Swapping Mall Crowds for an Open-Air Market

Among last-minute Christmas shoppers, there are those who foolishly brave the malls, circling the parking lot for a space and fighting the harried hordes. And then there are the savvy shoppers who wait until the one-day Orange County Holiday Market Place.

This year’s market was held Monday in Costa Mesa. The parking was plentiful, admission was free and about 500 vendors offered everything from designer toilet seats to Rolls-Royces.

“It’s one of the few places where you can have a beer, smoke a cigar and shop,” said Jeff Teller, president of the market place.

The variety, he said, is a big part of the appeal.

About 5,000 shoppers, he said, strolled the four miles of aisles at the county fairgrounds, finding odd items as well as conventional gifts at discount prices.

“The mall is way too crowded and way too expensive,” said Nellda Espiritu of Granada Hills.

“And you can find things here that you can’t find at the mall,” she said pointing out the battery-powered puppy that does flips and turns that she bought for for $6.

The holiday market has been on the swap meet calendar for at least 15 years, Teller said, but some years it has been canceled because of rain.

But on Monday, clear skies and temperatures in the 70s beckoned shoppers.

“I wouldn’t walk into Target today if you paid me,” said Karen Quigley of Orange.

She and boyfriend George Van de Langeryt were sipping cold beers after about four hours of shopping. They were happy with their finds of Christmas plates, duffle bags for his two grandchildren and her dress for New Year’s Eve.

And it’s more than just bargains, said Teller, who’s been around the market place since he was 4, when his father, Bob, started it in 1969.

It’s also the open air and Texas-smoked brisket and sausages from Wisconsin grilled over mesquite, he said.

Some vendors were a little disappointed in the number of shoppers Monday, but since the regular swap meet on Sunday had its usual 30,000 visitors, the bottom line didn’t suffer.

“I didn’t want to come near the swap meet the last weekend before Christmas,” said JoAnn Cadiente of Garden Grove. “But today’s a breeze. You can park” and shop without bumping into someone every few seconds, she said.

Nejat Coskun of Chino Hills, who sells kitchenware, has been coming to the holiday market place for about 15 years. He shrugged as he described the turnout.

“Today is supposed to be the best, but it’s surprising,” he said, noting that the crowd was thin.

“It’s the economy,” said Nancy Sangprasit, who was energetically selling a head massager that resembles a spider with copper legs.

“More memory, more sleep, better blood circulation,” said her husband, Pas. Normally $22, holiday market price $20.

But too bad: That price expired at 4 p.m. Monday with the market’s closing. Better luck next year.