Smiley’s Flea Market

Ok first the negative,
Put some tents up for the outside sellers,
The inside could be more organized.
Now the positive,
If you want REAL Mexican food this is the place to go ‚(I used to live out west I know what I’m talking about) ‚
& I MEAN REAL MEXICAN FOOD.
Also for all the nerds out there they have a few nice shops to visit, comics, role playing etc.
this place has a lot of potential with so many people visiting every weekend they could develop and evolve smileys.
For higher end permanent venders & make it a nicer place (like a mini mall with venders)
All in all a fun place to go EARLY & have fun.
Follow the genius that is me

We visited this flea market during our recent visit to Western NC.
To begin with, this place is huge. Its a monster flea market. Now our visit did take place on a Sunday, and we did get a late start say 12ish. Although this is a big place, it did not seem to have many outside vendors open on the day we visited. Also, there were only about a third of the inside vendor open. It had rained quite a bit on Saturday, as I said we came on Sunday, so maybe some vendors thought the area might be a big mud hole and so opted not to come out.
The day was beautiful and the area was only slightly muddy, but nothing we could not navigate.
There was the standard flea market stuff such as sock, faux pashminas, some badly dyed sundresses, Nascar stuff, baseball cards, tools and at this flea market there was quite a bit of Hispanic related items. There were a lot of Hispanic vendors which I assume are there for the migrant workers which have come in for apple picking time.
After browsing a while, I did find one item to purchase from a very nice lady who had her minivan open and was selling things that she no longer wanted. One man asked her if she took credit cards… oh please!
Around 1:30 we noticed everyone starting to pack up. That seemed really early to be calling it a day. It was mass exodus from the flea market grounds. We went into high gear and started power walking what was left to see. I do not think I have been to any other flea markets where vendors start packing up so early. Even in Florida they will brave the heat until about 2:30.
We absolutely love looking at antiques, etc… etc means other peoples junk. So we visit flea markets and thrift stores on each vacation. Wilmington NC has some awesome thrift stores, but no flea market as big as this one.
Regarding food, yes there was plenty of the standard flea market fare, which we opted no to partake of on this day.
Now about the restroom facilities, if you can hold it, I would say definitely hold it. Even G said he had never seen a dirtier bathroom. I wish I had taken a picture of the toilet paper holder, but picture a pipe with about 6 rolls on it, some how padlocked with a chain to the door. When you closed the door, there was about a 8 inch space between the door closure and the toilet. I was having some issues of where to put my legs, not that I have long legs but this was one small pee hole. As I said, if you can hold it, hold it. They have no handicapped area that I could see and no changing table for a baby.

Toooooooooo much expired food, and other products like baby formula and vitamins. And a lot of FAKE & COUNTERFEIT items. Be careful what you buy here at the flea market.

Honestly not worth my time or gas money. Antiques priced too high. Tons of veggies and what not from local people.
Large area of expired good. I’m not going to go to a flea market and purchase expired vitamins. Come on dude.
Hey other people’s junk might be others treasures. but not for this gal

Smiley’s is an awesome place, I love finding old things that can be reused from video games to golf clubs!

Smiley’s is a typical southern flea market. Friendly faces, delicious food, and a large variety of vendors makes Smiley’s a popular stop off of Hendersonville Rd. If you’re looking to buy, sell, interact with friendly southern folk, or venture through hidden treasures, Smiley’s is the place to be.

Why all the negative reviews? For me, places like these are the essence of America’s heartland.
language barriers? Who cares? That didn’t stop me from being able to order anything from the Mexican food and fruit vendors.
As for the rest of it — there are many stalls of people selling really cool stuff. I was able to find this antique globe and color-​illustrated book of the American Civil War published in 1920 — all for $ 15.
As a refreshment on such a hot day, I enjoyed a ice-​cold fresh green coconut for $ 2. Can’t beat that price. And you’ll never meet such nice people.

BIG AND TONS TO LOOK AT! You can score a good deal at this place. Lots of people selling off stuff. If you are looking for an odd gift for the person who has everything this would be a good start.
Don’t bother to go during the week. All the excitement happens weekends before noon.
This place is known to have some tough history so bring your street smarts.

To maximize your experience read this first:
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It’s awesome.
Focus on the outdoor tables.
The permanent structure stores are over priced and not as much fun.
It’s useless to go any day other than Saturday and Sunday
Arrive no later than 10am
Do not go during cold months.
Eat at Taqueria Los Gallos. Order a tamale.
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A friend of mine was searching for a Smiley’s shopping companion this weekend. Being that Smiley’s is Asheville’s only flea market, home to more than four Mexican eateries, and features some of the most absolute polarized reviews I’ve ever seen on Unilocal,I leapt at the chance.
We arrived to one of the most chaotic and packed parking lots I’ve ever seen shortly after 10am. After negotiating the rocky terrain of the gravel lot, we found a spot and made our way in.
This was the first weekend of spring and there was an electricity in the air. The smells of freshly fried churros perfumed the air. Background music was provided by a fingerless musician impressively playing an electronic accordion. AN ELECTRONIC ACCORDION BEING PLAYED BY A FINGERLESS MUSICIAN. Just let that set in. Just let that saturate your brain… be intrigued, be amazed. Enter the Smiley’s.
Smiley’s is divided into four areas:
1. The produce section, which is nice, but I’m not here for fresh tomatoes.
2. The established store fronts, which are cute… lots of vintage glassware, frying pans, broaches, etc. However, these spaces pay regular (albeit cheap) rent and typically know exactly what they’re selling and will make you pay for it. Chances of finding something exciting at a deal here are extremely slim. Just as an example I found a shop that was selling a box of original Yo MTV Raps trading cards, but they wanted $ 15 for it. This is not a deal when I can hop on eBay and get the same box for $ 10. I offered $ 9 and I received a grunt in reply. Not only are they not looking to make things cheaper, they really don’t seem to care about moving merchandise.
3. There are the perimeter stores in what resemble black smith shops. They surround the 4^th area, the table area. These shops, seem to be more apt to moving merchandise, they’re cheaper than the permanent stores, but they’re definitely aware of what they’re selling.
4. The Tables. The tables is where you find treasures. This is where average people bring their wares to hock. There are items of all shape, size, and age. Power tools, socks, DVD’s, pocket knives, trinkets, outdated cell phones, kitchen gizmos, human hair, if you’re patient and observant you can find nearly anything on these tables.
It’s important to note that the greatest amount of table vendors are present on Saturday and Sunday mornings, and by noon they start to pack up. Most of the real gems have been found and picked, and they have the rest of their afternoons to attend to. Showing up early is important! We arrived at 10 am, and found some real winners.
The first item I picked up was a brand new vegetable noodle slicer. I had ordered the exact same one on Amazon a few weeks prior for $ 40. The vendor had no idea what it was, and had it marked for $ 3. I didn’t even need it, but that’s $ 37 off! I bought it with the express intent of giving it to a friend as a gift.
I made it my goal to locate a copy of the 2005 remake of War of the Worlds starring Tom Cruise. There are tons of stalls offering DVD’s. The market average seems to be 1 for $ 2, 3 for $ 5. We scoured through all of the boxes looking for it. It became a quest between my friend and I.
While we were searching for the flick I also picked up a Belkin USB 3.0 wireless adapter, sealed, for $ 5. Sweet. Other pick ups were a box of desert storm trading cards, some Star Wars water bottles, and a box of VHS tapes. All of these items will become prizes to give away at my trivia nights.
After much scouring we finally located a copy of War of the Worlds. I was elated. What a success. We decided to reward ourselves with a meal.
Smiley’s hosts a variety of Mexican taco shops, the most frequently mentioned one being Don Taco. Don Taco is pretty good. I’m going to give it a solid B. They really seem to care about what they’re doing. Furthermore, I feel like they’re open nearly all of the time regardless of whether or not Smiley’s is open. Good stuff, I was happy, but not excited.
The real gold was Taqueria Los Gallos. I’m going to venture a guess and say that Los Gallos’ operating hours might be a bit wonky. It’s located in the hallway of the major permanent store area. The major walkway transects the dining area. All you need to know is order a tamale. I’ll write a separate review because this thing is running long!
There’s a lot of voices sharing less than positive experiences of Smiley’s. That’s okay, but I would urge them, and you to give this place a shot at the right time of day during the right time of year, and take it all in. It’s something truly special.

Total waste of time and money. 11:15 on a friday. 3 stores clearly open in the entire place. Not one single outside seller. Probably somewhat better on a weekend but not likely to try again. Stay home and hit a local flea market. I wish I did.

Not to be critical but no one spoke English, it was like a little Mexico … The people couldn’t understand u and u them. Very frustrating. As much as I like the produce, the language barrier is a headache

A lot of people seem disappointed in this market. Personally I think it’s awesome, but I am accustomed to the disorganized yard sale type setup. The market isn’t organized, it isn’t pretty, and it most certainly is not high tech. However there are hundreds of vendors every weekend and you can find some great bargains if you are willing to look and dig. Everything from Keurig machines, to K cups, shoes, clothing — heck even pet supplies on occasion. Where else can you get Burts Bees lip balm for $ 1 a tube?
Persistence pays off especially at the flea market. Come often and take your time to search for what you want. Saturday’s and Sunday’s are the best days, especially if the weather is nice. Friday’s are hit or miss and generally only a handful of vendors show up.
I recommend trying it at least a couple times in the summer. For the true bargain shopper Smileys is a dusty paradise.

The words «Flea Market» describes a wide variety of locations and if you envision a low-​end yard sale, then you won’t be disappointed when entering this one. In fact, the yard sale section of this flea market was probably the most interesting part.

I am utterly confused as to this positive review. My family just left having spent a few hours there and those were hours wasted. Parking a few blocks away? We were 1 of about 10 cars in the lot on a Saturday noon to 3pm. Most stores were closed and those open sold straight up junk. Antiques? I found one cute store with vintage jewelry priced right but virtually everything else was Made in China. A total waste of a day! I will give 2 stars on the off chance maybe places were closed for the long holiday but even if everything had been open this is a very, very low-​end flea market featuring Mexican food and mariachi music. A little scary. …

What a dump. After leaving this place I feel like I need hand sanitizer. Very depressing and not what we were expecting.

Do not waste your time or gas. This place was horrible.

Here to counter your 5 star review. This flea market is a waste of time. Was there on a Saturday and there was about 20 people there. Save your gas. Booths full of bubble gum machine trash. Trust me it’s bad bad bad.

This is the most depressing place I’ve ever visited. Maybe because I came on a Friday, but it was all empty/​closed stalls, and the only enjoyment I got out of going was seeing the insane leaning towers of VHS tapes in the Movie store. I think the seller has every tape ever made, but I’m not sure how you would pull the 23^rd tape down from the top without being buried alive.
Do not waste your time seeking this place out.