Swap meets are a reflection of their communities. I’ve been around them all my life, and now more than ever, as Los Angeles continues to develop quickly, I appreciate and value them for the cultural treasures that they are. Whether I’m looking for something specific or looking to spend a weekend morning walking around to see what I can find, the swap meet is always there.
Some salt of the earth kind of shit, you know? Except with discount tube socks and all the customized car decals you can handle.
Like every other business impacted by the pandemic, swap meets, and flea markets have struggled to survive. A few of them didn’t make it and had to shut down permanently, but those still around are finding new life and thriving as people have been cleaning and digging through their stuff since we’ve been at home. And what better time to visit your favorite local pulga than in December, when the societal pressure to express your love for others through consumption is at its highest. Shopping at a swap meet this holiday season will have a more significant impact because you’ll be supporting people hustling to get by, you won’t be contributing to the backlog of cargo ships polluting the air at the ports, and you’ll find unique gifts that you can gently haggle for.