A Heapin' Helpin' of Secondhand Bargains at the Pile

On the eclectic strip between Fourth Street and Cherry Avenue in Long Beach stand La Bomba and Replay, two stores that are known that are known for their vintage goods and loved for their once-a-month event known as the Pile.

Every third Saturday of the month, the Pile invites locals to heave themselves onto a mountain of vintage clothes and find an assortment of treasures while listening to live local bands.

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The end-of-the-year Pile on Dec. 19 had a good crowd that continues to spread the word. A packed room of vintage lovers plowed into this year's first Pile on Jan. 16.

 

An employee at La Bomba known as D says people ask all month when the next Pile sale is happening.

“People love it, it's so cheap and they always have fun,” said D. “I mean, where else can anybody find vintage clothes for less than $10?”  

Varying in prices, the mass of clothes at the back of La Bomba and Replay can cost from anywhere between $1 for small items like scarves, T-shirts, blouses and shirts to $5 for bigger items like dresses, jackets, coats and shoes.

Davin Coffey hosts the monthly madness and is in charge of rounding up the bands, sending out the invitations and advertising.

“You just literally need to climb on to the Pile,” Coffey says. “The event usually brings in a crowd, not just for the clothes but also for the music. The bands come from all over Long Beach and Los Angeles.”  

The most recent shindig brought out two Long Beach bands, Roundabout and Wild Pack of Canaries, giving the event a pulsating punk-rock backdrop.

“It's awesome that they provide an outlet for local bands that are just trying to get out and be heard,” said Rudy DeAnda, guitarist and vocalist for Wild Pack of Canaries.

Locals can't seem to get enough of the titular heap of threads; sifting through the vintage garb and being part of the scene brings pleasure that's hard to find.

“There's a grit to it, I enjoy it and dig the bands,” said Yonathan Zeray of Long Beach. “Like being in Brooklyn, pre-Giuliani.”