Please be sure to read our 2010 review of this event.

This event is held twice yearly at the school in Pacifica at 1030  Linda Mar Blvd. 
Here it is, people.  If canopies could talk - "I'm so tired."  It was around 1:30pm and I was sitting toward the back of the canopy.  I looked to the right and saw the canopy begin to lean toward my left.  I quickly stood up and reached over with my right arm and pushed up against the leg.  Too late.  "Bye bye Balboni."  Almost "Bye-bye Dave."  I couldn't stop it and I then 'moon-walked' quickly away as it narrowly avoided crashing into me.  I couldn't believe what just happened.  Fortunately, there was nobody around in or next to the canopy.  Ah hem.... show wasn't much crowded. It would have been neat to have a video of it coming down.  I should call NASA and have them check their satellite spy footage. First of all, a word from our sponsor. Caravan Canopies and then we shall move on to our usual review.
 


October 10

We left Hayward around 6:00am and arrived at Alma Heights Christian Academy around 6:45, just before the break of day.  We had taken Highway 280 to Hickey Blvd.  It was still quite dark and we decided to go up and over on Hickey.  This brought back many memories of the seven months we lived there back in 1981.  For seven months, we put up with thick layers of fog morning, noon and night.  Not much fog this time, just clouds and darkness. 

The Review:  This event was held at the Alma Heights Christian Academy in the middle-class Linda Mar section of Pacifica.  This semi-annual festival had around 100 vendors, most of whom were selling typical flea-market items, commonly referred to as jay-you-en-kay  recognized by vendors as JUNK. (no offense-all items for sale are referred to as being either antique, junk, hand-made or re-sale) Many household goods spotted throughout the spaces along with older items which some considered to be 'antique.'  Small crowd in the morning and not much better during the PM when the sun peaked its way through the layer of clouds.  Slow sales for virtually everybody including the dollar dandies.  There were a number of 'street fair' vendors who filled in this slow weekend with this flea market and apparently did not 'fair' very well. Many did not want to pay the high booth fees over in Riverbank and thought they could pull a better 'net profit' here.

A flea market, that's all it is and you categorize it below the quality of DeAnza over in Cooper-Tino. (joke).  Just another occasion for the locals to do their semi-annual closet cleaning.  This appears to be a nice fundraiser for the Academy and thy did no wrong and they were indeed, Godly.  They were excellent, but the amount of advertising could come into question.  I didn't notice any signs down on the 'ONE.'  I understand that they have had great attendance in past years.  Various 'components' of the school's student body solicited fudge, flags, etc., throughout the event.  Could have used more food booths.  Maybe a nice pancake breakfast would work for these people and get them to the event earlier in the day.  I guess a lot of people would just rather spend the day walking their dogs; saw quite a number today.  Fact:  The people in Pacifica are much healthier-looking than what I observed last weekend in Manteca.  Got to stop spending all day at El Slobbo's eating tacos and bo-reet-toes.

We went all the way down Monterey St. and crossed over the Highway and drove farther down and got on the Pacific Coast Highway through Pacifica down to Linda Mar Blvd.  Turned left at the small mall there and another mile or so to the school.  Just beginning to get light out and we got in line and two minutes later, we were following a teen-aged bicyclist over to our space, where we parked in the back part of our space and began setting up in the front.  The space was large, 12x33.  The weather was a bit on the cool side with much cloudiness.

GOOD FRIENDS OF MINE SHOWN JUST BELOW.  On the left is Rick, who sells a good number of 49er photos, etc. along with other movie-related items.  On the right is Doug, whom I have known for many years and run into him 4-5 times during a given year.  He sells licensed ball caps and jerseys along with other items such as straw hats, etc.


 
THE MORNING CROWDS WERE very light and didn't pick up until the early part of the afternoon.  Slow sales until after 11:00. 

My wife came with me during the morning, but she wasn't feeling well and retreated back over to the van and sat down and covered herself with a blanket while I continued setting up.  It took a little while longer, but you gotta do whatcha gotta do.  I decided to call my daughter to come over and pick up my wife and bring her home and since my son didn't mind helping out, he came along and we traded bodies.

Here's some shots of other vendors and flea-market goers.  I saw a number of vendors that reminded me of Tyson Wells.  Some were selling household goods straight out of the cartons, just like I have seen out there in Arizona.  I guess that there were around 100-110 vendors spread out through perhaps 9 rows.

  

    

My canopy collapsed around 1:30.  Not sure of the time.  I was very surprised by this.  I imagine that it was quite a sight for other's to see.  I would look at them and tell them 'COSTCO canopy' and begin laughing.  What am I going to do?  Cry?  Just can't believe something like this would ever happen to me.  There was no wind either.  The canopy just fell over.  These aluminum and plastic COSTCO canopies are nothing more than a piece of shit.  The pictures tell a story.

I HAD JUST RETURNED FROM A VISIT with a number of friends, including a trip to the toilets, which were quite some distance away.  I sat down on the chair and my son got up to go walk around; perhaps getting something to eat.  Five minutes later came the collapse of the canopy.

SO, WITH THIS BIG MESS ON THE GROUND, people were still walking over to look at my things, which were scattered all over the place.  Took quite a while to sort things out.  I had a middle-aged couple stop by and help me pick up the mess until my son came back about 20 minutes later.  I thanked them very much for helping me out.  Very nice of them.

FOOD.  Very little food around.  Kettle Korn.  Hot dogs.  Some ice cream and a Bake Sale.  That's about it.  Looked like they all were part of the school.

People were flocking to my booth and I picked up some sales.  I had a nice and neat display of our bags, hats, etc. before this and we weren't getting good traffic flow.  People were looking for the dollar items along with some of the antique type of stuff.  If you are selling new things like us, forget it.  Nobody buys it.  They want junk and that's what this place has a lot of.  Maybe next time I do a flea market, I'm just going to dump everything on the ground and let the scavenger's roost.  Why waste my time with neat, arranged set-ups?  Know what I mean?  FLEA MARKET MENTALITY:  If they think there's a bargain in the mess, they will rummage through it.

They loved going  through my things on the ground.  Honestly, some of these FMM's thought that this was my regular setup.  They couldn't comprehend that my entire display had toppled over.  I guess that's the way you have to sell your things.  Just throw everything in piles all over the place and the people will buy.  Maybe they thought that I had cleaned out my closet like half of the other people selling here did.

                       Here's some recent reviews you might like to read

 
        

                               THE LIGHTER SIDE
A not -too-serious way to look at this week's festival; not to be taken seriously





 








DandL CREATIONS