You may be wondering, just what exactly qualifies me to apply the word “economist” to myself… after all, I have no university degree in the soft “science” of economics, no history in institutional academia, no trail of faulty economic forecasts (so far so good!), no dubious peer reviewed studies bearing my name… hmmm, perhaps this lack of qualifications over qualifies me! Ha!

I find it most amusing that economists, whether institutional corporate/government employees or tenured university academics espousing a multitude of free and centralized market theories, they all seem to be very divided amongst themselves as to what would be necessary to create a fair and stable economic system, whether at the local, micro Main Street level or at the macro, “all will be flowing harmoniously if only an unregulated free market”, global level. Says “The Economist” commenting on economists in 2019, “…trumped-up statisticians with strange views about human behavior”. Alas, the epidemic of professional/academic Expert-Tease, “too impressed with their own intelligence to consider the unintended consequences of their policies”, has become the law of the land as capitalism slowly melts into a sea of greed and rent seeking entropy, bordering on feudalism, once again. 

Better yet, aspiring astrologers in the guise of economic actuaries? Sayeth John Kenneth Galbraith, “The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable”. Indeed. And some astrologers may actually be more accurate in their economic forecasts!

Another interesting observation: it seems many/most economists have never been self-employed, have never had hands on experience with the minutia of running a business, not even a teeny tiny, one man IRS Schedule C operation. I manage the economics of two, both operational since the early 1990’s. Yes, I have front row “skin in the game”, as well as hard earned business savvy, “a good eye” and good luck. I not only “trade my own account” working both sides of the table as the buyer/seller, curator/owner and customer service interface of a small time, successful, vintage resale/flea market entity, Akashic Records and Collectibles (specializing in vintage vinyl records and counter-culture weirdness), I’m also a licensed California general contractor (semi-retired), once upon a time specializing in kitchen remodels, these days juggling occasional kitchen cabinet installations, handyman services and finish carpentry with the “move fast and buy the right stuff” demands of the very competitive, vintage flea market front lines: a Main Street canary navigating what often seems to be an increasingly precarious economic coal mine. “Interesting Times”, indeed.

This combination of selling vintage goods and carpentry services, with a little freely dispensed, informed opinion on the side, gives me a unique perspective not only on present tense, disposable income consumer sentiment and the fickle reality of “vintage” supply and demand, but also allows me to bring a building contractor’s economic perspective on the currently free wheeling Los Angeles/California residential real estate market. Well, at least until the next real estate/SFH crash (2026/2027?) comes along. I witness, in real time, all the after effects of the post 2008 crash and post 2020/2021 Covid Coup “Quantitative Easing” magic monetary policies by the Fed and Central banks, AirBnB housing disruption, not so “Smart Growth” zoning deregulation, the massive influx of foreign money and Blackrock private equity funds into housing and apartments, etc etc… ie, the effects that all these concurrent inputs have had on distorting/raising rents and home prices and availability, not only in Los Angeles, but nationwide and globally. Oh yeah. How about that Yieldstar, algorithm assisted, predictive/predatory rent pricing in the U.S. housing market and it’s downstream effects on all the small businesses and vintage flea markets whose customer base has less and less disposable income to spend in their communities and on my cool, quirky stuff?! Yes, this is getting increasingly “pissed off”, personal!

In the late 1980’s, due to my desire to be smarter about managing my money, I opened a brokerage account and began exploring stock research, speculation and investment. It didn’t take long to get humbled as I slowly discovered speculation is a much different animal than investment. As time went on, the rewards and returns began to improve. I do miss those easy money, “wealth effect” days of 5% return on certificates of deposit. In the early 2000’s I began my subscription to “The Economist” (a “liberal” economics leaning towards the “neo” publication) and thus began my “formal” economics education from reading, and often devouring, the print version, especially the finance/economics and business sections; witnessing the financialization of economics from the belly of the beast. Alas, in 2023, my three year subscription renewal went up 75%. Ha! Predictive pricing strikes again? Unfortunately, their predication that I would cough up the price increase was misplaced. I let my subscription lapse after unsuccessfully haggling on the phone with a UK sales rep and now explore/subscribe to Seeking Alpha, Lyn Alden, The Coastal Journal and Burry’s Substack (the free version for now). Also in the mix, macro economics commentary on YouTube from Jeffery Sachs, Richard Wolfe, Yanis Veroufakis, Catherine Austin Fitts, being some of my big picture faves. C. Northcote “Parkinson’s Law”, rocks! I recently acquired his 10 volume “Political Science” record set on eBay. Quite the overlooked political science philosopher and historian.

“Economics”, Greek in origin for “the management of the household”. Growing up, my parents strongly encouraged avoiding debt, spending wisely and living within one’s means. Subversive by today’s “debt economy” and credit addiction standards. “Economics” in high school/college… Boring! Dismal? For me, our economic system of damn near unregulated free market capitalism only gets interesting when it gets empirical… the high school English teacher who shared his fresh tale of a visiting the recently opened Rose Bowl Flea Market (c. 1972) the day before where he purchased a piece of rare California pottery from one vendor and resold it for ten times the price paid to another vendor/specialist. In house arbitrage?! (and without the use of a cellphone with the Google Lens app!! Ha!!) That got my attention… and also made me realize that all those times I’d gone with my dad to local drive-in swap meets as a kid while he searched for motorcycle parts to build his ultra low geared “tote-goats” could have been better spent doing my own treasure hunting. “Forty bucks for that Fender/White pedal steel geetar with built in amp in immaculate condition? Hmmm. Ya got any rock-O-billy or rhythm and blues records, mister?” Alas, “Woulda, Shoulda, Coulda”. Notes taken. Lessons learned. 

I created the Flea Market Economist because I care (too) deeply about the evolution of our society, of our ongoing American experiment in “Democracy” as it struggles with the meaning and (mis) behavior of “free market” economics, and how we might resolve our current economic injustices. We can do soooooo much better, as the Covid Coup has demonstrated magnificently, illustrating just how corrupt our “trusted” government institutions and OAF-ficials have become, as well as how complacent and gullible my fellow citizens have become. Instead, we’ve allowed the multi-national corporations and the neo-liberal globalists to infiltrate and take over our corporate friendly government bureaucracies and co-opt our local and national economies with their lobbyists, legislation and crafted PR propaganda campaigns designed to conform and convince us that the preferences of a minority of wealthy elites with their nifty “corporate personhood rights”, supersede the Constitutional rights of we the Main Street, flea market attending human beings, the civil rights of free citizens, and the rights of our local communities to decide their future. What friggin arrogance!! Even more appalling… we the people let them get away with it. GRRRR!

And speaking of appalling, “dismal”, social economic behavior… Lurch, the Addams Family butler with his often low opinion of mystifying, eccentric human behavior is, in my opinion, the epitome of “dismal”; the guru and godfather of all things dismal. And a gentleman. As for Dismal… who, me? Dave?! The study of economics, due to it’s often unquantifiable philosophical and boring numeric nature guaranteed to put most to sleep in ten minutes flat, was christened “the dismal science” in 1849 by Thomas Carlyle. Main Street Micro Economics, mystifying human behavior and a gentleman carpenter, vinyl record dealer and deep music aficionado named Dave?!… Wa La!!, your host, Dismal Dave, attentive to consumer sentiment while leveraging and constantly questioning societies perceptions, often one on one at the flea markets, at your service. Being very experienced in knowing and catering to my customer’s needs, addictions and collector vulnerabilities, it seems my job – my ministry – as a vintage vinyl and counter-culture curator is to know and pleasantly exploit yours, dear consumer/reader, with goodies that feed one’s soul. And have some fun in the process. Win, Win! (shhh, I wish I woulda thunk Dismal D during LA art punk 1976!! Gabba Gabba, who?!)

All the above, in addition to the growing pandemic of Davos Man generated income inequality sweeping much of the globe, besides pissing me off and turning me into an economic activist, has long made me wonder, has made me imagine and LONG FOR, a social economic system, an economic platform that demands a TRANSPARENT, rather than an unseen, “invisible” hand (apologies to Mr. Smith)… one that demands fairness and honesty; one that is regenerative and sustainable by local community standards instead of the rent seeking Davos/globalist ambitions that we seem to be slowly surrendering to; one built on integrity and TRUST (ultimately, the only real currency!) leaning much more towards mature cooperation and interdependence than greedy cut throat competition among its citizen and business entity participants… yes, the long overdue Transparent Hand to sweep away the pandemic of institutionalized and legislated Moral Hazard and corruption (Big-Pharma indemnified vaccines, MH anyone?), so the American Dream of opportunity and FAIRNESS FOR ALL can be realized. Is this possible? Is Covid Chaos and it’s ongoing aftermath helping us to see the light and demand the possibility? Or do we still have much more growing up to do? Read On, my brothers and sisters and my fellow Flea Marketeers, Read On!! 

Your host, “Dismal Dave” Lancon… attempting to stay amused despite all the reasons I shouldn’t.

All Rights Reserved © Dave Lancon May 2020. Updated 8/2026