Vendors encouraged to reject competitor

Deirdre Newman

The representative of the Orange County Market Place merchants is

making a concerted effort to discredit the competitor to the

long-running swap meet operator and to urge the fair board to reject

the competition on a technicality on Thursday.

Tom Askew, president of the Orange County Market Place Merchants

Assn., circulated a flier at the swap meet over the weekend that

charges that American Park ‘n Swap will raise vendor fees and

admission prices and/or reduce the caliber of operations to uphold

its claim that it will pay more rent to the fair board.

American is embroiled in a high-stakes public relations battle

against Tel Phil Enterprises, which has run the swap meet since its

inception 34 years ago, to influence the fair board’s decision on the

bidding process.

Thursday, the board will decide whether to consider American’s

bid. American submitted a bid in April but it was deemed incomplete

because the company had omitted a document. American has since

submitted the document and received a favorable recommendation from

the state Department of General Services when it appealed the

rejection of its bid. The state suggested the board consider

American’s bid because the omission was “immaterial.”

John Fernbach, president of American Park ‘n Swap, called the

scare tactics in the flier “underhanded.”

Askew was not available for comment.

Fernbach said he, along with other American officials, met with

Askew and asked what they could do to assuage the vendors’ fears.

They never got a response, Fernbach said. American officials claim

they will give the fair board more revenue while not raising the

vendors’ rates. The bids are currently sealed under court order.

“We did give Tom Askew numerous reassurances when we met with him,

other than disclosing the contents of the bid, but affirming to him

that what he had heard and some of the specific claims he was making

were absolutely unfounded,” Fernbach said. “We’re quite confident

that he and the rest of the vendors would be incredibly pleased if

they were to open the bids.”

The flier also alludes to a visit Askew made to Phoenix, where

American runs a swap meet. In the flier, Askew makes disparaging

remarks about the Phoenix operation.

“A few weeks ago, I visited the [American] swap meet in Phoenix

and was alarmed at what can only be described as a flea market or

garage sale,” the flier reads. “[American] clearly has no idea how to

run a quality operation. When I asked them for a directory of

vendors, they said they didn’t have one because the vendors change so

often. That tells you something, doesn’t it?”

Fernbach contends the Phoenix swap meet is not on the same level

as the Market Place.

“I would say Phoenix is a 2 1/2- to 3-star market,” Fernbach

said. “The merchants aren’t as stable in terms of tenure with what

you have in Orange County, which is a 4 1/2- to 5-star market. To say

that because you operate at one level, you can’t do it at another is

an inane comment.”

Jeff Teller, president of Tel Phil, said he understands if vendors

are concerned about new management after three-plus decades.

“[We have] 1,200 sellers who are concerned that their livelihood

is potentially at stake,” Teller said. “You have a company with a

34-year-old track record. While they may not agree with everything we

do, they feel the Market Place is a very well-run, well-managed

entity.”

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers Costa Mesa and may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at deirdre.newman@latimes.com.