (or not in the market for swords from the set of Kung Fu theater or the hand claw a la He-Man villian Skeletor), you'll still have entertainment value for the price of your admission. You can star watch. According to the website, big stars shop there. We didn't see any of famous people we could identify (they must have paid for the early bird special), but we did see people looking to be discovered. The people-watching rivals Venice Beach. In addition to Mr. Tux, there was a lady selling vintage clothes modeling some of her wares looking like Lucille Ball. Then there was the train guy riding a scooter, decked out like a train, complete with whistle and caboose. He stopped at any and all vendors offering trains and inspected their wares. And the guy who had a motorized cooler on wheels, complete with bar taps front and back, never far away from his favorite brew. And if the woman head to toe in a Solid Gold Dancer costume makes you nostalgic, you can pick up one of your grade school lunch boxes - Peanuts anyone? - or Rainbow Bright dolls. A Care Bear. Or Papa Smurf. Or Strawberry Shortcake (10 points if you can name the villian!). Or an Ewok Village set. Or the Star Wars Pez dispenser set.



So the next time you're in the market for...well, anything....take a look around and ask yourself..."wouldn't the dragon head coffee table look fantastic in my living room?"...and remember, it's what's helping us Survive L.A.

P.S. for those still racking their brains: The Purple Pieman