Every day there is an influx of new overland and off-road gear headed to retailers or being purchased online. Most of our industry’s gear is built to withstand the harshest elements, so where is the secondhand gear going?
Jaime Lozoya noticed a large number of overland events selling new gear, but zero in-person events promoting used gear, including factory seconds and slightly damaged product that couldn’t be sold at full price. With this in mind, he met with his good friend and owner of Squirrel Concepts, V. They put together a loose plan and decided to throw the first-ever Overland Swap at V’s shop in Long Beach, California. Squirrel Concepts was the perfect springboard for the event, as V and his team focus primarily on bringing vintage Toyota trucks to their original glory, right in the heart of Long Beach. They yielded a massive turnout attained only through word of mouth and Instagram marketing. After a very successful swap, they realized they were on to something.
Overland Swap consists of two main components: vendors bring their new and used goods, and attendees come to find a great deal and enjoy the atmosphere. Jaime grew up spending Sundays at swap meets with his family and wanted to have a traditional swap-meet style. All ages are welcome, the food vendors are local, and you can find everything from off-road lighting to rooftop tents for sale.
Since the first Overland Swap, vendor and attendee numbers have grown tremendously, and they’ve expanded to a second location in Colorado with host Spirit of 1876. It’s great to see the community’s response to giving gear a second chance and opting to shop used. Sustainability is an important component of Jaime’s company, Eezy Supplies, and secondhand shopping is a great way to keep gear out of landfills.
Jaime is a Southern California native who fell in love with the simplicity of truck camping. He started off with a F-150 single-cab short bed. With so many styles and types of builds out there, choosing a vehicle came down to one thing: function. He needed a reliable pickup that he could run Eezy Supplies out of during the week and camp out of on the weekends. “Overlanding has allowed me to experience my slice of heaven—exploring dirt roads, setting up camp, cooking outside, and enjoying it with good people. Whatever your vehicle, just get out there. Half the fun is in the exploration and the other half is in the memories.” – Jaime Lozoya (Founder of Overland Swap)
If you’re interested in checking out the next event, follow @overlandswap on Instagram.
