The document summarizes observations from a study of interactions between people at a swap meet. The swap meet brings together people of various races, ages, ethnicities and cultures who interact in many ways. Customers interact with employees to make purchases. Families, friends and strangers interact through talking, shopping and eating together. Different businesses like jewelry and beauty salons require employees to interact skillfully with customers to conduct sales and ensure their satisfaction. The busy and popular swap meet is a place where people frequently interact for affordable goods, food and social activities.
1. The Swap Meet: A Place of Business
and Gathering
Priscella Lopez
Anthropology 102
Dr. Leanna Wolfe
May 5,2014
2. For my project I decided to study the different
interactions people engage in, when in a large
business place, like the Swap meet. Many people of
all races, age, ethnicity and cultures come to this
place for affordable, cheap items. Who doesn’t like
items of lesser value? I think everybody enjoys
finding different alternatives than buying something
that is twice as expensive elsewhere. I also
conducted a study of the different roles
played out between people interacting with
others, such as an employee to a customer.
3. Valley Indoor Swap meet
Swap meets are
known for their variety
of objects sold for an
inexpensive price.
People all over the
city enjoy the type of
deals the swap meets
offers
From customers to
employees, they all
interact with each
other in order to get
what they both need.
An employee must
sell to a customer who
wishes to buy/own
something. This helps
to satisfy both sides of
party.
4. Business #1
Once walking into the
Swap meet, you
automatically see many
people interacting with
each other. There are
groups of families
talking, children playing,
employees and
customers discussing.
There are various types
of businesses in the
swap meet. Selling
jewelry is one of many
jobs that require
persistence and great
communication when
talking to customers and
convincing them to
make/proceed with a
transaction.
5. #2
The swap meet is a great
place that offers many
necessities to both
women and men. For
example, this place is a
threading salon that
threads someone's
eyebrows with string.
Instead of having it
waxed people like to
thread their eyebrows for
a natural and better look.
This type of business is
open to both men and
women. As an employee
of such a place, it is
important to leave
customers with
satisfaction and
happiness with what they
were provided with.
6. #3
A threading salon plus a
beauty salon in the swap
meet is one of the most
smartest decisions. It is
such a great idea to have
these two most important
and popular places
together where people are
able to have both these
necessities in one place.
Employees that have
good commutation with
customers receive
positive reputation for
their business because
then they are being
referred by one happy
customer. This allows for
businesses to grow and
prosper with more people.
7. #4 FOOD!
The swap meet is known
to have a great deal of
food being sold. The
food ranges from bags of
chips, and candies to
homemade tortillas or a
dinner special at an
indoor restaurant located
inside. There are a many
food stores that sell
different kinds of foods.
When food is involved,
people come together to
eat. At the swap meet
there is a large eating
cafeteria where people
interact with family
and/or friends.
8. You may see
people you know
because of how
popular the swap
meet is.
Walking through
aisles, you can
see many
people looking
for things to buy.
Lots of walking
is done while
people look to
shop for items.
9. Payment
Interacting with people
is an everyday thing at
the swap meet.
Especially once you
are done looking
around for what you
want to buy and
making the choice to
buy the item. Making a
choice to buy
something is
sometimes difficult to
some people if they do
not really need it and
asking about the
prices, causes the
employee to complete
the transaction and let
it be sold. It involves
both of their attention.
10. Goodbye.
Swap meets are often
really busy which
makes it hard to find
parking. There are
hundreds of people
inside engaging and
interacting with one
another. The cycle
repeats almost
everyday. The swap
meet is usually open
during the week and
weekends. The
weekends are probably
the best time to go
because you are
accompanied with
family and are able to
enjoy the day better (:
