Flea Markets In The Bay Area?

[Tempest]

This Christmas season I'm going to be in the San Fran area, and my fiancee said that we could go look at some flea markets. I'm always hearing about the amazing stuff people find in san francisco flea markets, but I have no idea where to go. What are some of the better flea markets in the area?

Tempest

[ApolloBoy]

The De Anza College Flea Market is always great (held every first Saturday of the month), and there's always the San Jose Flea Market: http://www.sjfm.com/

[Superman]

The Coliseum swap meet is in Oakland and it located by... The Oakland Coliseum. It is open most days of the week. I think it is closed on Mondays.

What area are you going to? That makes a difference for markets in the area to see, and depending on how far you want to travel.

[Tempest]

What area are you going to? That makes a difference for markets in the area to see, and depending on how far you want to travel.

I'm not quite sure. all I know is that we're driving up there to see some friends. I'll have to ask what area they're in.

Tempest

[PapaStu]

There are a couple of big ones in Oakland, one of them is in downtown. I know theres another one thats held on the Alameda Naval Air base as well, but I'm not sure if its only once a week, month ect as the last time I went to it was 3 or 4 years ago.

[Sosage]

The De Anza College Flea Market is always great (held every first Saturday of the month), and there's always the San Jose Flea Market: http://www.sjfm.com/

From my experience, San Jose Flea Market is really difficult. Unless there is a trick to the place that I don't know about. There seems to be a lot of video game vendors with high prices and not a lot of garage-sale style lots or opportunities to score things at reasonable prices.

They do have an arcade though and the BBQ is good. =)

[koster]

The De Anza College Flea Market is always great (held every first Saturday of the month), and there's always the San Jose Flea Market: http://www.sjfm.com/


From my experience, San Jose Flea Market is really difficult. Unless there is a trick to the place that I don't know about. There seems to be a lot of video game vendors with high prices and not a lot of garage-sale style lots or opportunities to score things at reasonable prices.

They do have an arcade though and the BBQ is good. =)
A couple of the regular SJ Flea Market video game vendors do a sweep of the other sellers looking for video games (and snagging the good deals) - at least that is what I've seen the last couple of times I was there.

I once missed out on a box of 50+ Famicom carts to one of these sweepers... :mad:

[SystemFreak]

There's also the weekly Alemany Flea Market (southern tip of SF) on Sundays:

http://www.sfweekly.com/bestof/2006/award/best-flea-market-172961/

[jjessop]

The Oakland Coliseum flea market is not at the Coliseum, it's at the old drive in theaters a mile north of the Coliseum complex right off 880. Very hit and miss, mostly new stuff now and a better bet is Laney College flea market another 4 miles north near downtown.

The glory days of Bay Area flea markets for classic items ended about 7 years ago. Truth be told most of the major great finds by Bay Area collectors (like me) were not found in the Bay Area but rather more remote spots in the Central Valley.

Enjoy......

JJ

[kupomogli]

Flea Markets kick ass. I haven't been to one in a long long time but it's always awesome to go look around at old stuff you probably won't buy but is interesting to look at.

[InsaneDavid]

From my experience, San Jose Flea Market is really difficult. Unless there is a trick to the place that I don't know about. There seems to be a lot of video game vendors with high prices and not a lot of garage-sale style lots or opportunities to score things at reasonable prices.

There is, his name is Shortround. ;) But my history with him and his family is why I can snag the crazy deals.


They do have an arcade though and the BBQ is good. =)

Which makes going out there for the day more of an event than just a usual flea market trip.


Truth be told most of the major great finds by Bay Area collectors (like me) were not found in the Bay Area but rather more remote spots in the Central Valley.

I can vouch for that as well, although it's nothing like it used to be out there either. Years ago though, it was a gold mine.

The San Jose Flea Market is something you should see while you have the chance, before it's all torn up in a couple years. The massive scale and the amount of buildings and sheds that have sprung up within it over it's long history is worth taking a look at. You can also play Skee-ball there, old, real Skee-ball.

[Tempest]

The glory days of Bay Area flea markets for classic items ended about 7 years ago. Truth be told most of the major great finds by Bay Area collectors (like me) were not found in the Bay Area but rather more remote spots in the Central Valley.

Yeah I suspected as much, but I've still got to try. :) Any other areas that I should look at (that you're willing to disclose anyway)?

Tempest

[MachineGex]

The glory days of Bay Area flea markets for classic items ended about 7 years ago. Truth be told most of the major great finds by Bay Area collectors (like me) were not found in the Bay Area but rather more remote spots in the Central Valley.
JJ

I can definately second this idea. I found my Gold NWC cart at the Denio's Flea Market(Roseville) about 5-6 years ago(I have since sold it). I bought it for about 80 cents. (it was in a box of over 100 nes games for $80, about 80 cents a cart) I have also found 2 NES prototypes (each found separately) at the Delta College Flea Market in Stockton. My wife found two 2600 lab-loaner carts at Delta as well.

The Delta College Flea Market is really hit and miss(mostly miss). The Roseville flea market is better, very similar to San Jose only not as large. The good thing about Roseville is they tend to have more "garage sale-type vendors" than San Jose.

Best of luck and Happy Hunting!