A Good Source of Secondhands Info

By CHRIS CEBALLOS

May 6, 2000 12 AM PT

SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

When people want to go secondhand shopping in Orange, the first place that comes to mind is the Circle. And though the Orange Circle at Glassell Street and Chapman Avenue does have many mall-style shops with garage-sale wares and high-end antique furniture stores, it doesn’t offer much for the practical secondhand shopper.

Just a few miles away, on North Tustin Avenue, lies a handful of secondhand specialty shops where shoppers can find something of value.

People Still Read

When David Hess and Paul Bonaventure opened the Bookman (840 N. Tustin St., [714] 538-0166) 10 years ago, the buying and selling of used books was a very different business. Then, the two would buy virtually every book brought in, and most customers were collectibles hunters.

But with the advent of Internet auction sites such as EBay, and a more selective book-buying policy, Hess said the Bookman has evolved into a home for browsers--customers who don’t know what they want, other than a good book.

“It used to be I’d have a really scarce book [at the Bookman], possibly the only copy in Southern California,” Hess said. “Now you can go on the Internet and find 20 copies of the same book.”

Hess speculates that many of the smaller used-book sellers will close their doors, finding more profitability from the reduced overhead of selling via the Internet. And while the Bookman has four computers to manage its Web site (https://www.ebookman.com), Hess said his store will never close its doors.

The Internet “is not a fad by any means, but you never know when people will get tired of buying online,” Hess said. “The one thing you can’t really do on the Internet is browse. Online you have to know what you want: title and author. And you can’t see it. You have to depend on a description. At the store, you can read a little of the book and see if you even want it.

“People are still reading and I thank God for those people,” he said. “They’re the backbone of my business.”

Hardcovers at the Bookman typically run $10 to $15, with paperbacks at half the cover price--but with a minimum price of 60 cents. The Bookman also offers paperback trading and typically offers more in-store credit than cash for used books.

The Bookman is open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday.

You Never Knew It Existed

Next door to the Bookman is another Orange County institution of sorts, Pepperland Music (850 N. Tustin St., [714] 639-0909).

Pepperland opened in 1982 in a small underdeveloped strip mall in Anaheim. Featuring rare Beatles paraphernalia, the store quickly built a steady clientele and moved to larger digs in Orange and finally to its current location in 1996. “It’s a good tie-in, having books, music, videos and things like that,” said owner Mike Lefebvre. “So it’s definitely been a plus for both places.”

Pepperland is a mecca for magic-bean hunters, being ripe with rare and unusual vinyl records, pictures, autographs, posters, videos, DVDs, cassettes, eight-tracks and, of course, CDs.

CD sales make up most of Lefebvre’s business, having a collection of new and used CDs comparable to any major chain store.

But the plus when shopping at Pepperland is the potential to find that one record you listened to a million times when you were a high school freshman and have been unable to find since your mom shoveled your junk (really treasure--but moms will never understand) into the trash while you were away.

“A lot of shoppers are conditioned and it’s a shame,” Lefebvre said. “They go to the chain stores to buy their CDs and videos, when a few miles away they could find something that they never knew existed.”

As it has for the Bookman, the Internet has changed the way Lefebvre sells collectibles. His most expensive item on the electronic auction block is an ultra-rare Beatles’ 78 rpm single featuring “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “I’ll Cry Instead.”

Lefebvre said collectors are speculating that the 10-inch vinyl record was possibly a vanity printing or an experimental printing by Capitol Records for the outdated jukeboxes that still played 78 records in Texas and the Southeast in the late 1960s and early ‘70s.

The record has yet to receive a bid at https://www.pepperlandmusic.com for its $999 starting price, but Lefebvre isn’t worried about someone snatching it up for so little.

“In the ‘80s we sold a lot of stuff that’s tough to find in this century,” Lefebvre said. “Somebody might have spent $300 for a record and now, 10 years later, they sell it for $8,000 or $10,000. It doesn’t make me jealous. It’s a success story.”

Pepperland is open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday.

Everything’s an Original

Trina Centola has been wearing vintage clothes since she graduated from junior high. Now the 21-year-old Fullerton College student has wrangled a job as a clerk at the bastion of vintage fashion, Flashbacks (463 N. Tustin St., [714] 771-4912).

Nancy Lavariere opened Flashbacks eight years ago after having owned another vintage shop--Pennylane, closer to the Orange Circle--for about 10 years.

Like its predecessor, Flashbacks sells a lot of button-down Hawaiian, western and vintage bowling shirts (from $6 to $20) and lot of vintage formal dresses (from $9 to $60).

Customers come from all walks of life, more than the standard twentysomething punks and rockabilly rockers you’d expect, Centola said.

“It’s more about style, instead of price,” Centola said, explaining the attraction of vintage clothing. “Everything is like an original. You know you’re not going to see someone walking down the street with the same outfit.”

Like the other stores on the street, Flashbacks has benefited from the Internet’s creating a virtual second business. Lavariere’s husband, Ken Waymeyer, can be found at the shop most days with his head in his laptop. “I am so buried on EBay I can barely leave the store,” Waymeyer said.

Waymeyer said a vintage Iron Maiden tour shirt can sell for $30 to $60 and Go-Go’s tour shirts have sold for as much as $150.

“We used to just sell rock shirts for six to eight bucks,” Waymeyer said. “The odds of getting somebody in the store who’s really into Heart is really rare. But on the Internet the hard-core fans can find everything they want.”

Fashion designers also make up a large part of the customer base at Flashbacks. “The guys going to the Oscars have been scrambling for ‘30s and ‘40s dresses, even if it’s ruined, just so they can make a pattern of it,” Waymeyer said. “We’ve had more up-and-coming designers in here than I can count, even [local surf labels] send their designers in here.”

Flashbacks is open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday; closed Sunday.

It Has a Unique Charm

After spending a full day searching through bins and racks and shelves on Tustin Avenue, hunger satisfaction is just a short walk away at Earl’s (807 N. Tustin St., [714] 639-8590).

With a street sign proclaiming it “The 25 Hour Restaurant,” Earl’s is different from other all-night eateries in that it isn’t part of a national chain. That, and it’s one of the last legal holdouts for those who enjoy a good cigarette with their hash browns and scrambled eggs.

The screened patio of Earl’s, with its gas-burning heaters and constantly churning fans, provides warmth through the night and cool comfort on a sunny day.

“I like Earl’s; it has its unique charm,” said Pepperland’s Lefebvre. “A lot of the local bands hang out there in the smoking area.”

Traditional American and Mexican dishes fill out the menu, and prices are comparable to other coffee shops. The large fried chicken dinner is well worth its $9 tag, though a lighter version without soup and salad is also available for $5.50.

Even in the midst of a remodeling, Earl’s has still never closed since Earl Kearney opened the doors in 1970, when Tustin was just a two-lane street. As manager Dianne Narmi said, “We never, never . . . never close.”

IF YOU GO

* Getting There: From the Costa Mesa Freeway, exit at Katella Avenue, head west and turn left onto Tustin Avenue.

* Secondhand Movies: Just north of the shops is Captain Blood’s Village Theatres (1140 N. Tustin Ave. [714] 538-3545), featuring classic films, bands, student films, theater, comedy and the inaugural Southern California Film Festival running Thursday-May 20.

* Deliciously Different: If a full dinner sounds like too much, Schlotzsky’s Deli (1632-A, E. Katella Ave., [714] 771-3696) is the master of warm deli sandwiches on toasted sourdough or wheat buns. Recommended: Any of the individual-sized pizzas or the Deluxe Original sandwich ($4.29-$5.29), loaded with ham, salami, cheddar, mozzarella, etc.

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North Tustin Street in Orange

1. The Bookman

840 N. Tustin Ave., Orange

(714) 538-0166

2. Pepperland Records

850 N. Tustin Ave., Orange

(714) 639-0909

3. Flashbacks, vintage clothes

463 N. Tustin Ave., Orange

(714) 771-4912

4. Earl’s: The 25 Hour Restuarant