Today we’d like to introduce you to Mariah & Isabella Ramirez.
Hi Mariah & Isabella, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Our story began in 2019 when a high school student pitched the idea of a flea market to her ASB coordinator. Unfortunately, it was scrapped until 2020 when two sisters with a shared love of fashion decided to sell thrifted and vintage clothing at reasonable prices to the LA area. We enjoyed meeting other small businesses when participating in flea markets and pop-ups and wanted to support them in any way we could. As we continued to become more involved in the small business community, we realized there was a need in the market not being met. We were determined to create a space for vendors to focus on their craft while we ensured all of the logistics were taken care of. Our goal for this space was to be welcoming, organized, and worry-free. To ensure this was possible, the team contacted the city, state, and our representatives met with the city school district as well. It took a year (while in the midst of a pandemic) of working side by side with Whittier High School before our vision came to life on October 16, 2021. The Uptown Flea Market hosted 42 vendors that day in the Whittier High School parking lot, and since then has hosted hundreds of amazing and talented small businesses, both local and from other parts of the county and country.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Smooth road? What’s that? Within our first few months alone, Uptown Flea’s team faced mini tornados (literal tornados) hitting our flea market, cars almost running us over, tipped over porta potties, and abandoned vehicles in the middle of our market. Managing our market has not been easy the past couple of years, but every second of it has been worth it. All of our challenges have strengthened the bond of our team, our community, and have prepared us for just about anything.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are a multicultural curated flea market that is vendor-oriented. Our vendor spots are first come, first serve to be fair to small businesses, but we only accept a certain amount of each category to ensure the market is not over-saturated with certain products or services. Uptown Flea does this to avoid competition within the event and go as far as creating a layout each time that is unique to our vendors. Since we are focused on our vendors and treating them like humans rather than a paycheck, we aim to be flexible and understanding. Our team recognizes small businesses’ hustle and wants where they sell to be the least of their worries. We have staff devoted to ensuring that their load-in process is as seamless as possible by providing maps, load-in times and helping them unload their items the day of the event. Uptown Flea also always seeks their feedback in an attempt to constantly improve and refine our market.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Perseverance. Perseverance and God’s grace were vital to our success. Our own mother told us to quit after our first flea market. We remained consistent and eager to give it our all. With that, grew the trust and love from amazing vendors. And together, we built the flea market into what it is today.
Pricing:
- $80 for a 10×10 booth
- Free entry
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/uptownflea?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@theuptownflea?_t=8duYAksrn82&_r=1
Image Credits
Tom’s One Hour Photo Uptown Flea Market
