A person can learn about history or different cultures by interacting with vendors who share the stories behind their collections.
Each month, the Topanga Vintage Market gives the community a wide range of antiques and oddities for all visitors to enjoy.
Vendors filled the parking lot on Sunday, selling the smallest of items, such as pins and buttons, to large, possible investments like vintage trailers.
John Miner, a market vendor, displayed an American flag above his collection of vinyl records and table of vintage buttons, toys, knives and miscellaneous americana.
“I sell half records, and half junk from the American dream. Just interesting old stuff,” Miner said.
Miner said that he loves his regular customers because they joke around and have fun, but he also enjoys being a vendor at a vintage market because it gives him the opportunity to meet younger people and educate them about the past and expand their interests past usual teenage interests.
“If somebody picks up a Grateful Dead record, I get to introduce them to a more obscure sixties group,” Miner said. “Educating teenagers can get them into new types of music that isn’t in the Top 40.”
Visitors are also likely to find themselves lost in nostalgia as the vendors take pride in their vintage collections.
Katherine Holmes, who has been a vendor at the Topanga Vintage Market for nearly four years, explained that the market is rich with nostalgia.
“You can find anything here,” Holmes said. “T-shirts from your past, something your family had when you were younger, it will bring back a lot of memories. You always find something.”
Rita Lynn, owner of Wanderlust Vintage Trailers, said that although the market focuses on vintage miscellaneous items, there are some vendors who design their stores for younger generations.
“My style of stuff is really geared toward the younger crowd, and I don’t have a huge markup, so students get great prices on really fun things,” Lynn said.
Visitors tend to find something unusual. Visitor Michael Mcquillen was excited about the unusual purchase he had just made.
“I bought this handmade, really cool, cutting board. I saw it when we first walked in, and after we did the whole loop, I came back and bought it.” Mcquillen said.
Mcquillen said that the people at the market are friendly, and he thought it was nice to meet the vendors and see families out enjoying their day.
“It’s a fun time; it’s a nice little Sunday,” Mcquillen said.
The Topanga Vintage Market will return to Pierce College on Nov. 26 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $3, however, students receive $1 off with valid ID.
View a video piece of the Topanga Vintage Market by clicking here.
***This story has been updated to include a link to a video piece of the Topanga Vintage Market***
