Orange County Market Place

This place use to be fantastic and a great cheap family outing. Every time we go it’s smaller and smaller and dirtier. The new «antique» section is quite sad. The new owner needs to fix this otherwise a lot of these small vendors are going to vacate and we will be left with socks, antiques and cell phone cases.

used to go to this place monthly but since i moved from cali i only go when i’m in town. this visit was especially disappointing since there were so many vacant spaces. yes, it was the day after new year’s so i could use that as an excuse. entry is only $ 2 and it includes parking. they have a few spaces that are «vintage» items but i’m not interested in that stuff so i walked on by. i was looking for a few specific items and found 1 of the 2 so that contributes to the disappointment. i’ll be back but hopefully there will be more vendors.

It is sad to see this place getting smaller and smaller. This used to be the best place to shop on a Saturday or Sunday. Kind of sad to see how small it has become. I only hope they can get the vendors back.

First, I need to say that I have loved this swap meet for many years. It has always been clean and has had great merchandise. My family loved coming here on a regular basis. We had not been there in about 5 months and went last weekend. I was shocked that half of the vendors are gone. Seriously, the last few aisles were gone. The food vendors and many long-​time favorites were gone. The vendors we spoke with said that the current owner is not advertising and many vendors are leaving because they aren’t making enough. I really hope that they can turn this around because it will be gone soon otherwise. Very sad! :-(

I was practically raised in a swap meet. Spent my childhood being dragged through aisles under a blazing sun. Now, something that I hated as a kid has turned into one of the activities I enjoy the most.
Seriously, there is no better way to enjoy a Sunday morning than to wake your buns early and schlep through aisles and aisles of bargains while sipping your coffee under a warm, shining sun. This is the flea market to end all others. (I’m talking to you, Rose Bowl). The OC marketplace has been part of my shopping enjoyment for years now. I make the trek down here from SGV generally every second or third month. The size and selection are amazing. This marketplace is void of the ghetto vibe you often find in other ones of this size. Quality NEW items that won’t break as soon as you get them home. If you like the «antique» thing, then stick to the Rose Bowl/​PCC Swap Meet. The OC Marketplace DOES have an antique section that’s a newer addition, but I don’t think it draws the crowds.
Your appreciation of the wares will largely depend on what kind of shopper you are and what types of stores you generally frequent. If your standard is Nordstrom’s, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s then this place may not be your thing. The OC marketplace is for the Target, Walmart shopper with an eye for things you may not find in stores. You name it, you can find it here. There’s a whole section packed w/​food and fresh fruit and veggies for fans of farmer’s markets. Do yourself a favor and check it out. Even if you don’t find anything, it’s a fun day out.
Tip: Bring a pull bag/​wagon to drag your purchases around. You can rent them for $ 4 – 6 I think.

Positives:
–The cleanest swap meet in Orange County.
–They have a mini food court in the center (the frozen bananas are great!)
–They have bathrooms.
Negatives:
–You have to pay to get in the entrance.
–They close at 4, but vendors begin packing up at 3.
–On the high priced side for item at the swap meet (for cheaper prices try the swap meet at Orange Coast College on weekends)

The OC Swap Meet has been part of my life for over 25 years. I love comming here and just walking around, it’s changed so much over the years, but it’s still fun. You can still find some great deals, like fresh produce, tamales, haircuts, fountains, cars and even HOUSES, yes, they will sell you’re ass an entire house, if you want it and I mean, they actually have a manufactured home inside the place… they also have bounce houses for the kids, ok food and boatloads of beer, its just a great community get-​together of sorts…

I’ve been to several events here, and I am a huge fan of the entire layout. There are plenty of spaces for large conventions, parking is organized and the attendants are helpful. I am in awe at the sheer size of the place. Overall, I would return here or have my company organize an event at this location. No complaints.

I thought we were going to the beach. I thought I was going to spend a summer afternoon walking around Balboa eating ice cream and people-​watching but the girl in the passenger seat of my car saw the sign for the Marketplace as we drove-​by and suggested we stop and check it out.
I used to come to this swap meet regularly but hadn’t been here in probably ten years or so. It’s still a decent swap meet with some high-​end vendors and some not-​so high-​end vendors mixed together. I thought it was cool that they now have a place for people sell used cars and that they have a section for people to sell garage sale items.
I wasn’t impressed with the food options which were available as what was there had long lines and didn’t look all that great. I eventually got an ice cream, but it didn’t taste as good as the ones at Balboa do. Another time I guess.

Okay, so seven dollars for parking plus a two dollar admission fee wasn’t a great way to steer me. To note apparently parking prices vary on events and days. However the size of this place and the diversity of products quickly changed my mind. This is much more than your ordinary flea market. There were tons of new clothing, furniture, and household items. The produce, bread, and gourmet food booths would make my towns farmers market envious. There was stages of live music, food trucks galore, and aisles and aisles of new treasures. This is a place to defiantly lose hours of time at.

Don’t expect too much from this flea after you have been to many other fleas. Admission fee is $ 2 but there are not many interesting vendors.
There are vendors selling hand phone accessories, tiki decorations, clothes and other miscellaneous stuffs. Not a place to visit if you’re looking for vintage furniture/​decorations, there is only a couple of vendors. What caught my attention is the mobile hair dresser salon and showrooms for people to view the property. I wonder if people do get their hair cut and buy houses at a flea market. This flea is less crowded but I would prefer to go to others where there’s more things to see!

Was at another event at the expo center, walked over and paid $ 2 entrance fee. Place was huge but have your standard flea market sale items ie cell phone cases, clothing, toys, arts, etc. Good way to pass the time if you don’t have anything else planned.

I give the place two stars because they do have a good selection of food, and it’s a good place to check out if you’re looking for cheaper prices on certain new goods.
But this is the white peoples swap meet, for those that don’t want to go to the GWC or OCC College swap meets because it’s junky and dirty.
First, I don’t think it’s right to charge customers for the privilege of browsing and purchasing goods. That cost should be, and almost always is for everywhere else, the burden of the vendors.
The selection of goods here has declined over the years. It used to have a lot more sellers, far more variety, and a lot more interesting goods. More collectables, more antiques, more curiosities. There’s just way too much redundancy here now. It seems like 70% of the vendors are selling t-​shirts, sunglasses, and home décor. I remember 20 years ago, browsing the whole place would occupy the entire afternoon. Now I can go through the whole place in an hour.
OCC and GWC have far more variety, far more interesting items, better deals, and better prices. Yes, there is some junk, but there are also treasures to be found there. And you don’t have to pay anything to see it.

I come here every weekend and there is definitely something for everyone. Its upscale compared to other swap meets.
Lots of good deals and reasonable prices. Theyve recently added the Treasure Island in the back part which adds variety and something new!

One of the better swap meets in the area. Nice diverse non ghetto crowd. Plenty of vendors who are mostly all willing to bargain with you. On occasion, they’ll have weekend entertainment. A new added bonus is the Treasure Island area which is a yard sale like setting.
If you register your email, they’ll regularly send you coupons for free admission and preferred parking which makes it a great inexpensive weekend activity. Oh yeah, kids are free but I suggest leaving them with a sitter or else they’ll be asking for everything they see.

This was my first time at this marketplace and didn’t really have high expectations. For some reason the words ”swap meet” make it sound ghetto vs farmer’s market or something. Free parking is always a plus AND there’s a car wash section, where you can get it washed and get valet to the entrance.
It’s $ 2.00 for adults but happened to find a coupon online for free adult admission. Score!
I came actually for the kids egg hunt which was towards the back of the marketplace. As I was making my way to the event, I passed by a lot of different vendors selling hair products, art work, women’s clothes, sunglasses, and a few baby clothing vendors. In terms of prices? I didn’t really shop around but it seemed like a decent place to find inexpensive items.
There were food trucks lined up towards the back which was a huge plus. I love having food options.
Not a bad place to spend the afternoon if you just want to walk around with the kids.

Sadly I will probably never go to this Swap Meet again… everything is ridiculously overpriced and to pay $ 2 to get it is pretty sad considering what they offer and they are losing vendors right and left… they cannot even call it a Swap Meet anymore because the prices are not worth the crap they sell, the vendors are rude and greedy… half the cloths are bought in LA for pennies and sit out in the sun, get bleached out then they charge $ 30/​$ 50 for a product that after one wash will fall apart… just went to the Cypress College swap meet, which is free parking/​admission and it was WAY larger and offered similar products for much less!
Save your money and find a real Swap Meet at your local Community College, they are a lot better!

I’ve been coming here for years. It’s too bad over the years this place has shrunk in selection of merchants. You can still find a deal here. We coming here for razor blades refills, hair products and sometimes snacks (nuts and candy). I’ve also bought cell phone accessories in the past which are cheaper than Verizon or AT&T. We came here with my mother in law who was visiting from out of town and we wanted a place where we can walk around in the nice weather. It’s $ 2 a person to get it, but it’s worth it if you find things you like.
One of my big items I get here is luggage. I don’t waste my money on expensive luggage since it gets all banged up and scratched and torn from the carriers. I come here and get some great deals on luggage. It looks good, it’s durable and costs about half of what you get at any retail store. When the luggage wears out, I just buy more from here. Again, if it’s a nice day and you want to walk around for a few hours, come here and check out some of the merchandise. You might find a deal or two.

Sometimes it’s almost as if you see the same thing over and over again but then you find something you really want. I came here specifically for sunglasses and yup I love the polarized glassess there because it’s cheap and it really is polarized. Every time if I lose them or break it I’m not crying about it because it’s only 6 bucks to replace.
The produce section is great if you come late and get the deals, the breads becomes super cheap as well and it’s delicious. We got buy one get one free, it was so exciting. Lol. I love bread.
The cool thing about this place is the area where they have entertainment. Music in the area where you dine.
It really doesn’t take long to walk the whole area if you just wanna browse and see what’s out there. I did that last time and that’s how I know what I can get here. They got lots of stuff.
Fun spot to just walk around after lunch, be sure to look out for coupons for admission.

I used to love browsing the aisles back in the heyday (when the place was called a «swap meet» and actually had lots of traditional swap meet aspects), it’s a much smaller «Market Place» now but still enough vendors to keep one occupied for a while. Fun place to go and enjoy the sunshine and check out a variety of items for sale… and don’t get me wrong, I STILL love browsing the aisles!
FREE PARKING is a bonus and you can also get free valet with a car wash if you choose that option (or was it free carwash with valet… either way, you only pay for one… I usually pay for neither, however, and park with the rest of the herd)
$ 2.00 ENTRANCE, not a bad deal. You also can find free tickets online or several vendors will pass them out so that next time you get in without the small entrance fee. But c’mon, two bucks, you’ll spend more on a few banana clips and glitter gloss.
FOOD is a fun thing to check out. You can have a hot dog or turkey leg lunch alongside your brewski or fresh squeezed lemonade. Decent price and ample seating with some shade. You can also shop for food to take home with you, such as jerky, jams, candy and brittle as well as a vast selection of fresh (and local?) produce.
SHOPPING for something different to hang on your walls or add to your patio? Here’s a great place to search for something unique. There are also lots of silk and real plants, patio furniture, sports memorabilia, custom-​made t-​shirts, knock-​offs galore, jewelry, artwork, clothing for him, her and the little ones, plus some odds and ends scattered among the rows of vendors.
LIVE MUSIC is occasionally pumping out for all to hear… in fact years ago I found some of my favorite ear-​candy I’d heard in years and have since seen them other places and purchased several CDs and digital downloads.
You just never know what’s up at the Orange County Market Place!
CHEERS!