STYLE : DESIGN : Swap ‘Til You Drop : Everything and Maybe Even a Kitchen Sink

Old hardware, stained-glass windows and pedestal sinks. New rattan bassinets, brass hatracks and oak-framed mirrors. At local swap meets, you’ll find furniture, lighting and accessories in contemporary styles as well as collectible pieces from just about every era since the turn-of-the-century--Victorian, Craftsman, Art Deco, Depression, Streamline Moderne, ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s.

Swap meets specializing in new merchandise abound, but when it comes to collectibles, two are standouts: The Rose Bowl Flea Market and the Long Beach Outdoor Antique and Collectibles Market. Each month, designers, architects, stylists and a surprising number of celebrities arrive at dawn, looking especially for landscape paintings, pottery and unusual objets d’art , perhaps a nice shoeshine set enclosed in a wooden English bulldog or unsigned sketches of nudes from the ‘40s.

When buying at a swap meet, examine items carefully--even a dealer may not realize that an object has been damaged in transit. Expect to rewire lamps, and check tables and chairs to make sure legs are sturdy. Ask the dealer if a piece contains all of its original parts or has been rebuilt from spare parts (if so, it’s worth less).

Dealers come from as far away as San Francisco and Tucson, Ariz.; you’ll also find local store owners setting up open-air shops. Prices are good, about 20 percent less than in a retail store. Says one seller: “When I’ve brought furniture 400 miles, I’m ready to deal.” And you don’t have to wait six months for delivery--ahhhhh, instant gratification.