What’s in a name?

“Swap Meet” is a song off Nirvana’s album 1989 Bleach, but it didn’t make the cut in the 2009 re-release.  Ironically, that means it’s classified as “vintage vinyl”, which means you’re more likely to find it at Topanga Vintage Market, or PCC flea, or the Rose Bowl, than at your average “swap meet” .

 

Of course, a “swap meet” is actually a place where pretty much anyone can sell pretty much anything. When I was a kid, we went to swap meets and swapped stuff.  But times change. Now it’s all about creating your own tiny cash business, so lots of swap meet vendors play it safe and sell just low cost essentials – like socks.  So many, actually, that LA’s Roadium swap meet has a sign saying “No more sock vendors accepted.”

Would you buy used socks at a “flea market”?  Wikipedia says a flea market and a swap meet are pretty much the same, but I think not.  A flea market should have old stuff, hence the fleas.  Flea bitten. Worn.  Old.  Some say that the name comes from the famous Parisian outdoor markets, “les marches aux puces”, which means flea markets but sounds way better.  I bet they don’t sell many “socquettes”, but I may need to go to Paris and find out.

So why are we “Topanga Vintage Market” not “Topanga Flea Market”?

Swap meet, flea market, vintage market, antique market – it’s all good, right?  Except at Topanga Vintage Market we didn’t want new stuff, even socks.  We are junkanistas.  We wanted everything from fine to coarse, as long as it’s old.   And while hundred year old antiques are great, Lori loves mid-century glass and I happen to have a thing for all things aluminum, so we had to go with “vintage” – anything 20 years or older.  Including Nirvana.  We wanted to be really clear, cause we’re “all vintage, all the time.”

“Topanga Vintage Market” says it better than “Topanga Swap Meet” or even “Topanga Flea Market”, and we’re sticking to it.  Just don’t ask about the Topanga part.  That’s a whole ‘nother story.