‘Tis the Season to Shop--but It’s Off to Slow Start : County’s Malls, Swap Meet Bustle on ‘Opening’ Day
While Orange County malls absorbed the biggest crowds of the holiday season’s opening day Friday, thousands of area shoppers chose a different course, browsing for bargains at a bustling county swap meet.
Under overcast skies, shoppers from throughout the county milled among 1,200 booths and an eclectic mix of products, from Quake Ready Survival Kits to sunglasses to auto accessories.
John Stevens, 14, of Huntington Beach said he “mainly came here for the inexpensive prices.” Carrying bags in both arms, Stevens said he had “just about finished all my Christmas shopping in under two hours. . . . .This place is pretty good.”
Stevens was among the tens of thousands of shoppers to descend on the Orange County Fairgrounds, picking the sprawling swap meet as an alternative to the county’s packed shopping malls, where limited parking and traffic snarls complicated an already hectic day.
Doug Davenport, the self-proclaimed Shammy Man, said business at his booth of absorbent car towels has been “wonderful.” He said he averaged about 100 sales an hour, adding, “This place is crazy with shoppers.”
Davenport also sold his 125 copies of the farewell edition of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner for $10 each. The newspaper closed shop Nov. 2.
The swap meet extended its regular Saturday-Sunday schedule to accommodate shoppers who like to tackle their Christmas lists the day after Thanksgiving. Richard Olsson, managing director of the swap meet, said the 20-year-old, open-air market attracts a steady stream of customers who shy away from the scene at area malls. “I can’t guarantee better prices, but I can guarantee a better time,” he said.
In contrast to the easygoing atmosphere at the swap meet, area malls grappled with long lines and occasional traffic delays.
By noon, many of the malls were teeming with consumers searching for Christmas presents as well as parking spaces. Cars overflowed the South Coast Plaza mall in Costa Mesa, backing up traffic and overwhelming valet parking services. At times, the line for South Coast Plaza backed up as far as the San Diego Freeway near the Bristol Street exit, causing minor delays.
Shoppers also backed up traffic on the Santa Ana Freeway, where delays were common all day long. But the sometimes chaotic scene outside did little to dampen the enthusiasm of storekeepers who depend on the Friday after Thanksgiving to open the holiday shopping season with gusto.
“This day is unique in retailing,” Jo Qualls, vice president of the Costa Mesa Tiffany & Co., said as patrons crammed into her store. “We all wait for this day all year long. This is what makes the retail world exciting.”
