De Anza Flea Market

Pretty decent medium-​sized flea market on the De Anza campus. Free entry, but $ 5 to park. Open the first Saturday of each month, rain or shine. About two hours worth of entertainment and shopping.
The balance of dollar store/​Walmart remainders to unique/​vintage/​garage sale falls a little too much to the former than to the latter. But… you may find a few surprises.
Two hours and about $ 12 gave me several post-​punk vinyl records, vintage men’s costume jewelry (cufflinks, tie clips, collar bar), an old leather-​bound prayer book. My friend picked up a pocket knife and wool socks. My wife found a home-​made infinity scarf, mid-​century lady’s hat and a (bad) cup of coffee.

Holy shit this is the mother lode of EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN! I am blown away by how much history and vintage items there were. Thank god I only brought $ 20 and went home with an empty wallet. I will definitely return.

Junk is someone elses treasures. Nothing unique here as its set up like a mini walmart selling uggs boots.
Food is gross carnival kind — all fried and disgusting.
One coffee vendor actually serve espresso drinks near the tuff shed shack.
I can’t believe how trashy the stuff these vendors are trying to sell.
Buyer Beware!

I’ve been to a handful of flea markets, ranging from Berryessa, Ohlone College, Laney College, the one in Oakland that you can see from 880, Concord, and even one in Florida. With each one, I’ll usually have some type of gripe — admission fee, parking fee, too ghetto, too small, too hipster, too much of the same crap (umbrella hats, cell phone cases, stuff that the janitors swiped from work — i.e. giant paper towel rolls, garbage bags, industrial toilet paper).
I recently discovered the De Anza Flea Market about 6 months ago. It’s probably one of the better flea markets I’ve been to and one that I won’t mind frequenting again.
Pros:
–Very clean and organized. Parking lot isn’t dirty and you have nice organized rows of sellers. Place feels like a safe place to shop.
–Great size and number of sellers. For the average casual shopper, you could probably spend 2 hours here. I have no clue how many sellers were actually there, though their website advertises 800+.
–Diverse selection of vendors; little bit of everything. New stuff, used stuff — tools, household items, Avon mini trailer, antiques, collectibles, garage sale seller with random crap, plants, clothing, toys, jewelry, etc.
–The two times I’ve been here, I’ve found sellers give away stuff for free (marked box in the aisle at end of the day). The items weren’t that valuable, but I thought this was interesting as I seldom saw this happening at other swap meets.
Cons:
–It’s only open the first Saturday of every month, rain or shine.
–You have to pay for parking; I’ve never parked in the paid lots, so don’t know the fee. It could be $ 5 (?). Beware, some folks park in areas on campus that don’t have a parking attendant and think they’ve scored a free spot. No, you have to pay — I wandered through the lot and about 1 in 3 cars had a parking ticket. Even witnessed the cop writing out a ticket. For free parking, try across the street — it’s not difficult to find an area to park. There’s a senior complex not too far away that has open parking on weekends.
–Haggling; they seem to be less open to negotiating here. I didn’t experience this firsthand, but someone I was with said they had a hard time haggling with their few purchases.
–Not sure if this is a con for most, but if you’re hungry, food options are limited. Probably only saw 1 or 2 food stands.
Overall, this is definitely one of the better swap meets in the Bay Area.

De Anza unfortunately has more vendors selling items you could find at Walmart (socks, cheap jewelry, cheap perfumes, plants, etc.) than those selling unique goods. The size of the market is pretty large– you could definitely spend a solid few hours wandering around. But you’ll soon find that the stands selling random crap outnumber the ones with interesting goods. The market’s also lacking in food options. There were less than a handful of food vendors– one sold overpriced Asian noodles and wraps, one generic stand offered everything ranging from hot dogs to papusas– although one inconspicuous Mexican stand cooked up some surprisingly good tamales.

Its been 4 years and the state of California is still contacting me saying I need to make a tax report on the business license this market made me get to sell here. I tell them every year that it was a one time deal back in 2010. Yet, they still come after me. NIGHTMARE!!!

A mixture of garage-​sale like booths, etsy-​like booths, and antique/​plant booths. There are a bunch of cheap things, and you don’t have to look far to find something you’d be interested in! Some of the booths though have rather shabby, «why are these things here» things…

Amazing deals! Love!
As flea markets go, this is the only one we’ll go to. It’s been great to load up on tons of Hot Wheels or whatever the kids seem to be into at the moment. Lots and lots of used kids toys for sale. The food is crazy expensive and the parking is to, but sometimes it’s worth it depending on the deals you get!

It was my first time there last Saturday and I wish I had more time to stay longer. We got there early and had no issues with parking for 5 bucks. There were many vendors selling both new and used items. I saw a great deal on lithium batteries, which was a pack of 10 batteries (various types) for a buck! Bring a cart because you’ll come across items you’ll buy just because they’re so cheap. While you’re there, try the churros, bet you can’t have just one. Along with the perfect weather, it was a great experience all around.

Love the vendors. The parking is a rip off. My son’s high school had their graduation at De Anza-​we parents were told «Oh Don’t worry its a special event no permits needed, etc.» as they rented Flint Center. As in PAID FOR IT.
All of us were ticketed and no appeals were overturned. For the flea, the parking attendants scurry away somewhat early and then one is at the mercy of the oft broken machines to buy a parking ticket. Love the vendors and the vibe, but the parking and the salivating college cops ready to write tickets (hey where are they when the machines are broken?) are a major downer.

I used to love that they had so many different vendors with vintage treasures. Now not so much :(There are a lot of those vendors with them $ 1 and $ 2 boxes full of crap!!! If you have a little girl there are a couple of stands with bows and tutus. Now for boys they have a couple of stands with comics and POPS :)

Great variety of goods for sale. Some new stuff, some old stuff but not necessarily crap like at other local flea markets. We spent about two hours having only made it half way through because we ended up buying enough to fill my small car. Great deals on clothes, furniture, plants and useful housewares.
For sure coming back next month!

On to better reviews!
I haven’t been to De Anza in a long time and have meant to go back to their first Saturday of the month flea market for, honestly a couple of years now. I have no problem getting up early, going across town, there are other issues against me. I’d love to be able to sell here.
Ages ago, I went to the «University of Cupertino» for awhile and my first serving job was at the Marie Calendars nearby that lay dormant for years before being dozed over to become what looks to be some themed restaurant.
Right away, I was happy about the shade in the parking lots. While I saw expansion the last time I was around campus, the solar panels are new to me. I wish not only every parking lot was like this, but all the streets could be covered. But it’s the damn drunk drivers and lead foots that ruin progress for the rest of us.
I saw so may booths that had great things. I’ve been to Berryessa flea and they have that half that’s all prefab knockoff stuff that’s clearly sweatshop stuff. Ever want the cops walking around to arrest them just for that? The De flea doesn’t have (many) booths like that.
And they still run a food stand among other vendors that come out. Are there ever any food truck gatherings? That’d be cool.
One thing that was odd was the vendors got restless and started packing it in around 2:00PM. That’s understandable when it’s hot out, but it was breezy out and again, shaded lot areas. One day a month, you should be able to hang out til 4:00, huh? I know die hard shoppers can show up before sunrise, but I got there at 10: and felt like I had to rush thru things near the last ¼ of my circuit.
Thought about going back to De Anza, maybe start off with independent studies to get some enrollment seniority for on campus later. I wonder how things have changed curriculum-​wise?
I still have some of those sick cool disease bookmarks. They still have those?

This is one of the best fleas in the Bay Area.
One of the reasons for that is, unlike the Berryessa Flea, the vendors are forced to come and go, and can’t rent «permanent» spaces, so there’s a nice influx of both new (mostly Made in China crap) and old garage-​sale finds.
And it’s huge. I love it. There’s always something really fascinating here. If you’re into the «hunt», this is a great ride.
And the solar panels in the parking lot provide some welcome intermittent shade spots to take a break from el sol.
I love the eclectic mix of people and things. You can see some real oddballz here from time to time. I’ve met a couple of memorable people here (a good memorable, as in likable misfits). Maybe you will too.
$ 5 parking. Get there EARLIER rather than later!!! And bring your «Old Lady Wheeled Grocery Cart» with a liner in it. You’ll be glad you did.
And you get exercise. You’ll need it if you go to one of the food stands, believe me. Those churros are especially evil, but oh, do they ever hurt so good.

Every first Saturday of the month I think to myself –What will I haul home today?
I find the most awesome, random and useful things here!
Parking: $ 5/​vehicle
Entrance: Free
Food: Average price (The Gyro is a must try!)
TIP: Bring your own drinks! Sodas are $ 1.50, water and Gatorade are about the same!
The vendors here sell new and used items. I have purchased a handful of beautiful soft scarves to useful things I need like markers, coat hangers, lighters and such for ½ the market price! I recently purchased a beat up aluminum baseball bat and ball for $ 1 a piece! What a steal! It’s a great place to spend some outdoor time with the little ones as they will find some pretty neat toys as well! But be careful, some vendors will try sell you broken, or overpriced toys! Toys are the worst because they know, parents have soft spots for their children.
TIP: Everything is a learning experience. Let them have a little bit of independence. I give my son cash before we go and tell him he can buy whatever he wants there but mind his spending because I will not give him anymore while we are there. This way, he learns to manage some money, be more responsible, learn some bargaining skills and I won’t have to hear «Mommmmyyy pplleeaaasssee! I want it!» Haha. I do however tell him to let me know what he’s getting first so I know he’s not getting jipped!
They also sell great house decors, sports team clothing, and plenty of useful things you don’t want to pay full price for, like arts and crafts things, holiday cards, wrapping paper, and lots of other DIY items!
Reminder: Bring cash! ATM machines are available but of course, who wants extra fees?
And don’t forget to bring your reusable bags! And sunnies!

Omg, i always buy so much stuff I don’t need here, so for that reason I could give it 1 star but that isn’t fair now, is it? Makeup, purses, GREAT food, housewares. The occasional person just selling crap. I wish they didnt have people do estate sales here cause it can be just plain junk. But its worth it! Thanks to Deanza I love the first Saturday of the month!
–1 star for a crappy parking situation!

This was my second visit to the flea market in several years. I checked the website for hours, directions, and parking info. Hours said 8a-​4p so we arrived at 1:45p. Don’t do that! Some stalls were already packed up and gone, and others were in the process.
We scurried through like we were an hour glass. Only so much time to scan and buy.
The big pro of coming late — got a space in parking lot C. Paid $ 3.00 at the box and placed the receipt on our dash.

Once a month the South Bay comes alive with merchandise, antiques and essentials when the DeAnza flea market comes alive once a month… the first Saturday has been anticipated for years.
There is no telling what one will find on this adventurous ride.
Décor, jewelry, clothes, food…
You name it.
Some spots take credit card.
There is an elusive ATM somewhere…
Chase practically across the street, Wells Fargo near by.
Lots of great finds.

I’m not much of a flea market person, so I really have nothing to compare to. It seemed like an interesting way to spend a saturday. kind of fun checking out all the stuff. lots of junk, but some cool stuff along the way. prices didn’t seem as good as i thought they would be, but there were some deals. and shaved ice… which we go a little nuts for! all in all, a good time. oh, and skip their parking if you can. $ 5? bleh.
what will you find? more like what won’t you find!!! a few of my favorites: sunglasses, furry bones, hats, purses. oh, and we found this guy who makes the coolest wall signs with letters. hard to describe, but you’ll know it when you see it. bright and colorful.

There is something so exciting about a flea market. The hunt of that mysterious treasure you don’t know is out there. Parking is $ 5, but it sounds like if you have walking feet, it is better to park across the street or residential if you want to save some money for shopping. Nice aspect about this market is it is 75% covered by shade. How many flea markets can you say that about? None that I know of in the Bay Area.
I really need to come back here and walk around more. But I came for one of the shirt booths I saw at a festival in San Francisco and the guy was happening to be selling it here. I didn’t have enough money at the festival, well it saved me, because his shirt was $ 5 cheaper at the flea market. Yay!
Noticed there were some food stands, I didn’t get a chance to look at them. I think next time I’m going to check it out.