15. Kip’s Toyland
“Kips is a place where you can find retro toys, vintage toys, things that everyone
seems to remember playing with when they were children.” (Don Kip, video)
After meeting three generations of the Kip family in their YouTube video, I was eager
to explore Kip’s Toyland firsthand, in the real world. I knew I was in for a treat when I
spotted the shop in the busy marketplace. The double doors of both entrances were
wide open, inviting me into a rare space for play and creativity.
16. Kip’s Toyland
Once I entered the store, I became immersed in a playful, toy-centric world.
Nostalgia set in, prompted by a colorful display of hula hoops—the first “toys” that
caught my attention. Memories of my own childhood resurfaced. Like many other
boomers in the U.S., I mastered the art of hula hooping when I was a child. Other
items in the store also reminded me of that era: Barbie and Ken dolls, Play-Doh,
Crayola crayons, stick horses, puppets, magic sets, and Etch A Sketches.
17. Kip’s Toyland
Arranged thematically on the crowded shelves, the toys and games were the focal point in this no-
frills environment. No other customers were in Kip’s Toyland when I was there, but I imagine that the
store does appeal to children of all ages, “even children disguised as adults,” as an ad stated. No
sales people were on the floor either, so I was free to wander without pressure from anyone to buy
something. Two employees remained behind the counter, a man and a woman, each about twenty-
five.
I was reminded of how I felt years ago when I often frequented used book stores. Books were
stacked everywhere. When they didn’t fit on the shelves, they were piled on the floor. Sometimes
they were categorized logically, and sometimes they weren’t. I never knew what I was going to find. I
loved losing myself in that refuge from everyday life. Now that I buy most of my books online, I rarely
visit used bookstores anymore. Ironically, I first encountered Kip’s Toyland virtually, on the Farmers
Market YouTube site. A short video of the Kip family inspired me to visit the actual store, which I had
been unaware of previously. The moving intergenerational story about Kip’s Toyland—the oldest toy
store in L.A.—influenced my perception of the store before I arrived. The backstory mattered to me.
This experience has reinforced my belief in the power of personal narratives, not only in relation to
Kip’s Toyland but also in relation to the other venues that I observed for this assignment. Owners of
those businesses also made YouTube videos that intrigued me. That’s why I included those venues.
Feeling like a tourist myself—or a time traveler—I discovered new shops in my own neighborhood,
and new opportunities to learn about the diversity of the Farmers Market, which I often pass by on
my afternoon walks or pass through on my way to The Grove, an adjacent shopping mall.
19. Shine Gallery
“We rescue vintage items in quantity from closed warehouses, defunct factories, and old
stores all over the world, so everything we have is in quantity, vintage, and unused.” (Bernie
Shine, video)
Ready for time traveling, I approached the Shine Gallery prepared to explore “archaeology at
the grassroots level,” a term Bernie Shine uses in his introductory video. He served as my
virtual tour guide of what, suggests LA Weekly, is one of the ten weirdest shops in Los Angeles.
20. Shine Gallery
More similar to a museum than to a retail
store, the Shine Gallery serves as a
repository of American popular culture,
offering visitors a chance to remember the
1910s through the 1960s, or to imagine
what everyday life was like then. I found
memory prompts everywhere, but what
really captured my attention was a portrait
of John F. Kennedy over a display of magic
tricks. I was in elementary school when JFK
was president, and I owned a copy of that
portrait. How strange, I thought, to
encounter that image again, amid the
vintage memorabilia.
21. Shine Gallery
The seemingly random juxtaposition of the JFK portrait and the magic tricks made me
wonder how the historical narratives that we tell develop on both collective and
individual levels. Then I realized that the random arrangement of artifacts throughout
the store resembled the free-associative nature of memory. In this way, the Shine
Gallery enabled me to appreciate the memory work inspired not only by the JFK
portrait but also by a wide array of vintage memorabilia. In addition to prompting
personal reflections, these artifacts also have the potential to trigger creative thought
by encouraging visitors to connect the dots differently.
23. T-Shop (Tea)
“We have over 250 different varieties . They range from herbal teas to black teas to fine green teas. We carry teas from
China, Africa, India, and Japan.” (owner Joo Min, video)
A destination for tea lovers everywhere, the T-Shop occupies a small, open space inside the Farmers Market.
Passersby and converts cross paths while examining the wide selection of herbal teas that the T-Shop sells. A
knowledgeable young woman answers questions about the art and science of selecting tea. A notebook on the
counter provides additional information, including a section on Ayurvedic blends. The teas are on display for everyone
to see, and the kitchen in the rear of the stand is also visible to the public. Tea sets, tea samplers, and tea accessories
are arranged to attract the attention of people walking through the marketplace. The T-shop would benefit from a
strong web presence and a compelling narrative that distinguishes it from other tea shops.
25. Dragunara Spice Bazaar
“When people enter our store and they’re
used to ginger, and they taste the ginger and
smell the ginger, it’s completely different,
because it’s organic.” (owner Michael
Khemlani, video)
The Dragunara Spice Bazaar is one of the few
shops at the Original Farmers Market that
feature organic products of any kind. A
newcomer, the Spice Bazaar is designed to
appeal to mainstream consumers and to
steady users. In fact, Oprah’s magazine, O,
recommended Dragunara spices as “palate
pleasers.” Signage references Dr. Oz’s “Top 10
Anti-Aging Herbs & Spices.” Inside the small,
open stand, Hindu symbols add additional
cultural references.
28. Farm Fresh Produce
“We make our own juices. . . . Orange juice is the
most popular—navel oranges in the wintertime
and Valencias in the summertime.” (Armando
Puente, video)
Attractive to tourists and residents alike, this
popular produce stand faces a busy parking lot.
Pedestrians en route to the adjacent Grove mall
often stop by to order a fresh juice, buy an exotic
salad, order a fruit basket, or stock up on their
produce. People wandering through the inside of
the Farmers Market gravitate to Farm Fresh
Produce as well. A nearby produce stand inside
the Market also draws a large crowd. Known for
selling fresh produce from local farmers, Farm
Fresh Produce has been around since 1954.
Although organic produce is available occasionally,
particularly raspberries and blueberries, a wider
selection of organic produce would attract new
clientele. Instead of walking across the street to
Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s for organic produce,
people could do more of their shopping at the
Farmers Market.
31. Three Dog Bakery (for dogs)
“What’s really great about Three Dog Bakery is
you can bring your dog into the store, and you
and your dog can both pick out the items. . . . You
can come in and do a celebration cake, so if your
dog’s having a birthday, or a wedding, or even a
Bark Mitzvah, we have all those items there for
you.” (owner Rocky Keever, video)
Located next to Farm Fresh Produce and facing
the same parking lot, Three Dog Bakery attracts a
steady stream of dog lovers—and their dogs. The
assorted baked goods on display have clever
names, such as pupcakes, puptarts, Boston terrier
cream pie, and peanut mutter cookies. In
addition to offering such treats for the canines,
Three Dog Bakery also provides them with
fashion accessories and party favors for all
occasions. Inside the store, customers chat about
their dogs with the twenty-something woman
who cheerfully assists with the orders.
32. Three Dog Bakery (for dogs)
The novelty of this store reflects a creative concept that could be applied to other types of pets.
Not a pet person myself, I don’t follow such things, yet the video introduction to Three Dog
Bakery prompted me to check out this unusual place. It was charming.
33. The Original L.A. Farmers Market
Video: https://youtu.be/n9HrZrgPIOc
