The resistance economy of the Beaumont Outdoor Market
To organize their tables with a wide range of merchandise, many merchants at the Beaumont Outdoor Market have found it's easiest to repurpose unique containers for their displays. Rather than maintain costly equipment, a family of Dodger fans utilizes replaceable banana boxes to show their goods. Photo by Jason Whitacre / el Don
If you drive 90 minutes east towards Palm Springs on any given Sunday, you’ll find the Beaumont Outdoor Market. Since the late 1980’s, these merchants have functioned as a thriving desert micro-economy, sandwiched between a Walmart Supercenter and common suburbia. Now, amidst increasingly dire economic conditions, this market functions as an unintentional form of economic resistance against an increasingly oppressive system.
On the surface, this commercial bazaar seems to function as any other. Money is exchanged, goods are procured, and there’s even a small seating area where kids are selling fresh watermelon juice and lemonade. But underneath that unassuming exterior is a thriving internal economy managed by everyone from military veterans and migrant farmers, to questionable jewelers and antique dealers. Seemingly, everything starts at under twenty dollars, and if a merchant is low on change, they simply go across the way and work out a deal with another seller. Entry fees cap out at $1.00.
This is a place that isn’t concerned with the high costs of the outside world. This community has thrived for decades on its own dollar and a bit of neighborly behavior. With a large portion of their purveyors carrying uncertain legal status, concerns outside the fence about immigration raids are alive and well. Inside the Beaumont Outdoor Market, however, the resistance economy thrives.
Fresh fruit and vegetables are on sale at several spots as you walk up and down the long aisles of merchant displays. Tempting aromas and vibrant colors draw you in to the exciting results of freshly farmed produce that’s grown and sold by Southern California farmers. Photo by Jason Whitacre / el Don
Rudolpho and his partners tend to the plants they sell at the market. He has a strong grip and speaks little English, but often makes conversation in Spanish with passing guests and interested customers. Photo by Jason Whitacre / el Don
Set up entirely side by side, it can be hard to tell where one seller ends and another begins. While one area is selling vintage clothing and jewelry, next door, there is a large bear who is pleased with the afternoon sun. He marks a transitional space between booths on a washer-dryer set while hocking bottles of machine oil. Photo by Jason Whitacre / el Don
Iron rod decorative pieces sit next to bins full of merchandise, awaiting the diverse crowd that comes to support their community and find rare collectibles for fair prices. “That’s from 1950, it’s a school bell from a teachers desk. I’m told,” Ray said. “Five dollars is fine.” Photo by Jason Whitacre / el Don
“I ran late today, I usually like to have all the cars lined up.” Jack, a seller of used toys that are looking for a new home, said. “I think they’ll still play, but I like it when it’s nice.” Despite his personal disappointment, the four large piles of toy cars around his space looked ready to be enjoyed by passing children. Photo by Jason Whitacre / el Don
A treasure trove of retro-tech can be found on sale at several merchant tables. From week to week, as selections change, you may find your new favorite vinyl record or an old cassette that your parents swear by. Photo by Jason Whitacre / el Don
With a practiced eye, many sellers work hard throughout the day to ensure their items are configured to sell fast. Photo by Jason Whitacre / el Don
As you walk through the roads set up by the merchants, you never know what you’re going to find. Everything from antique and handmade crockery to this funny little man who begged for attention. Photo by Jason Whitacre / el Don
About 20 minutes north of Palm Springs, the Beaumont Outdoor Market is an economic oasis where locals and farmers can sell their goods with neighborly charm and prices so low they’re worth getting excited about. “I love these vintage water pots, this one looks like a house and it’s made of tin,” Auto informed me at his booth. “Five dollars is fine.” Photo by Jason Whitacre / el Don
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