Reaching the Summit at La Bomba’s Dollar Pile
By Ryan Ritchie

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES

I’m what most would call a starving artist: I work two part-time jobs so I can have the time and flexibility to pursue my craft. Unfortunately, we’re not all Anne Rice or Stephen King, and our pocketbooks reflect that. To make my financial matters worse, I like to look good. And that can be expensive. This is where La Bomba comes in.

The vintage haven rests in the middle of Retro Row, selling men’s and women’s clothing, along with more knickknacks and accessories (ties, hats, buttons, pins, sunglasses, etc.) than could fit in my grandma’s attic. La Bomba’s regular prices are highly reasonable (I bought the only suit I’ve ever worn for $60), but the real deals take place every third weekend of the month, when co-owners Jorge Avalos and Albert Gonzales create a six-foot mountain of clothing filled with more than 1,000 pounds of garments ranging from $1-$4.

Like most, my first visit was intimidating, to say the least. But I’m not alone, Gonzales says. “The very first time people come in, they’re taking it all in. They’re not quick to jump into the pile to see if it’s worth it. But once they realize it’s good, they find stuff for themselves or their friends.” It’s not every day that a retail store invites you to plow your way through their goods, so I stood to the side and picked from the bottom so as to not disrupt the movers and shakers atop the hill. Even in this limited radius, I found a few shirts still in my regular rotation.

When I returned the next month, I checked my shyness at the door. This visit was much more lucrative—and in more ways than shopping. I took the time to investigate how my peers were handling themselves and realized there was a method to the madness.

Experienced shoppers have a game plan. They know what they’re looking for and stick to it. There’s no way any one person can make it through the entire heap, so come prepared. Once I was on the lookout for old-man sweaters and came away with Le Tigre pieces in various colors and a Christian Dior pullover that gets me so many unsolicited compliments from women it makes me long for my pre-girlfriend days. The second most important rule is to act like a predator looking for your next meal. Fashion is serious business and should be treated as such. Wear ratty clothes, Gonzales says, and start digging, because the pile’s contents are not sorted beforehand, which means the best deals could be buried under four layers of Hawaiian shirts. “Wear comfortable and functional attire. Don’t wear anything you don’t want to lose.”

A major advantage I have is that I’m a guy. Public perception is that women care about clothes and men care about football and beer, but that’s only partially true (e.g., I care about basketball and beer). Gonzales estimates 20 percent of his clientele is guys, which means I pretty much have the pick of the litter. My girlfriend spends hours attempting to fill her trash bag, but it takes me a quarter of that time because no one’s looking for the same things I am.

Most of my closet is filled with items from the La Bomba pile, and it cost about as much as two oil changes at Jiffy Lube. Highlights include a pink shirt made by Marlboro; a red, striped velour T-shirt; a killer four-button green shirt from the ’60s; a white, tiki-inspired shirt perfect for any backyard party; and a blue coat with red lining that is a cross between a windbreaker and a dinner jacket. Sure, some of what I’ve found has minor cosmetic issues (tiny holes and stains that usually come out), but I’m an artist—we’re supposed to look that way.

LA BOMBA 2222 E FOURTH ST | LONG BEACH 90814 | 562.433.9112 | LABOMBARETAIL.COM | DOLLAR PILE SALE SATURDAY | AND EVERY THIRD SATURDAY OF THE MONTH