This weekend we stopped by the Fairfax Flea Market here in Hollywood. The market is located in the parking lot of the Fairfax High School at Fairfax and Melrose, it happens every Sunday from 9am to 6pm and not only hosts your typical used items and collectibles. Many of Hollywood's Small Businesses try out their products here or simply come to meet new clients for their regular business. Some of the other local's here including painters, fashion designers, jewelry designers, craftsmen who make shabby sheik furniture from old throw out pieces. The Fairfax Flea Market is one of 6-7 Flea Markets in the Los Angeles area. Getting a booth at one of these varies from spot to spot but they generally cost anywhere from $100-200 for a space, and some take a small percentage of your sales.
Many of the artists who take up spaces at the market end up meeting prop scouts for local studio television and film productions, some just meet each other, others meet casual foot traffic that occasionally turns into future business. One of the vendors that caught my eye was Hitch Couture. They had a chrome camper trailer converted into a mobile boutique. Now this was a brilliant idea. They must save thousands of dollars on rental space, and they can set up shop anywhere.
Hitch Couture created a niche for themselves - making them stand out from all the other vendors. By use of astroturf and plants outside the trailer, a complete changing room in the back of the trailer, rack space, and glass display boxes they were 100% in control of their atmosphere. There are roughly 80 vendors at the Flea Market, Hitch Couture got my attention by simply going a few steps further. Check out their website www.hitchcouture.com.
