Alsip Swap-O-Rama Flea Market

I figured we would go here for a cheap saturday morning activity. It costs $ 2 for adults, $ 1 for seniors and kids under 12 are free. Once we got in, we were disgusted! The amount of stolen merchendise is crazy!!! Bikes, power tools, hand tools, lawn mowers etc. It seems impossible for one man to have a trunk full of the same tools. Then you have your 3 or 4 sock tables, fake purses, fake otterbox cases and a shady eye doctor! That is right, you can trust your sight to a man giving eye exams for 15 bucks at a flea market. We did like the people selling garage sale items and the delicious fruit and veggie stands. You can get the fruits and veggies for pennies on the dollar. Make sure to go here if you enjoy people watching and hand washing :)

I enjoy walking the outside of the swap meet. I find very good deals compared to what I see at Walmart & other retail stores.
I can buy gifts for everyone in my family. I like to plan ahead & get gr8 deals in advance. I simply store them in the closet with a named sticky note.
I bought some deodorant 2 for 5 & some clear packing tape (4 when I mail x-​mas pkgs in winter) 2 bucks (3.99 at Menards). Oh — superglue .50 cents I kid you not.
We bought some grapes and blueberries for 1.50 ea much cheaper than even food-​4-​less or Aldis. My honey got a bundle of socks lol a very good deal on 10 pair for 10 bucks and another 6 pair for 6 bucks.
The kids got a few necklaces from a vendor that sells lockets for 2 bucks & they come with kickin charms that the kids can switch out. I got a (brand new) cute purse & a mickey mouse tote for 5 dollars ea, then the girls picked out some cool bracelets for 1 dollar each — I’m not kidding, even if it lasts for the summer it was worth 1 dollar to make them so happy. I bought 2 sarongs (bikini covers) the girls need for poolside this summer — they were 5 each, found them sunglasses for 2 dollars ea came with soft draw string case & cleaning cloths lol — wow– it was crazy this lady has great deals but she’s not there every weekend so if you don’t go regularly you may not catch her. She also gave my girls a free necklace each from the movie FROZEN, that was nice but that happened earlier I didn’t know it was the same lady until later. (The kids were running around on their own when that happened.) She was so very nice and appreciative when I bought from her it really stuck with me, in my heart & when the kids told me that was the same lady it made sense.
I bought a few gifts for the younger boys from a lady that sells ninja like toy sets and cool custom jeweled baseball caps and from a guy that sells video games & comic books & comic video books. I don’t really know the name I think it maybe Animé lol lol. I’m a bit outdated in that area.
I saw a few peeps selling some junker kind of stuff, but very few and separate from the main sellers way in the back.
A lot of tools & bikes & tables w chairs & comforters & kitchen appliances — very good new and used stuff. 99% of the outside sellers only take cash so be prepared in case you see something you really like.
As for bargaining I didn’t have to do much of that when most prices were already rock bottom lol. However, I did haggle on a big stove pot but I didn’t get it for my price — that’s ok tho, it was a little bigger than the one I was originally going to buy and I thought if I got it for the same price well ok then lol. But I couldn’t so I bought the smaller one and that one will do the trick.
Overall It was a great experience. Good time, good exercise, fun for the girls and super gr8 deals. We would all go back in a heartbeat! I have been to other flea markets and this one is THE BEST.

I mean really what can I say? Its an outdoor flea market and over the years I think its become quite ghetto and not at all in a good way. I mean you will get bargains of course, but you also have the rif raf that comes in to buy «cheap» and this sometimes is not a good thing. Especially in one of the corridors where you have the ghetto wear, and cheap knock off brands of things they insist are «real» but those of us who «know» will understand that this is a lie.
A few years ago it was fun to come in and check out, but over the years I think that people are now selling whatever they find in alleys. If you want to find things for your car like say a sterio, then go to the outside area and you will find it. If you want to find real (Macy’s style) colognes, of course you will find them here too, but at a little bit of a savings. But of course be aware that many of the items are cheap knock offs so don’t be fooled.
What I do like about the Swap is that if you have things that are harder to find, you can find it here. Such as: you need a remote control for your car key chain because you accidently stepped on yours while running away from the cops, well for less then $ 30, you can get an instant replacement here. Seriously.
If you need a cheap haircut from a man who barely understands your language, you can get that here too. I like that fact that he knows his craft, so speaking the language is no big deal. (Insert funny face here winking)…
So for $ 2 for the entrance fee, you can find a lot of things here, but hey at times you just have to be daring and try something new out, seriously.

What happened to the flea markets of old, when you could buy decent stuff at prices that didn’t have you digging through the lint at the bottom of your pocket?
Came down here thinking just MAYBE this was better than that scrap heap up in Rosemont. NOT. Pretty much exactly the same except smaller and half indoors. Junk dealers trying to get retail + for used garbage they trash pick or buy bottom shelf at garage sales, trinket dealers peddling their wares from China and Taiwan, and guys selling things that MUST be stolen (where else does one get vans full of power tools?). Where are the cops?
We went for hand tools, and pretty much everything is much cheaper online even on eBay. Even new, vs their used, in many cases. We got a few OK deals on a few tools from ONE GUY but 98% was overpriced and/​or complete crap.
I don’t get it. I guess these people just like to pack their jalopies at 3AM and shlep down here, unpack, set up, twiddle their thumbs all day waiting for suckers dumb enough to bite (and they are FEW), pack up and drive home. Guess they have nothing else to do.
I give it 1 extra star since we did find one guy who was willing to sell us something under retail.

This location is really good, I don’t have time to explore frequently but definitely stop by if I am around

If you’re looking for cheap sunglasses, random odds and ends or crates of fruit on the cheap, this place has it. You may have to wade through some stalls selling just junk, but it’s a fun weekend morning walk. They charge $ 2 entrance fee, but you can find some good deals on random things like bike chains or sunglasses or a crate of mangos. It’s a flea market, so keep that in mind when you set expectations. Also, they don’t accept credit cards, so bring your cash.

This place was awesome. So many different vendors and things being sold. The place gets very packed and crowded, so definately try to remember how you got in and out, easy to get lost in there. I definately went there and spent more than what i wanted to, bought things i had no plans of buying, but it was all worth it.

What do you say about a place that’s named for a parasitic wingless insect that feeds off the blood of animals? Well, for one thing, I’m sure there are no fleas in the Alsip Swap-​O-​Rama. I know for a fact that there are some ripe smelling people here too, but if you can get past the name and the smelly people, there are great deals to be had in here! And as with all flea markets, bartering is key. Lie if you need to.
«How much for this (holding up item in question)?»
«$ 30″
“What?! I got this for $ 15 here last week. Psshh, #swerve»
«ok ok ok.(throws item onto table) $ 15.»
«$ 15? sweet.»
They have a ton of stuff at the Swap-​O-​Rama. Some things are legit, others not so legit. One tip. Don’t buy anything here on impulse. Walk around and check out all the vendors that have what you’re seeking and see who can give you the best price, because that price will fluctuate widely from vendor to vendor. And still, even when you get to that lowest priced vendor, get them to lower the price.
If you walk in, you absolutely have to walk out with something. It costs $ 2 to get in here on the weekend and a mere 50 cents on Wednesdays, the caveat on Wednesdays being that there are only outdoor vendors so the selection is mucho lowered.
You came to the swap meet. What could you possible buy here? Let’s see… weed whackers, foamy toilet seats, toilets (barf), all kinds of knives batons pepper sprays and various other self defense items, stepping and line dance DVDs. Yeah buddy, I’m talking R. Kelly «Step in the Name of Love» and The Casper Slide in the form of a mix tape movie for your anti-​boredom defense. If you need accessories for your electronic devices such as cords batteries, Otterboxes or Lifeproof Cases you can probably find it here. Sports memorabilia, slogan T shirts, snapbacks, quinceanera dresses, shea butter and cocoa butter as well as all manner of skin products, really old video games, those all-​in-​one consoles loaded with 250 terrible Nintendo games, leather galore. If you ride a motorcycle, they probably have something for you. Chaps (assless of course), jackets, helmets, tassles whatever. Need to stock up on surgical and dental instruments? They got that too. I’m really just showing you the tip of the iceberg, this place is ginormous and filled wall to wall with EVERYTHING. They even have food,
it’s called Snak-​O-​Rama. You think I’m kidding? I’m not. Snak-​O-​Rama what.
So come out to the Swap-​O-​Rama and bargain your way to some awesome deals. I got my Lifeproof case here for $ 15. Or you can buy it at Best Buy for $ 80. Your choice.

I used to always come to come to Swap-​o-​Rama when I was younger and I would say I hadn’t been there in at least 5 years or so. It’s changed a lot since the good old days. You can still find some decent stuff, and some of the same old vendors are there, but it’s a lot of weird clothing and ghetto accessories now. I can’t believe how many vendors there are for women’s underwear… I mean really?!? If there was one thing I would never want to buy from a flea market it’d be undies. Anyway, it’s still a pretty huge flea market, and they have outdoor vendors in the summer. It only costs $ 2 to get in and you can kill a couple hours on a boring Sat or Sun morning browsing around.

Ghetto, and not fabulous. I hadn’t been here in several years and went with a friend on Saturday. She wanted to check it out, because she was considering getting a booth here to sell some goods. Ummmm… hell to the no!
The place is scary. A lot of the inside stuff was hoochie — from lingerie, bras, panties, club clothes, sunglasses… and several booths selling mattresses. I really don’t think I want my new mattress from the flea market.
The outside part is more of a garage sale — with people selling stuff from their car. There were more mattresses outside, bikes, tools, socks, and lots of produce.
I did manage to score some D&G light blue for $ 20, from a guy in his car. Probably stolen, but it was unopened and looked legit.
Probably won’t be back. $ 2 to get in and parking is free.

I went there for thr first time and I must agree, you will fing anything that you shop anywhere else. I like the savings on most items, like the laundry needs. My son turn me on to this and my daughter, will be back!!!

Don’t go on a Wednesday, you will be lonely. Their bootleg movies are crap, too.

You Must go here for althing you need they have it there!

Does anyone sell real New Era hats there? I have to buy bulk for all the kids at a charity event and they are liking the Superheros, Gamers, etc.
The last guy tried to sell me some not so real hats, but that’s to be expected it is the SwapORama! It’s the same stuff over and over so don’t stress if you missed those socks the first time around, you can make up your mind half way through or at the end because you’ll see socks everywhere. Well it’s worth a trip if you like that down under dirty dealing stuff. But in the meantime I’ll be checking elsewhere to continue to supply the New ERA Hats.

I used to love this place… I would take my kids here and let them pick out toys or something of the sort. I went there today with my husband in search of a couple things. I left there disgusted to say the least.
We walked around after we found what we were looking for to see if we missed any booths. As we were walking, I noticed quite a few people standing at this booth. They sold DVD’s, hats, CD’s etc. I look to see what has got their attention and to my disbelief they are watching a dog fighting DVD. I immediately gt sick to my stomach and tell my husband that I want to leave.
I am very disappointed that Sawp-​O-​Rama has these types of people in thier establishment. I’m pretty sure that the people that run it know whats going on. They have «security» walking around all the time. Needless to say I WILL NOT be back.

Over the years this place has gone downhill. It still smells like people that haven’t bathed in weeks wearing laundry in the same condition, mixed with a melted plastic/​fried food smell, but it still smells better than most Marshall’s stores.
You can still find a great selection of stolen car stereos, knockoff S&W pocket knives that sell for the same price as the real thing, and «fresh» fruit.
What was disappointing was number of people selling the exact same damn stuff! There must have been at least 8 Shea Butter salespeople there. Just someone standing in a stall with buckets of shea butter. The exact same bucket, same brand, just different people selling it all throughout. If you’ve been to Tijuana, you’ll know what I’m talking about.
Luckily, the entertainment is free! I got to see security break up a fight, and someone walk up to an «incense salesman» ask for devil’s lettuce, and receive something in a bag that was under the counter. There were also signs everywhere with the phone number for flea market security saying to call them instead of the police!
The inside is mainly people selling brand new stuff at not so great prices. The outside is people selling stuff they probably found in someone’s garbage, at prices that reflect it. Overall, I’d come back on a day when I have nothing better to do, but those days don’t come up all that often anymore.

I almost feel like they should be paying us to get in the doors. However, 2 bucks is not bad for people watching and some mental memories down memory lane. I saw a pair of lime green LA Gears.
A nice couple at a gas station offered to show us the way, so we followed them to the Swap O Rama.
This place is quite large. Indoor and outdoor vendors.
Just about everything imaginable. Some things a bit scary, but still fun to walk through and look at what people are selling.
A lot of the vendors are very sweet and friendly and look to be enjoying themselves selling their treasures from yester years.
Nothing I wanted. J found a few old school toys.
I recommend going to the bathroom before hand. I didn’t dare. Eek!

It’s the weekend, and you want to get out of the house… what’s a good thing to do that only costs $ 2? Going to the Alsip Swap-​O-​Rama of course! And today was my first encounter of this flea market. Man, I had no idea how big this place is! I’ve gone to other flea markets that cost more than this, and were a fraction of this size. They had pretty much everything you can think of. Tons of clothing, jewelry, bras/​panties, incense, CD’s/DVD’s, socks, socks, and more socks, perfume, rims, speakers… new stuff, used stuff, old stuff. You can get an airbrushed t-​shirt, get your eyes checked, and get a haircut all under the same roof!
All n’all, I would recommend this is a place worth checking out!!! Make sure though that you go on a pretty nice day, because then all the vendors are there!

Bootleg compilation CD’s, sweat socks, perfume, incense, beautiful 14K gold jewelry, shea butter, luggage, cleaning and personal hygiene products, ghetto photo «studios», rims, speakers, chicks with attitudes, dudes with NO game (some with), black market babies, kidneys and more for unbeatable prices.
A great way to spend a few bucks AND a Saturday afternoon.

My first time here, on a specific mission to buy a dirt-​cheap used children’s bike for parts. The trip was a success, i found one for $ 10! Admission is $ 2, so I guess in total I spent $ 12, but the cost of entry was worth the experience.
This place is enormous and crazy. I didn’t sample any of the food, but I did manage to walk past EVERY stall in the place while on my quest. You could probably find just about anything there. There’s a lot of clothing, hats, stereo equipment, belts, wallets, cheap toys, socks, cleaning supplies, used tools, and «natural» remedies. One vendor had a bunch of cheap and terrible paintings in good old ornate frames. I will be back with those in mind on another trip.