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I was here this past Saturday. This place is gearing up for the holidays. Right after the OC Fair, the OC Marketplace loses its steam, its vendors, and customers. They're now back with full force, and the holiday things are everywhere. They have pajamas, holiday sweaters, and the fashion booths are really gearing up. But parents, be careful about giving a kid the cheap (4 for $12) T shirts with last decade's designs on them. The "Buttweiser" and "Hang Loose" T shirts were fine when Robbie Van Winkle aka Vanilla Ice (Ice, Ice Baby)" was on the radio. But probably not anymore. These are similar to the tacky shirts you get in Ensenada or other tourist traps. They do have some booths that have more recent clothing overruns from designers, but it's very hit and miss. I saw some all $150 wool women's Christmas sweaters at Macys a few years back and they resurfaced here for $30. I found some Quiksilvers polo shirts a few months back for $20.
The overpriced used auto place is back. If you check car prices on internet sites such as http://Cars.com and in the newspapers, you'll find a lot better deals. I am sure they jack the prices up so they can "cut you a deal". Make sure you get a CarFax report with the auto VIN before you buy anything there.
The three produce vendors is my favorite place to buy fruits and vegetables in OC. They get produce directly from distributors without the overhead of a physical store. Most things are 20-50 less than your grocery store. But buyer beware, some of the items have bruises on them if that bugs you. The best deals this past weekend were the last of the season white nectarines at 12 for $1 at Bruce's Produce. He also had some grapes for $1 a pound, and a three pack of strawberries for $5. Three packs of raspberries were $3 for $4 compared to $3 each at Albertson's. There are three produce vendors right next to each other and that makes for some interesting competition. For the best produce, come early on Satuday. For the best deals, come late Sunday as they don't want to keep stuff if they can sell it for really cheap. Bruce's Produce is my favorite because if you buy a decent amount of stuff, he will give you a ticket to enter the OC Marketplace. That way don't have to pay the $2 per person entry fee. A lot of restaurants and caterers buy from Bruce every Saturday morning as they save money preparing their businesses for the week.
The only place I HATE in the OC Marketplace is the main men's bathroom. There are way too many people that have to use the stalls. You must be able to hold your breath for the entire time you're there, or you may pass out, not a fun thing on a dirty concrete bathroom floor.
To end on a good note, I really like their breakfast items including the burritos. sausage muffins, and awesome cinnamon rolls. If you get there early, they sometimes give out coupons for a free beverage if you buy some breakfast items. They also have churro carts, grilled sausage vendor, and some vendors make that sweet salty popcorn. It's open from 7 1m till 4 PM on weekends, I don't know what will happen when the state of California sells this property they're sitting on. Let's hope they find a new home if the land is sold.
OC M arketplace is not really a swap meet where people hawk their used items and fight tooth, nail,… Read more »
Where do OC's and the Inland Empire's best and brightest converge to shop on sunny southern california weekend days?? Why - the OC swapmeet, of course!
And why not? Last week I needed to pick up some logo T-Shirts, a couple of Rambo Knives, some turkey jerky, an RV and some bamboo wind chimes. I was able to knock out my shopping list in one fell swoop.
It is definitely worth the trip for cheap fresh produce, outstanding tri-tip and multitudinous people watching (multitudinous is so a word).
Every time I'm here I see some kind of artisitc or musical phenomenom performing live.
For $2 you aren't going to get a better experience on this side of the border.
For some reason, I came here thinking this was a swap meet but it's not really a swap meet it's more like a place for local business owners to sell their goods - whatever they may be. Swap meets are for people looking to get rid of stuff at whatever price but this wasn't the case here.
It's well organized and there's plenty of food, drinks, music and pretty much everything. The market place has it all. The down side is it's not cheap. You might find a few deals here or there but it's mostly just a big shopping fest. You pay a $2 entry fee and parking is free on the fairgrounds. Most vendors only take cash so bring cash and bring it ahead of time because I didn't see an ATM. Only a select few take credit cards or checks and they're selling high dollar items like paintings which reminds me that I need to bring a truck or a guy friend to carry all those. I really need something for my bare white walls and this place had great art work.
I know I'll be back for the magnet jewelry, the cool toe rings we found at a bargain, and some art work. I wasn't really into anything else. Well, maybe the Egyptian cotton sheets at 600 thread count that went for $20 cash. That was a really sweet deal.
Other than that, it's great people watching. Where else will you find an 80 year old zip by you on a shopping cart or another woman in daisy dukes and high heels?! Some people just make me wonder.
My first time to the OC Market Place was a learning experience. It's not really a swap meet, but a giant flea market.
After paying the $2 entry fee, it is easy to get overwhelmed by this place. Some things I've learned for next time;
1) If you are looking for perfume, you can get a good deal, but you have to try all 3 or 4 places and see what the vendors are willing to come down to. My perfume retails for $48. The first tent I went to wanted $47 and no bargaining. Seriously? I moved on. I wandered into another tent and a lady was selling it for $43 and offered it to me for $40 cash price. Sold! *on the way out, I stopped in a tent and a guy was selling it for $48.
2) Most vendors will NOT bargain! Their stuff is overpriced and the same price in stores, so it's not really a savings on most things.
3) Beware of the IPOD tent where a guy's kid is also working there. It's somewhere in the middle. It was actually pretty comical. Long's sells a total new age Philips cassette contraption for the ipod.. for the car. I ask the kid and the guy if they had one and no kidding, they pull out a tape that is straight out of 1985 and he actually thought it was a good deal for $12!
4) Plus side.. bathrooms are actually decent! Go figure. They're clean and are cleaned throughout the day.
5) Word to the wise. You will see a lot of the same tents of stuff over and over. Some of the cool ones.. i.e. the kitchen gadgets.. there's lots of them.. so, do a walk through first and then circle back. Some of them are cheaper than others.
6) The fresh produce and food areas in the back were really cool.
7) If it's supe hot outside, forget it! The tents get to be 20 degrees hotter!
I was thinking about which day I wanted to go to the fair, and then I got a little sad thinking about missing the OC marketplace. I have been here a few times recently, and a bunch of times around Christmas (because this is the perfect place to buy surface friends and family members gifts!, gosh that sounds terrible). It's only two dollars two get in, parking is free and you can definitely make that two dollars back just by eating samples of delicious fruit, nuts and beef jerky!
My favorite things here:
-Accessories, accessories, accessories! Hats and scarves and sunglasses, oh my ! These are the kinds of things and the kinds of prices that even if you wear them only a few times, it's totally worth it! You can usually find cheap sunglasses for 2 for $10, suhweet!
-Razor blades: A 20 pack of Venus blades for 15 dollars.......yes, especially since they don't sell the replacement blades at Costco anymore!
-All hair products: no matter what the brand, no matter what the specifics, your hair products WILL be cheaper here, the only down side is looking at all the booths to find the specific one.
-Looking at all the outdoor furniture, outdoor kitchens and tiki bars for my non-existent/imaginary backyard.
-Cooking gadgets and kitchen supplies: there is everything here that you never thought you wanted, from a gingerbread man shaped bundt pan to brightly colored silicon bakeware to adorable measuring cups shaped like fruit.
Other stuff that is featured at the OC marketplace is: jewelry, clothes, socks, golf shirts, leather, ugg boots, your usual broware (ed hardy, west coast choppers, and iron cross, yeck), belts, 99 cent store style toys, those stupid etched glass paper weights or whatever they are, and of course tons and tons of handmade crafting goodies that I love! We also bought our beach cruisers here last Christmas for about 180 bucks and they have a great selection of styles, colors and speeds and we haven't had any problems with them thus far! In fact, we love them. I love the OC marketplace, two dollars for a day of wandering fun, I love it !
Oh, go to the bread truck and try the cinnamon bread!
Swapmeets are a super cool thing in my book. Where else can you get bagels, produce, kid ID tags, knock off clothes, silk plants, and tons of other junk all in one place? That's right: at the swapmeet.
I like the Orange County Marketplace, but it's not my favorite swapmeet. I actually think that "swapmeet" is a bit of a misnomer for the Orange County Marketplace. It's more of an outdoor mall. Everything is new; there are no vendors that sell piles of old cool junk that you have to go through. Also, many like vendors have the same products.
Christa M., Jeff V. and I all went today and found some cool stuff, but nothing that makes you really feel like trodding up and down tons of asphalt aisles in the hot sun made it worth it.
I was disappointed with my OC Marketplace experience. Very few deals to be had in mine and the boss's opinion.
Me rikey:
Free tickets for the Easter party thing
Cheap socks! (we purchased several pairs)
Cheap used books
Low pressure browsing
Fresh produce at good prices
No crowds in the early morning
Coupon for free admission next time (next time?)
Me NO rikey:
Too many similar shops
Most items are overpriced
Unwillingness to negotiate!! (I want a f*ckin deal! Let's talk)
Disinterested vendors
Ridiculous crowds starting late morning
SALES TAX?!
The sales tax thing really chaps my hide. *Hey! 2 bundles of socks for $8?! That is aweso...oh there's sales tax that's $9.0194103*
Dammit.
Probably the best swap meet in California, though numero uno goes to the swap meet at Aloha Stadium in Hawaii.
So many vendors, yet so little time. If I were a local, I'd pay the $2.00 bones to get all of my household and personal needs here. Everything from 2 for $10 sunglasses, $1.00 household wares, 3-piece sectionals and complete bedroom sets for a fraction of the retail price, an assortment of mens and womens clothing (though, some of it is just straight up tacky), a huge variety of gourmet foods, sweet cruiser bicycles for $199, knock off sports memorabilia.. the list goes on. I came up on some great organic hummus (3 for $10), jalapeno cheese bread sticks, knock off gladiator sandals that are actually pretty fucking cute, a ton of sunglasses, random household stuff, an awesome word find puzzle book and more..
My only complaint: while the market is a huge spread, the variety seemed somewhat nominal.. same shit, different vendor.. or not.
Swap Meets are in my blood- when I was a kid, my parents were regular vendors and they dragged me and my brother every Saturday and Sunday morning to help set up, sell and break down the booths. I am sure there is a violation of child's rights some where in there, but I guess I turned out normal, so I can't complain :oP
This swap meet is nicer than the other ones that I've been to. All of the booths carry new items, where as the other ones that I have been to are kinda like traveling garage sales with old and used stuff.
I agree with Melissa C. in that there are like 10 Sham Wow booths and fiance and I make bets on who we think sells the most based on presentation skills- we agreed that probably the Asian guy with the thick accent sells the least (no offense Asian guy).
A lot of the booths are duplicates, like the massive beauty supply one and the clothing ones (which sell Ed Hardy- look a likes). Fiance's fav booth is the knife one whose owner takes his job way too seriously- dude, lighten up, it's a knife... I like the produce booths in back corner- the fruits and veggies are fresh and are priced well.
So why the 3-stars?
- I wish the snack bar food was better in quality and cheaper in price. Think movie food.
- Nothing is a real steal here. The shampoo and toiletries are priced maybe a dollar or so under retail.
Tip:
- Go on an inclement weather day, it's FREE!
Having been visitors few times, my family decided to bring our unique merchandise to set up sale there with the price that customers cannot believe or course it is not $1 or $2. We sells real pearl jewelry and crystal and silver and custom made jewelry at a reasonable price you can say wholesale. I heard a few lady who came to our stall last week and said the prices were great. Sure they will come back for more high quality jewelry. Others said the styles are sooooooo update. Yes, we also do designing. To continue to enjoy good price with high quality jewelry to stay good looking and feeling, do visit them and keep them in business. Email me and I can tell where they are going...
To be vendor there, there are many regulations, restrictions. If there is business, it will be OK, however, the overheads are not cheap for a day and the business hours are too short.
We found that the vendors are very nice however, the workers at the booth of the information counter has a Godly attitude. They are so rude with no personality. I suggest, if they are tired of the job, go for a hike or find another one. Why force themselves inside the room with an ass-like face. This did not happen once but every time I walked up to their office. Other vendors said the same.
I was also told that the business there has been soooooooo slow that many venodrs are having difficult times and have been complaining. Well! Perhaps this gold mine idea has given not only the owner such attitude but also those who work there for him. Since California is so poor now, they may consider helping the States out.
This thing is freakin' GINORMOUS-
Where else would you be able to buy
-furniture
-food
-clothing
-car accessories
-office supplies
-a haircut
-a HOUSE?????
I would say take a look at the map at the entrance if you're looking for something in particular (produce, in our case)... Or else you'll be wandering through the aisles, wondering what direction you're even heading in. And one of the produce stalls occasionally gives out guest tickets when you buy something, which is super awesome in my book.
Ok, seriously, we are here every weekend. Or at least every other weekend, or sometimes twice in the same weekend. Once, we came twice in the same day.
Anyhow, love this place. Where else can you open the beer stands at 10a.m. and walk around getting drunk and buying totally random things. Maybe Vegas, but thats a drive.
I usually get all my produce here for the week, they have some great farmers market booths on the first row. Many of the food venders offer free samples. Anything from cinnamon bread to beef jerky. Fruits and veggies can be a great deal.
Typical fair food is available if you get hungry. The taquitos are amazing as well as the carrnitas tacos. Pizza is so-so never had the burgers or fries. The churro cart by the food court makes the biggest and the best churros I've ever had. They are not those skinny, thin sticks that taste like cardboard. Be prepared to share one of these suckers.
Most of the wares are new, lots of clothing and furniture. Some items are unique. They have various booths around that sell things like lotions and hair care products, make-up sun screen, etc... These can be a steal sometimes. Always stock up on my favorite lotions and such.
Come prepared in the summer with lots of water. There is very little shade here and you will be walking alot. We even invested in one of those little carts that you can push aroud. Had it so full once the front wheels stopped rotating.
Never a dull time here, great way to kill a few hours or even a whole day.
Tip: come late on Sundays and the produce is super cheap. Many times they will load up boxes and sell the whole box for like $6.00.
The bread van sells the best pizza bagels and cinnamon bread.
This market place has so much potential to be so much better with the big perameter that it holds but it lacks so much. As some other people mentioned, this place doesn't really have much vintage stuff compared to other market places. It feels more like a junk yard sale that people pay to sell their stuff here instead of doing that in their front yard. There is really nothing that interests me. I come here for the food section. And boy are they limited as well.
The only good thing is they have loads of vendors who sell beef jerky!! I'm a jerky kinda gal so it was a great find for me. You can sample it all before buying it as well; they have precut little bits for you to sample. They have it all; from sweet to sweet and sour to spicy to flaming mouth watering hot hot hot. Being a person that loves spicy stuff, I was bold and wanted to try their hottest (habenero times 3). Seriously it is not for the faint of hearts as it sets your mouth on fire and will have you crying and downing a gallon of milk before you even finish the strip. It is pretty expensive though, I believe they sell it upwards of $15/bag. It is tender and yummy so I tend to grab a few when I make my once in a while visit.
Parking is bad and I never knew you had to pay an entrance fee, booo (I'm used to going into ones that are free for all).
How many versions of the Sham-WOW can there possibly be? I don't know, but at least ten varieties of this ubiquitous item are sold all over the OC Marketplace.
This is still a great place to come for $10 sunglasses and cheap fruit, and it's a hell of a way to spend a nice day on Sunday, but the merchandise is all kind of the same all over. Most of the places selling plants are selling fake plants, most of the clothing is closeout stuff from Old Navy sold at a markup, and the sunglasses are all bad knockoffs.
That's not to say that I didn't appreciate this year's free tickets from the OC Fair that I just used, or the coupons for free preferred parking and a free homemade churro that I got in the mail this month, but I really can't see myself coming here more than once or twice a year. Now that there's an As Seen On TV store at the mall, I hardly need to come here to buy the stuff.
The OC Markteplace is the best (and most legit) Swap Meet in Orange County. Only $2 to get in,… Read more »
It's another version of the Golden West swap meet. We came here yesterday afternoon and it was my first time. May in fact not come back for a while. I didn't find anything that was worth my looking into. Oh. I did fins a little credenza but unfortunately it was too small. They offer an endless amount of cheap clothing that looked like you can get at a Toda Moda store. Just cheap. If you want fresh vegetables then they have that here. I did dig that the food vendors. They had elotes (Mexican corn on a stick where they smear mayo and cheese and chili on) ... good stuff.. I didn't have any because I was full.... They also have raspado's (a Mexican version of the flavored ice snow cone) just tons of good Mexican food. It felt like I was on 4th street again in downtown Santa Ana.
Any hoot.. If you desire vintage clothing I am sorry but you will not find it here. It was like new crap that was just boring and yard sale junk.... The food like I said looked good.
Now that I live closer to the Fairgrounds, I had the opportunity to go to the Orange County Market Place with my fiancee. They are open every Saturday and Sunday (except during Fair Time) from 7 am to 4 pm. Although I wish they offered not only more, but a better assortment of food selections, I was still pleased with the food samples. It reminded me of Costco, just more on a competitive level.
Samples make a difference. I bought two different kinds of ice tea (apricot, papaya, strawberry and guava peach), garlic and jalapeno stuffed olives, and pickled string green beans. I liked that almost every time I made a purchase I was given a daily guest pass for free admission to return to the OC Market Place.
Although there were not as many vendors, because of the unpredictability of the weather, there were still many good deals to be found (e.g., 5 shirts for $20). I just have to remember to bring more cash next time, as not many vendors have the ability to accept credit cards :(
I know I'm going to come off all "bougie" and whatnot, but seriously, I hate this place with a capital H.
Well, let me rephrase that. I am super in love with the fresh squeezed lemonade at the stand in the middle of the Marketplace. There's a whole chunk of lemon comfortably chilling in the bottom of the giant cup.
However, I really don't see anything of value, for the most part, to purchase here. Maybe I'm just a lousy bargain shopper but getting ancient cosmetics or dollar items just doesn't appeal to me. Granted the cosmetics are cheap but having worked with the fresh version in a normal store, I can assure you that those are beyond past their prime. The boxes are all bleached from the sun and dusty from age. Bleh. I don't my health and my body is worth saving a couple bucks by shopping at this place.
Really, when you've seen one stall here, you've seen it all. The same plastic kiddy pail and the same fake tree is at every other stand. Fake sunglasses for $15? Great, considering they're damaging your eyes by having poor UV protection (despite the official looking sticker on the front) and zero quality control.
Plus, I rather have a cheaper no-name handbag than a crappy knockoff. Anyone familiar with it can spot it right off the bat and anyone who can't tell isn't worth impressing with your "Louis Buitton" or your "Fenni."
The only reason why I ever checked out this place was because I got in for free with the Pet Expo admission (back a while ago). Would I pay even a dollar? Probably not.
Although, that was some good lemonade. Two stars for that.
The OC Market Place is great. I go at least once a month and get some beef jerky. AZ Jacks Beef Jerky is there every weekend!
What's wrong with swap meets these days? I miss my counterfeits, bootlegs, burned, ripped and copied merchandise. This place is so clean the vendors actually pay their taxes. What gives?
Seriously though, come here if you need cheap white tees and fitted hats. Plenty of parking, decent crowd behavior.
Love, love, LOVE the swapmeet. It's saved me quite a few bucks over the years and is a terrific alternative to laundry or household chores on a weekend morning.
In my humble opinion, here's what's worth a look:
1. Hair products. Short of bumble and bumble, most of the salon brands can be found here for a much better deal than you get at the beauty supply. I buy all my Pureology and Bed Head stuff here, and it seems like I'm saving at least 25%. The stuff is easy to find, as there are two permanent structures, one on each side of the grounds. If you're game to dig a little more, you might find what you're looking for at one of the other stands for a few bucks less.
2. OPI nail polish. This is available at the same place as the hair products, also for less than you'd normally pay.
3. Razor blades. Random, I know, but I haven't paid full price for razor blades in years. Prices vary from stand to stand, but most brands are available and I always pay half of what I'd pay at Target.
4. Trendy accessories. This is the stuff (belts, hats, headbands, scarves, etc.) you buy on impulse at a shop, wear it once, and a month later wonder why you bought it. You might as well buy it here and pay a lot less.
5. The Italian ice stand!
6. The produce and bagel stands.
7. Watch repair. Get your watch battery replaced for 3 bucks.
8. The random things that aren't always here , and, even if they are, you only find when you hunt. For instance, MAC Lipglass for $10. Gift-with-purchase size Lancome, Estee Lauder, and Clinique creams for a couple bucks. An iPod docking station/speaker tube for $20. A surprisingly good Fendi spy replica for $25. Cool handmade silver jewelry. A five pack of loofah sponges for $1. Chuck Taylors for $25.
Also, in my humble opinion, here's what's not:
1. Clothing. Generally low-quality and overpriced. No vintage, and mostly bro-style. And when I do spot something I like, it's always at a stall where I can't try it on.
2. Electronics. I was pricing Bluetooth headsets and a lot of these were selling for more than at Best Buy. And, if something doesn't work, you're SOL.
3. Handbags. For the most part WAY overpriced or really, really poor knockoffs.
4. Perfume. There are a MILLION perfume stands here. I bought some once, and am convinced that even though it was fully packaged and looked authentic, it was totally watered down. Not worth it.
5. Anything that might expire. That sunscreen or deodorant or toothpaste might be tempting at fifty cents, but it may be 5 years old!
Great for people-watching too, if you're into that sort of thing. Easily the closest thing you'll find to a "melting pot" in Orange County.
One can easily spend a good 2-3 hours walking around looking at all the various vendors here. A nice way to get a little exercise on a hot summer day. Although I personally try to get there about a half hour to an hour after they open, get me shopping done and over with before the marine layer burns off.
It's a good place to pick up random items that you are looking for and plenty more than you weren't and honestly don't need in the first place. I usually hit up the beef jerky and nut places on the outer aisle. I admit that the former is a little of expensive side for what they give you, but it's so good. Need a pair of socks? How about 3 pairs? It's a much better deal that way. Two pairs of Converse for $40? You pay $35-$40 for one in the stores. Fruits, Veggies, Incense, Sheep Skin Carseat Covers, Rugs, T-shirts, Cheap Knockoff toys. Want someone to clean your shoes? They have it all.
Only costs you $2 to get in and parking is free.
My favorite thing to do while there is to get a corndog and some lemonade from one of the carts scattered around the place. They make some nice tasting lemonade. :)
The last thing I can remember purchasing there that wasn't food related was my bicycle. Which I love. We got it specifically for the Long Beach Pride Parade in 2006, because you certainly can't drive and it's
too far to walk from The Ocho to the parade especially when you've filled yourself up with Pride Tang :D
Again this is such a well worth it place to go, even if it all your going to do is walk around and look at everyone/everything.
I loves me the OC Marketplace. Been going since I was a wee lad, and now that I live close, I try to go more often.
Only $2 to get in and just walking around to look at the assortment of products is worth it. Yes, there is plenty of crap, but there are plenty of bargains, and seriously, almost every pair of socks I own come from this place.
Who can resist the lemonade? Yes, made with real lemons and way too much sugar, but oh so good. And plenty of other decent food shacks around (plus plenty'o beer stands).
One of the best things about here are the few different produce stands that are here serving up some great fruits and veggies. Usually in the afternoon, 2:30 or so, they start marking down the already great prices. This past weekend I got 2 large bags of squash, 2 containers of blueberries, 1 small container of raspberries, 5 peaches, a mango, and a bag of peppers for $9.50. Excellent.
Went here shortly after Woody's Diner. It's the 2nd time I've been in the last three years. Unfortunately on this day it was BLAZING hot and the vendors all seemed to have the same thing every 3rd vendor. It was more like the furniture, sunglasses 2 for $9.99, and picture swap meet. And to top it off the highlight of the trip (The old fashioned soda stand) stood closed! =(
The plus is my friend did get head! Three times for $8.00 each
Maybe next time!
Well, back in the day, this used to be the place for used items (think tools, records, etc.), like a real swapmeet. Now, its like the 99 cent store!
If you want discounted perfume, overnight bags, expensive beef jerky, good & cheap fruits & veggies (real good!! My faves), t shirts, bagels, and home made fare, and actual artists paintings - wiht the artist sitting there. You will like this place, it's pretty darn clean too. Parking is now free. Bring the kids to the very cool bouncy climbing slid thing. Its awesome for grown ups too! LOL
BRING CASH! Some vendors accept Credit cards, but the deals are always CASH, and I noticed last weekend that fewer of them accept credit cards as usual due to the high cost of them.
Love this place!
I used to hate this place when I was a kid... my mom would drag me here and I would just follow her everywhere.. just waiting for the second that we would get back to the car.. 15 years later I now realize why she came here so much! (I guess cheapness does run in the blood)
I wish I were able to come here more often.. so many good finds and great deals! My best friend and I came in just to wander around and do a little shopping and we ended up spending around $100 combined.. haha. Very unexpected, indeed. As a college student (or any one that loves great deals), this is a great place to get some cool shit for cheap! Of course there are always the higher end (real designer) sunglasses stands but there are also a handful of other stands that are like 2 for $15. So there is definitely a large range in selection of goods here. The food is great too! I could not resist that chocolate-vanilla swirl of frozen yogurt for under $2 on a hot sunny day.
My boss gets all her clothes from here.
Although it's not the best quality of clothing you can find. It's affordable, trendy stuff.
You can buy professional hair products, food, get hair cuts, buy a car, pet supplies, hair accessories, furniture... almost everything!
I really liked their corn caramel puffs. It's like a cheetos puff with crunchy caramel on the outside. I really don't know how to explain it, but it's yummy yummy!
I absolutely love the OC Swapmeet at the Fairgounds. One thing I don't like is paying for admission--I'm not sure why we need to pay a dollar to spend more money inside... shouldn't the vendors be paying a fee to rent out the space? -1/4th of a star! =(
...so that's 4.75 left. But I'm giving this place 4 stars even. Although I enjoy coming here because of all the wide variety of useful things being sold here, I find that if you do not know how to bargain, you may be paying retail or even more (!) for products. Discounted products have been known to be OLD (shampoo, hair products, facial products, shoes [though unworn, has been sitting in a warehouse for a long time])... -1 star!
That would equal to 3.75 stars--but I will add in the 1/4th star back in for the produce side of the swapmeet. Fruits and veggies are cheap and large. I love buying watermelon and strawberries here! Flowers are nice too! -- big bouquets for a good price.
p.s. Free Admission if you save your OC Fair tickets from this year-- on the back of the ticket, you will see that it is actually an admission to the OC Market Place for when they open up again after the OC Fair is over! :) COOL!
We'd never been to the swap meet here before so since we were in the area, hubby wanted to stop by and browse a bit. I'm not a fan of swap meets, never have and never will. From the one in San Jose, CA, to the one at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, I've never really found them to have anything worth buying. Still, the one in Honolulu does have stuff you can give as gifts for friends and family living on the mainland.
This swap meet was no different. Preferred parking costs $3 which was fine by me. I didn't want to walk a mile when I can walk a few hundred yards. Luckily we didn't have to pay entrance fee ($2 each for adults/kids under 12 are free) due to having the right ID for that particular day. Note: residents of certain cities get free entrance on certain weekends and a list is posted at the entrance gate. If you need more information you can contact them -- get info from their website.
We had a bratwurst which cost $4.95 and it was really average, yet the lines for the food vendors were so long I lost my patience waiting. The produce vendors were okay, but again, more expensive and less appealing than the farmers markets.
If you like flea markets go for it. Otherwise, don't bother.
The best swap meet I've ever been to. The fruit and veggies are super cheap. Cool booths, not a lot of crap like other swap meets around. But the best thing about the OC swap meet is the Churro trailer. They make the best churros that I've ever had in my life. I know, you are probably thinking, a churro's a churro, but NO...these are made fresh, unlike the kind they have at the little carts-( where they are frozen and heated up), these are made from fresh dough and fried inside the actual trailer. Also, they are twice the size of the cart ones...they are longer and thick...the second best churro that I've had is at Costco.
OC Market Place I think is a unique place to shop because:
1. They sell upscale cars inside the swap meet
2. It's where I was introduced to pizza bagels
3. The smell of BBQ chicken will drive you insane trying to find it
4. If you come before 8:00 AM, YOU GET IN FREE!
5. Parking is always free.
6. Great place for a shopping scavenger hunt.
7. Karaoke! At the swap meet!!
8. You need a painting for your bare wall? They got 'um. Even Elvis in velvet if your lucky.
This is a very good, once-a-month, gotta do this thing. It's really cool to bring out of town visitors to.
The highlights of a stroll through this swap meet:
-Ice cold beer on tap
-Churros the size of baseball bats (don't buy them from the carts)
-Cheap sunglasses
-The produce aisle at the southern end of the property has an incredible selection.
-The live entertainment is really, good or it's really, really schlocky
-The Krylon spray paint guy was worth the price of admission in itself. With a non-filtered smoke hanging from his mouth and Linkin Park just BLARING from his boom box, this guy would create serious, bad ass artwork with spray paint, fire, pie tins and newspaper. (not there any more)
-I have bought furniture at this swap meet. Great selection, many vendors.
-The people watching is the best you can find for two bucks on a summer day.
Start from the northern end, hit the beer line and walk back and forth to the southern end. Hit the churro trailer near the taco concession.
Life is good in Orange County.
Whoops! The OC Marketplace is good for all the things I have mentioned previously. Except the part about the purchase of big ticket items from less than honorable vendors.
My petite red-headed passion flower and I have learned a valuable lesson. A 1200 dollar one at that. We purchased a sectional sofa that within 6 months was creaking & groaning every time you sat down or got up. We just lived with it until finally we got fed up. The frame is literally wiggling apart. As luck would have it, the vendor was no longer in business. We approached the staff of the Fairgrounds with our issue and this sent us down a path strewn with roadblocks and frustration. The vendor that ultimately took responsibility for the issue flaked on multiple occasions in his commitment to resolve the issue, leading us to throw up in the towel in frustration. Explaining our story three different times to three different staff members and documenting our issue with the staff at OC Marketplace got us absolutely NOWHERE. In conclusion, while the staff at the OC Marketplace wasn't exactly a hindrance in our efforts, they weren't exactly helpful either.
Buyer beware! Space J132 and G179 is just a plain rip off.
I've been to swapmeets and flea markets before and some of them were very interesting shopping venues - some even downright scary. But this is unlike any other open air market I've been to before. Let's just say, they do in OC style.
As Melissa C. mentions, the entrance fee is only $2. Parking is free, unless that section gets completely filled, then you have to pay for parking. Luckily enough, when we arrived, we found a spot close to the entrance.
So as we walk in, I'm looking around and seeing things I'm not used to seeing at a typical swap meet. For one, people are walking around with plastic cups full of micro-brew beer. People are milling around the Hummers and Saabs available for sale. Women are getting their haircut at two separate beauty salons (I was told these are permanent structures and are there all the time). Women are browsing around designer handbag and sunglass booths. Men are eyeing the the designer sunglasses too.
Don't get me wrong. You can still find those $1 bargin bins here. But, they're next door to the other expensive booths. I guess the $1 bins are there for the true bargain seekers. To sort of give us the illusion that we're at a real flea market.
Okay, am I at a typical open air market? The answer is no, we're not in Kansas anymore Toto. I'm in the OC where the swap meet is a lot cleaner, more organized, and less busy (unless you get there after noon when the busines begins to pick up).
There was a section to get farmer's market items. There were samples all over the place ranging from beef and turkey jerky to bagels, and fresh produce. You could even get a full meal here at the Orange County Market Place, because they had actual eating areas to sit down and rest your weary bones from walking.
This is a swap meet with style and class. It's not like other ones where you're fighting the crowds from the get-go and walking on dirt, passing by live animals for slaughter, etc. It's a cleaner and friendlier market place.
There are few things more fun and awesomely white trash then walking around the Swap Meet at nine in the morning with a cold beer. I always find the coolest crap here and I have gotten tons of compliments on my cheapie McCheap sunglasses that I purchased here. They may be frying my eyes from the lack of UV Protection but dammit if they don't look fucking cute. One thing that is an absolute MUST whenever I come here is to go to the Carnitas stand and get a chicken taco. Holy shit. It's just two tortillas, some amazing shredded chicken and a big ol' scoop of pico de gallo and it pretty much rocks my face off. I only had one bad experience here and that was when a beetle landed on my head and I wore the thing as a hat for God knows how long before I realized and freaked the fuck out. The experience nearly scarred me for life, but Swap Meet, I still love you!!!!
Oh the swap meet! Theres nothing quite like the OC "Marketplace". It's one of the best places to get your gawk on.
I think it's worth it for the produce, though. You can find good fruits and veggies for pennies, really! And if you go towards the end of the day (2pm-ish), prices get even lower. You can even practice your bartering skills!
My reasons for visiting the swap meet:
1. Get a corn dog with loads of mustard. The bomb...
2. Sample some beef jerky but don't buy any. Too expensive
3. Get cheap produce
4. Stock up on bagels. They have 3 different places that sell them.
5. Hit up the Greek condiment vendor. Try the sun-dried tomato creme cheese. Wow.
6. Walk around and look at all the hot OC chicks.
7. Drink a few beers.
8. Get another corn dog with tons of mustard. I like mustard.
$2 to get in...worth it.
I can't believe I'm the first to review this place!
I spent an entire morning getting lost in this place. Literally, I got lost about three times before figuring out which way was up.
This is a fun place to spend a lazy weekend looking around at random clothes, shoes, junk, cars, cosmetics, furniture, art, food etc. in the typical flea market set up.
Parking is free but its 2 bucks to get into the market. Get there early because the lot fills up quick and it starts to get really busy by noon.
here's the website: http://www.ocmarketpla...
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