Oasis Imports and the Malibu Feed Bin sat on the former site of Potters Topanga Trading Post, which evolved from a 1920s grocery store across the street, nicknamed “The Skyscraper” because it was the only two-story building at the Topanga intersection. The store’s longest owner, Charles Potter (1882-1956), took over on July 27, 1929. After a landslide shoved the Skyscraper sideways in a 1932 storm, Charles built the low sturdy building we see today.
Potter’s Store survived the next major storm in 1938, one of the biggest in Los Angeles history, while nearby buildings were flooded or swept away. Over 100 people died, and one unnamed local woman, overwrought by the tragedy, tried to drown herself in the ocean as “…numerous rattlesnakes and king snakes washed down and were wriggling out of the debris along Topanga beach.” (Evening Outlook, 1938-03-08)
Forced to move his store to its present location, Charles renamed it Potter’s Topanga Trading Post and ran it until his death in 1956. In 1957, the store reopened as the Malibu Feed and Fuel, run by locals Steven Terrill and Bobby Jacks. Next door, the fire truck’s garage became another store that sold Oriental ceramics.
Oasis Imports - Malibu Location Established in 1982 After hitchhiking on yachts (or anything that would float) around the world throughout the 1980's, David Haid (creator of Oasis Imports) decided to anchor himself to a magical and wondrous vortex at the corner of Topanga Canyon and the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. Haid managed to parlay his knowledge and network gathered throughout his travels to create one of the most truly unique shopping haunts in all of California. Known far and wide for the most incredibly affordable, outrageously unique collection of creme de la creme outdoor and indoor furnishings - from gorgeous Brazilian marble or hand-laid Spanish tile table tops and hand forged custom iron bases to the custom reclaimed timber line to the planting vessels, objects de art, exotic music, wild rugs and killer aquatic features to sexy wall art - Oasis imports was added to the must do "A" list of the L.A. Tour ages ago.
