Vendor alleges L.A. flea markets exploit young creatives after she’s banned from two of them: ‘they juggle your livelihood in their hands’
Los Angeles-based reseller Analise Anderson (@analiseanderson) has taken to TikTok to discuss the supposedly exploitative nature of two popular flea markets in the city.
Anderson, who used to be a wardrobe stylist in the entertainment industry, says she “started reselling as a survival job” after getting laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I decided that my best opportunity would be to go to Silver Lake Flea because that was the only thing that was open during the pandemic,” she says. Silver Lake Flea is a flea market located in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Silver Lake.
“I was my own boss. People were really responding to what I was putting out.”
“It became my full-time job and my main source of income, and I loved it a lot because it was pretty much like my styling job for production, but I was doing it for myself,” she says. “I was my own boss. People were really responding to what I was putting out.”
Anderson claims that the content she created for her personal TikTok, namely the outfit-compilation videos she made of the people who would visit her booth, went “very viral at the time” and “really helped promote Silver Lake Flea.”
Eventually, Anderson decided to transition back to corporate work, which meant she neither had the time nor energy to sell at the flea market anymore. Instead, she threw backyard parties and would invite other vendors to come and sell their goods. These parties, however, were apparently “super threatening to the woman that runs Silver Lake Flea.” The woman who owns and founded Silver Lake Flea is Fiora B.
“She decided that because I had been hosting these little events all around Los Angeles, having my business at the flea market would constitute a conflict of interest, which I really don’t understand because I don’t know how promoting my business would affect like the flea market foot traffic,” Anderson claims. “There’s a lot of girls that are doing the same thing that I’ve done: Set up pop-up vintage events around Los Angeles, and apparently, they’re not a threat to this woman.”
Anderson says that she’s since partnered with The Left Bank, a family-owned resell shop in the Los Angeles area, to host a flea market without vendor fees. The Frogtown Flea is set to debut in April 2023.
“…they do this really funny thing where they fight over vendors and juggle their livelihood in their hands like you’re a pawn in their game.”
Some commenters suggest Anderson sell at the Los Feliz Flea, another Los Angeles flea market. However, it turns out Anderson is also banned from there.
“It was actually because I was choosing to vend at both markets simultaneously,” she says. “The owner of Los Feliz Flea has beef with the owner of Silver Lake Flea … they do this really funny thing where they fight over vendors and juggle their livelihood in their hands like you’re a pawn in their game.”
Anderson also claims that the people who have a monopoly on Los Angeles flea markets are “only in it for money and to exploit you.”
“Previously, other vendors didn’t feel like they were able to speak out against either Los Feliz or Silver Lake because they really do control an economy within Los Angeles,” she alleges.
“That’s why I really want to figure out a way to make a market that is vendor- and customer-forward.”
Anderson alleges that Silver Lake Flea charges $100 a space for more than 70 vendors each weekend. An additional problem, Anderson claims, is that the flea market has become “a disaster,” as people are supposedly feeling increasingly unsafe because of the “deteriorating” environment around it.
Anderson adds, “That’s why I really want to figure out a way to make a market that is vendor- and customer-forward, and not just a place where these two old boomers are exploiting all of these young creatives.”
“i never knew flea markets would be so drama filled”
Commenters are shocked to learn of the drama that goes on within flea markets. Others are speaking out on their own experiences as vendors in Los Angeles.
“I did los Feliz once and never again,” someone said. “I packed up and left early. Did not care that I would never be allowed back again.”
“Ur amazing for calling them out,” another wrote.
“i never knew flea markets would be so drama filled,” one user commented.
It seems flea markets can be more political than expected. Based on her claims, it makes sense why Analise Anderson would want to create a market of her own.
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