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Ashland Swap-O-Rama
Category: Shopping Thrift Stores Thrift Stores [Edit]
4100 S Ashland Ave(between 41st St & 42nd St)
Chicago, IL 60609
Neighborhoods: New City, Back of the Yards
(773) 376-6993
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
13 reviews for Ashland Swap-O-Rama
13 reviews in English
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Review from Cesar M.
5/2/2012
It is what it is.
I have been here many times more for the experience than the shopping. There is plenty of vendors from socks to tools. Some of them sell good stuff but others well, not so much.
First few times I was here I was expecting to see Rick Bayless on a food stand preparing food for Calvin Klein and Armani who happen to have clothing stands close by. Hahahaha no people do not expect more than what it is.
It is a cool place if you are not easily intimidated (not that you will get attacked or anything) Mostly Latino and a few Polish walking around trying to score a deal on clothing, or small appliances, or whatever.
ASOR go for the experience, skip the food -
Review from Becky M.
Chicago, IL
5/23/2011
Goodness. This place was disturbing. I ventured here with a [Spanish speaking] friend to try to find my stolen bike. While I didn't find my bike, there were a few hundred bikes there. You can tell most of them were stolen.
Also, many of the vendors appear to have been stealing from their jobs or stealing from Best Buy garbage cans. TONS of Dynex, Insignia, and Rocketfish stuff with "service center" and "PRC" stickers-- meaning those items are most likely defective.
Way too much junk. Some vendors had single shoes, broken toys... Even Goodwill would trash quite a bit of this stuff.
I mentioned the Spanish speaking friend; Not only was she a good companion, she would've been almost vital had I wanted to buy anything. I had been told there were issues with white folks there. A person at a bike shop (one of the ones who recommended I try this place to look for my bike) told me that when they see a white person looking at bikes, they start acting funny.. and it's true. When I asked whether the guy at one stall had any single speeds or fixies (and my friend asked for road bikes), he immediately said, "No." He had a moving van full of bikes and various parts and was bragging about how it'd only take three weeks to sell everything.
Go here to try to find your stolen stuff. Be careful with the stuff you carry with you. Make sure you have $2 to enter. There's an ATM inside in case you need cash.. but you can't get to it until after you pay your entrance fee. -
Review from LuLu R.
9/1/2009
Showed up early to hopefully grab some good deals before everyone else. I witnessed this management staff yelling at this vendor to move her store or he will "remove her forcefully". You don't really even get a good deal. I also swear to everything that I love, 2 bums who were supposedly vendors took a box of crap and threw it on the floor to hopefully sell. The box consisted of:
Barbies with the head ripped off
a rusty hammer
Some bolts
A Christmas book
and a purse with the handle broken (probably snatched)
Seriously? Are these guys seriously letting these fools sell things like that? The only reason why I would want to go back is to find my stolen bike. So if you want to buy a pair of spandex that have the look like they are jeans then by all means, come on down to this flea market. (notice sarcasm here)Listed in: Stay away from these places
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Review from Laura C.
9/8/2011
Come here to find your stolen bike - this is the largest of the Swap-O- Ramas, and there's a good chance your bike will be here. Vendors move their goods among all three, so check this place out first. Once you identify your bike, make sure you call 911 and have an officer with you before approaching the vendor. Also have your police report and receipt with the serial number on it to prove that it's yours. These sleazebags need to be stopped, and this dump needs to be shutdown.
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Review from Ken B.
Chicago, IL
3/5/2009
To all you people who are complaining about the food you got at the swap meet: Its a f*cking swap meet, not a restaurant! You are stupid if you go there for polish sausage or cheese fries.
This swap meet rules if you want to find cheap tools, toys, or knockoff clothes. They sell all sorts of junk that you may or may not need. Sure, most of it is probably stolen but who cares? If that bothered you, you would be at Target. Go there, have fun, negotiate with them and get soome cool stuff. If you speak spanish, you will get better deals because they wont think you are so stupid. -
Review from Alexis S.
Chicago, IL
1/22/2009
I have been wanting to visit this market for a long time and I finally went last weekend. My problem was that I had to pee and knew that the quality of the bathrooms inside would be sub-par, to say the least.
The market itself reminded me of markets I have visited in Mexico, but more dirty, expensive and crowded. I was actually saddened to see all the "hot" items-- mostly tools.
Against my best judgement, we ordered cheesy fries, which turned out to be okay.
I believe this place will have a better selection in the summertime, even though I know it will probably be even more crowded. -
Review from Michelle H.
Bolingbrook, IL
1/6/2007
So much crap, so little time. Nun-chucks, throwing stars, ninja swords, Confederate flag emblazoned Bowie knives, BB guns, and a whole bunch of other stuff that really might not be good to sell to a minor. But that didn't stop anyone. This one is not as big as the one located in Alsip, but it is full of vendors selling everything from video games, to housewares to battle axes. They actually have a lot of vendors who have some good Louis Vutton and Gucci knockoffs. But a word to the wise and for the sake of the health of you and your loved ones, stay away from the food vendors. Polish sausage is not meant to be green!
Listed in: Call me Cheap
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Review from Tony C.
2/25/2007
hipsters need to know only 1 thing: if your uber pricey Bianchi Pista was recently stolen, come here to find it. or at least come here for the POSSIBILITY of finding it.
vendors fence stolen goods at the swapmeet. buyers with morals beware. furthermore, daily household products are often sold beyond expiration dates. caveat emptor big time. -
Review from Lali H.
Chicago, IL
11/5/2010
LISTEN.
Before you even think about visiting this flea market, you need to be prepared:
-bring some patience and eyeglasses to find a parking space
-bring small bills to make haggling easier
-wear cheap dumpy clothing, again to make haggling easier (& to blend in)
-bring gloves and sanitizer to keep yourself clean
-bring some basic spanish skills to talk to vendors (& possibly get a cross-cultural effort discount? happened to me...)
-bring a sturdy shopping bag, because they *will* give you a ripped up Osco bag (and when was the last time you saw an Osco?)
Now that you're prepared, you can visit this aight flea market. This is capitalism's cold rock bottom. Anything can be found here, but the key is to dig. This flea market definitely reflects the Mexican community within which it is embedded, so here is where you can easily pick up fresh veggies, cheese, dry foods and candy, religious icons, cheap glittery clothes, baby things galore and cowboy stuff, all for reasonable prices. Check the outdoor vendors first, they have the best deals and are more motivated to sell (read: haggle). Here is one of the few blessed places in Chicago where you're almost expected to haggle.
Also, vendors will often leave behind whatever they don't sell, and it is up for grabs. I've found beautiful vintage glasses in great condition and antique suitcases (with working key!) abandoned in this fashion. Don't be scurred, we're all scroungers here.
It gets three stars because it's scuzzy, but it's serviceable. And also because it costs $2 for the privilege to explore the esteemed establishment.
Enjoy! (& get you an elote afterwards from the food vendor just outside the exit, she's great :oD ) -
Review from Kristina A.
Oak Lawn, IL
10/8/2010
I think this place is very interesting. I prefer to walk around the outside vendors though, because the inside gets tooo crowded and I start feeling claustrophobic! I do think that they should look at what some of these vendors are selling before allowing them to set up shop, because some of them are selling pure JUNK! However, I have found some great deals on purses and wallets and stuff like that. They do have a lot of tools too which my husband likes...I think it's 2.00 now per person to get in.
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Review from Jeff L.
Chicago, IL
8/28/2006
Yes there are two Swap-O-Ramas apparently. And this one isn't that great. I stoped here because I needed a quick present for my cousin, while I was driving out to her house. So I figured "Flea Market sounds good." And I was very dissapointed. I've been to the Swap-O-Rama in Alsip a few times, and this one wasn't as good by far. I was able to find a talking The Tick 12 inch action figure (high five!!). I'll probobly won't go back to this flea market again. Maybe the one is Alsip instead, but not this Swap-O-Rama location. It just didn't have a good selection of stuff there.
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Review from Sam T.
Chicago, IL
6/13/2007
As far as flea markets go. This one screams Ghetto. Once in a while you find a great deal but unless your looking for used tools, bootlegged music/movies or expired food. Your not gonna find much else.
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Review from Jennifer Q.
Chicago, IL
8/21/2010
I thought this place was friggin awesome!! I'm pretty surprised by the negative reviews. It was a totally positive experience for me! Cute, ethnic beaded sandals for $15 (which I passed on but am now regretting). A 2-pack of camouflage tank tops for $2 (I bought a bunch of them as gifts for members of our morning YMCA boot camp class). Very cool Lady Gaga-esque Virgin Mary-meets-Death statue for $25 which I really, really wanted but found out that Santa Muerte or "St. Death" is used in satanic rituals and that scared me a little bit! Plus, the 8 year old kid trying to encourage me to buy it was way to excited about the satanic connection. His dad was a little creepy too. Siiiigh, so I passed. It would have made a really cool decorative piece in my living room, though. However, I didn't want to encourage demons to enter my house a la Paranormal Activity! So, I stuck with the fun stuff: a kitchy Jesus bracelet (to reverse some of that Santa Muerte vibe), cheap sunglasses, and a cute little parasol ($4) to protect myself from the sun since it was so friggin hot that day. The cute little Asian lady in the middle of the market has the cool parasols and cheap tank tops. She has a whole bunch of cheap mass produced stuff. Socks, underwear, undershirts...you name it, she has it. It feels like being in a foreign country. It's a totally unique experience -kinda like an outdoor thrift shop of sorts. I totally want to go back and get me those sandals. I want that statue too but I need someone to come with me to bless it or something!! We need to adopt that little kid, too! LOL
