Californivacation Part 2
I’ve got my parts mixed up. This is actually the third part of my series of Los Angeles-based blog parts but I was tired from a full day of wandering around and my brain was very tired. Today has been just as action-packed so I’m too lazy to go back and edit the previous post.
Anyway, it has long been a dream of mine to go the the Rose Bowl Flea Market, but the timing didn’t work out for this trip. And given the geographical reality that LA is really spread out and the temperatures are super hot, hitting up thrift shops also looked out of the question.
And, whilst on a trip to get a portable charger (I left both of my backups in Toronto), Mr. Andrew spotted a sign for an estate sale. It was on a street known for its post war bungalows. The family had lived there since s the 1960s and it had a real time capsule feeling (yes, we got to go inside!).
Somebody bought this vintage Volkswagen Rabbit pick up from the 1980s. Imagine buying a car at an estate/yard sale!
The story was that the house had belonged to Walter and Nina Kurtz. He was an American GI stationed in Italy where he met Nina and brought her to America. They originally lived in Chicago where their sons Wayne and Pee Wee were born. The family eventually came to California and the little house in West Hollywood. It seemed to be mostly Nina’s house. The neighbors who were helping out with the sale said she was very proud of the place. Based on the objects on sale, she was very stylish as well.
I adored the flocked wallpaper.
(Sorry about the double photo—again, I’m too tired to figure out went wrong).
Nina and Wayne.
I had to bring a part of this story home with me so I bought a vintage silk Jacqmar zebra-print scarf, two pairs of dangly earrings, a miniature Stanhope showing Pope Pious and the Vatican, two fountain pens, a cool eyeglasses case and a 1980s Casio watch. I then spent the next two days looking for a place that sold watch batteries so I could see if it still worked. It did!
What I learned was that Hollywood estate sales are the best. I was no longer sad that I missed the Rosebowl Flea because this event satisfied my need to dig for treasure AND this entire trove cost only $8 and came with an amazing story.